Basketball

BasketballRules&Regulations
Basketballisadynamic,fastpacedgamethathascapturedtheimaginationofmillionsof
peoplearoundtheworld.Itproducedoneofthemostelectrifyingplaysinallofsports(the
slamdunk)andtheoneoftheworldsmostrecognizableathletes(MichaelJordan).
Despitetherazzledazzlenowassociatedwiththesport,basketballisessentiallyasimple
gamewithastraightforwardgoal:Puttheballintheopponentsbasket.
Officialbasketballgamesaregovernedbyageneralsetofrulesthatregulatethesizeof
thecourt,numberofplayers,equipmentspecificationsandgameplay.Rules,however,
varyslightlybasedoncountry,region,division,andleague.Theinformationbelowisa
generaloverviewofbasicbasketballrulesandregulations.

CourtandEquipment
Basketballisanadaptablegame.Becauseofitssimpleequipmentrequirementsallyou
needisanelevatedhoop(10feetabovetheground)andaballbasketballcanbeplayed
inalmostanyenvironmentalsetting:Outdoor,indoor,atapark,orevenatthebeach.
Formalbasketballcompetitions,however,aregenerallyplayedindoorsonahardwood
courtmeasuring94feetx50feet(courtdimensionscanvarydependingontheleague
and/orlevel).Formorespecificinformationregardingcourtandequipmentspecifications,
clickheretocheckouttheCourtDimensionspageoniSport.

PrinciplesoftheGame
Therearetwoprimaryobjectivesinbasketball:
Scorepointsbythrowingordroppingtheballthroughtheoppositionsbasket
Stoptheopponentfromscoring
Rulesandregulationsareinplacetohelpmaintaintheflowofthegameandtoensure
playersafetyandfairplay.Itisimportanttoknowandunderstandthemajorprinciples
and/orrulesofthesport,astheydictatehowthegameisplayed.Theserulesareoutlined
below:

TimeLimits
Abasketballgameisessentiallyaraceagainsttime.Mostleagues/levelsdividegamesinto
fourequalperiodscalledquarters(thelengthofeachperioddiffersaccordingtothelevel).
However,itisnotuncommontodivideagameintohalvestwoequalsegments.

Inadditiontothegameclock,manylevels/leaguesalsoplaywithashotclockadevice
thatlimitstheamountoftimeateamcanhavetheballduringeachpossession.

Scoring
Ateamscoresbythrowingordroppingtheballthroughtheopponentshoopfromabove.
Anattempttoscoreiscalledashot.Eachtimeaplayersuccessfullyputstheballthrough
thehooptheirteamisawardedone,two,orthreepoints.Thenumberofpointsgivenfor
eachsuccessfulshotdependsonthetypeofshot.Belowisabreakdownofthedifferent
shotvalues:
FoulShot/FreeThrow:Therefereewillgrantafoulshottoaplayerwhoisfouled
whileintheactofshooting.Asuccessfulfreethrowisworthonepoint.
2Point:Anyshottakenwithintheareabetweentheendlineandthethreepoint
arcisworthtwopointsifitgoesin.
3Pointer:Anysuccessfulshottakenbehindthethreepointlineisworththree
points.

AndtheWinneris...
Theteamthatscoresthemostpoints
withintheallottedtimeisthewinnerof
thegame.

Overtime
Ifthescoreistiedattheendof
regulationtime,anextraperiodisplayed
todeterminethewinner.Thisperiodis
calledovertime.Thelengthoftheextra
perioddependsontheleague/level.
Overtimebeginswithajumpballandendswhentheallottedtimehasexpired.Theteam
withthemostpointsattheendoftheextraperiodisthewinner.Ifthescoreremainstiedat
theendofovertime,thenanotherperiodwillbeplayedthisprocesswillcontinueuntila
winnercanbedetermined.

MovingtheBall
Therearetwowaystomovethebasketball:Thepassandthedribble.Passingthe
intentionaltransferoftheballfromoneplayertoanotheristhepreferredoption,
becauseitisthefastestwaytomovetheballandinvolvesteamwork.Thedribblethe
continuousbouncingoftheballonthefloorontheotherhand,isanindividualact.While
itcanbenecessaryincertainsituations,dribblingtoooftencaneasilygetaplayerinto
trouble.

RoughPlay

Dr.JamesNaismith,theinventorofbasketball,despisedtheroughplaytacticsrampantin
sportslikefootballandrugby.Thus,wheninventingbasketballhedidhisbesttocreatea
sportthatdiscouragedexcessiveroughness.Themodernrulesreflecthisdesire.
Byrule,basketballisanoncontactsport.Thisdoesnotmeanthatanyphysicalcontact
betweenopponentsisillegal.Whatitdoesmeanhowever,isthatplayersarenotallowed
toengageinrough/excessivephysicalcontactand/orusecontacttogainacompetitive
advantageontheopponent.

RefereesandTheirDuties
Thereferee(s)areinchargeofenforcing
therules.Whenarulehasbeenviolated,
therefereewilluseawhistletostopplay
andsubsequentlycommunicatesaid
infractionusingpredesignatedhand
signals.Foradetailedguideto
decipheringtherefereeshandsignals
clickhere.Thenumberofofficials
presidingoveragivengamedependson
thelevelofplay.Youthandhighschoolgamesgenerallyhavetworeferees,whilethe
collegeandprofessionalranksemploythreeofficials.
Refereesareusuallydressedinwhiteandblackstrippedshirtsandblackpants.Officialsin
theNBAarerequiredtowearagrayshirtandblackpants.

