If you are reading this post, that means you are ready and willing to start learning the to play the game of basketball. That’s great! However before diving right into the necessary skills you’ll need, let’s start at the beginning. The focus today will be all about the rules of the game. I will break down the simple do’s and don’ts of the game and later on break down the details of the more extensive rules.

Basketball is played between 2 teams that have 5 players on the court at a time. On the court, there is the paint, the foul line, and the 3-point line. The pain is the colored rectangular box closest to the hoop. When a team is on offense, players are only allowed in this section for 3 until the player must step out. If a player violates this, their opponent receives the ball. The foul line is where players will take free throw shots after a player on defense commits a foul. Typically this is after a shooting foul unless a team reaches a specific number of fouls, which also will award free throws to the opponent. There are many different types of fouls that a player can potentially commit, which I will explain at a later time. For now let’s just stick to the basics. The 3-point line is where shots are worth 3 points. Any shot inside this arc is worth 2 points. When a foul is committed behind the 3 point line, players receive the same number of free throws as their initial shot is worth. Three point shots receive 3 free throws and 2 point shots receive 2 free throws. Pretty simple so far right?

There is also a mid-court line. Once players on offense cross this line, they are not allowed to cross over it again in the opposite direction. If so, the team loses possession of the ball, and the opponents take over. To get the ball from one end of the court to another, players must dribble the ball unless passing to another teammate. Without dribbling, the player has traveled, and the other team receives the ball. If the player picks up the ball after dribbling, the ball cannot dribble again. This violation is called the double dribble. Instead, the ball must be passed off r else the other team receives possession. While dribbling, a player is not allowed to carry the ball. In other words, a player can not have their hand underneath the ball as if to carry it down the court. It is best to use the tips of your fingers to push the ball down the court. If you want to see the best technique for dribbling, click on the “How To Videos” tab in the menu for a video about dribbling.

Once a team is on offense, the players have a limited number of seconds to get the ball to the hoop. To reset this clock, the ball must hit the rim. Whoever grabs the rebound gains possession. The NBA and WNBA both have 24 second shot clocks, while on the collegiate level for both men and women it is 30 seconds. At the high school level, girls have a 30 second shot clock, and boys receive 35 seconds. Depending on the basketball level, the length of the game varies. In the NBA, games consist of 4 quarters lasting 12 minutes each, while the NCAA consists of 2 halves lasting 20 minutes. Both have a 15 minute half-time. At the high school level, there are 4 quarters that are 8 minutes with a 10 minute half-time. However in my hometown of Rhode Island, we played two 16 minute halves with a 10 minute half time. The smallest state has to stand out somehow. The team with the most points at the end of regulation time wins. If there is a tie, a certain number of minutes is allotted for overtime.

See? The game of basketball is relatively simple – so far. Still interested in finding out more information? Come back next week!