Basic Basketball Rules
Number of Players
If you want to play basketball for fun, you have the possibility of playing on your own. But you can also play team games with either 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 players on each teams. Teams can be mixed, with boys and girls, or not.
On a competition level, a team is made up of 5 players playing on the court and 5 players sitting on the bench that can be used for substitution during the whole period of the game. |
PositionsEach player is assigned a position when playing. This position is usually determined by the height of the player.
The tallest player on the team usually plays “center” also known as “position 5”, while the medium size ones play “forwards” / “position 3 and 4”. The shortest players then play “guards” / “position 1 and 2”. |
ScoringA player scores when he manages to throw the ball into the basket, with the ball passing through the basket from above the hoop. Scoring a basket increases the team’s score by 3, 2 or one point.
If the player successfully shoots from outside of the 3 points line, the basket is worth 3 points, otherwise it is worth 2 points. It is also possible to score one point when shooting from the free throw line, after a foul for instance. |
Positions
There are five players per team in a basketball game and each player plays a specific position on court. Each position can be thought of as a role, although these roles can be a hybrid when each player is required to play two or more positions at one time. This is due to the nature of the sport where players move around the court and play flexibly, doing what is needed in a given situation.
Fouls
The game of basketball is a contact sport! There are ten players on the court that are in constant motion - running, jumping, shooting, and moving throughout the entire game.
Because of this constant movement by the players, basketball fouls are often committed. The rules of basketball discourage rough or overly-aggressive play.
The game is meant to be played in a competitive and fun nature -not in a violent way. Therefore, the rules are designed to penalize the players that are playing in an excessively rough manner.
Basketball fouls are called when the official feels there has been physical contact between two players and that one player has gained an advantage because of that contact.
Because of this constant movement by the players, basketball fouls are often committed. The rules of basketball discourage rough or overly-aggressive play.
The game is meant to be played in a competitive and fun nature -not in a violent way. Therefore, the rules are designed to penalize the players that are playing in an excessively rough manner.
Basketball fouls are called when the official feels there has been physical contact between two players and that one player has gained an advantage because of that contact.
Violations
In basketball, a violation is the most minor class of illegal action. Most violations are committed by the team with possession of the ball, when a player mishandles the ball or makes an illegal move. The typical penalty for a violation is loss of the ball to the other team.