GamePlay
Thoughitcanbeplayedonanindividualbasiswhentwopeopleplayagainsteachother
itiscalledoneononebasketballwasdesignedtobeateamsport.Teamscanbe
madeupofanywherefromtwotofiveplayers,buttraditionally,thesportisplayedbetween
twoteamsoffive.Eachteamcanhavemorethanfiveplayers,butonlyfiveplayersper
teamareallowedonthecourtatonetime.Thefiveplayerswhoareonthecourtwhenthe
gamebeginsarecalledthestarters.Theotherplayersarereservesorsubstitutes.
Substitutionsareallowedtoenterthegameduringdeadballsituations(whenplayis
stopped).
Oncethestartersareonthecourtandreadytogetthegameunderway,playisinitiatedby
atipoff(alsocalledajumpball).Twoopposingplayersgatheratmidcourtand
subsequentlyattempttogaincontroloftheballafteritistossedintotheairinbyanofficial
betweenthetwoopposingplayers.

Assoonasateamgainspossessionoftheball,thatteamisonoffensethatmeansitwill
beactivelytryingtoscorepoints.Ateamwillremaininpossessionoftheballuntilit
commitsaviolation/foul,scores,orturnstheballovertothedefense.
Whenateamdoesnothavepossessionoftheball,itisondefense.Inotherwords,itis
tryingtopreventtheoffensiveteamfromscoring.Defendersareallowedtocontestashot
inanattempttopreventscoring,butarenotallowedtouseexcessivephysicalcontact.
Doingsoisaviolationoftherulesandconsideredafoul.

BreakingtheRules
Ruleinfractionsgenerallyfallintooneoftwocategories:Foulsorviolations.Thepenalty
foraviolationislessseverethanthepenaltyforafoul.Also,aplayermaycommitany
numberofviolations,butonlyfivefouls(sixintheNBA)duringagame.
Forabetterunderstandingofthedifferencebetweenafoulandaviolation(andafew
examplesofeach),seethedescriptionsbelow.

Fouls
Afoulisabreachoftherulesconcerningillegalcontactbetweenopponentsand/or
unsportsmanlikeconduct.Therearetwodistincttypesoffoulsinbasketball:Thetechnical
foulandthepersonalfoul.
Atechnicalfoulisissuedwhenaplayer,coach,orteamcommitsaninfractionof
thegamesadministrativerules(anyrulesthathavetodowithequipment
specifications,sportsmanship,orgameprocedure).Thesefoulsgenerallydonot
involveliveballinfractions,butcanbeissuedinresponsetophysicalcontact
betweentwoopponentsduringadeadballsituation.Examplesofactions/behavior
thatmayresultinatechnicalfoulinclude:
Unsportsmanlikeconductbyeitheracoachorplayer.Inappropriate
languageisnottoleratedandwillbepenalizedwithatechnicalfoul.
Submittinganincorrectroster.
Wearinguniformsthatdonotcomplywithregulationsoutlinedintherules.
Becausetherulesregardingtheadministrationoftechnicalfoulsarefairlycutand
dry,muchofthefocusherewillbeonthepersonalfoul.
Apersonalfoulisaplayerfoulthatinvolvesillegalcontactwithanopponentwhile
theballislive.Theoffenderischargedwithonefoulperviolation,andifitisthe
playersfifthfoulhe/sheisdisqualifiedfromthegame(intheNBAplayersare
allowedsixfoulsbeforedisqualification).Oneoftheofficialsmaindutiesisto
ensurethatthegameisalwaysplayedfairlyandtheyhavetothinkabouttheeffect
ofplayercontactwhendeterminingitslegality.Ifthecontactcreatesa

disadvantageforeitherplayer,thenitiscalledafoul.Ifitdoesnot,noviolationhas
occurred.

Violations
Inbasketball,aviolationiswhenaplayerbreaksoneofthenonfoulrelatedrules.
Violationscanbecalledonboththeoffenseandthedefense,butaremostcommonly
calledontheoffensiveteam.Anoffensiveviolationresultsinthelossofpossession.
Hereisabreakdownofafewofthemostcommonviolations:
Traveling:Itisillegaltotakemorethanonestepwhileholdingtheballdoing.
Playersareallowedtoestablishapivotfoot,butonceapivotfootisdeterminedit
cannotbeliftedoffthegroundbeforetheplayershoots,passes,ordribblesthe
ball.
Illegaldribble:Aplayershallnotdribbleasecondtimeafterhis/herfirstdribble
hasended.
Carrying/palming:Allowingtheballtocometoarestinoneorbothhandswhile
dribbling.
Outofbounds:Thecourtboundariesaremarkedbyasoldlinethatisatleasttwo
inchesthick.Itisaviolationifaplayercontactsaboundarylinewhileinpossession
oftheball.
Backcourtviolation:Onceateamestablishespossessioninthefrontcourt,no
personfromthatteammaybethefirstpersontotouchaballthatisknockedinto
thebackcourt.

RuleDifferences
Asmentionedpreviously,manybasketballassociationsand/orleagueshavetheirown
rules.Formorespecificinformationregardingtheintricaciesofeachgoverningbody,
pleaseseethelinksbelow.
NationalFederationofStateHighSchoolAssociations
NationalCollegiateAthleticAssociation(MensBasketball)
NationalCollegiateAthleticAssociation(WomensBasketball)
WomansNationalBasketballAssociation
NationalBasketballAssociation