Now you’re wondering how to play basketball? There’s a good reason for that. Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States and around the world, and it’s easy to understand why: because it’s fun to play! Learn how to play with these quick tips.
Playing basketball can be fun and exciting, but before you start to play it’s important to know the basic rules. While there are a lot of rules, most of them are easy to learn and understand. Once you know the rules, you’ll be ready to have fun playing.
This article is for anyone who wants to play Basketball. Whether you want to play for fun, in school competitions, or even in professional leagues, this article will help you learn the basics.
Table of Contents
What are the 10 Basic Rules of Playing Basketball
1.The Game
Basketball is played by two teams of five players each. Each team has a goal, which is 10 feet wide and 10 feet high. The game is played in four quarters of 10 minutes each, with an extra period in the event of a tie score at the end of regulation play.
A rectangular court is used for play, with a basket at each end, with an arch over it that’s 3 feet high and 6 inches wide (the rim).
2.The Ball
The ball must be round and between 7.5 and 8.5 inches in diameter, and inflated to between 7.5 and 8.5 pounds of pressure, with a circumference of 28-29 inches (with an allowance for the thickness of the cover).
The ball must be orange or yellow, made of leather or a synthetic material, and cannot have any dots or panels on it
3.Free Throws
A free throw is a chance for you to score points. If you hit your free throws, it can help your team win the game. A foul is when someone gets in the way of another player and stops them from making a basket or getting an easy shot off.
When you get fouled, they will reset the clock and give you two shots at making one of two shots that are worth 1 point each. If you make both shots in order to get 1 point, then all of your teammates get 2 seconds added onto their time limit!
4.Field Goal
A field goal is scored when a player shoots the ball into the basket and it goes through the rim. A field goal counts for 1 point. To make a field goal, players must follow all of these requirements:
- The ball must hit the rim and then go through it (only one hand can touch the rim).
- The ball must not touch anything other than your hands before going in except for:
- Your feet on jump shots or layups
- The backboard if you miss a shot but hit it on your way down from an airball or slam dunk (this is known as “backboard contact”)
5.Backboard
The fifth rule of basketball is that you can’t touch the backboard when you shoot, rebound or play defense. The backboard is used to score points and rebound balls, so it’s important to keep players from using this part of the court for their own benefit.
You can however use the rim to score points by dunking or shooting through it and catching the ball on your way down for two points!
6.Basket Interference and Goaltending
Basket Interference and Goaltending are two penalty calls that can be made by a referee.
Basket Interference – Occurs when a player touches the ball when it is on its downward flight to the basket before it goes through the hoop. The foul is non-unsportsmanlike and results in a loss of possession, meaning your team will have to start their possession from where they last held the ball, but one step closer to half court than where the foul occurred.
Goaltending – Occurs when you touch or deflect any part of an airborne ball (one that’s moving toward your goal) with any part of your body before it goes in. You don’t even need to touch or grab it—making contact with an airborne ball anywhere above your shoulders is goaltending! This call results in shooting free throws for the opposing team from three-point range (and no bonus points for style).
7.Throw-In
The throw-in is a guarded pass that can only be made by a team member. The player starts with one foot outside the court and throws or taps the ball to another player. If a defensive player gains possession of it, they may not dribble or shoot without first passing it to a teammate.
The throw-in is taken from:
- At midcourt when the ball goes out-of-bounds after an offensive rebound or when it hits off another offensive player’s body (or both).
- From either end line when the ball is deflected out of bounds after being last touched by an offensive player.
8.Jump Ball
A jump ball is when two players try to get control of the ball. One player (usually chosen by the referees) will throw the ball up into the air, and whoever gets it first gets possession. If there is a tie, they’ll do it again until one team has control of the ball.
9.Personal Foul, Technical Foul, Disqualification and Ejection
There are several types of fouls in basketball. A personal foul is called when a player commits a foul that is deemed to be dangerous or unfair. A technical foul is called when a player commits a foul that is deemed to be unsportsmanlike (such as arguing with an official).
If you commit three personal fouls in one game, you get disqualified and cannot continue playing until the next quarter starts or until your team wins by more than 10 points (whichever comes first).
You can also get disqualified if you commit five technical fouls during one game or ten over the course of two games played on different days (this rule applies to high school players).
10.Violations
You should know them, even if you never play at a high level and just want to be able to understand what’s happening when you watch a game on TV or in person.
Violations are considered fouls and they happen when a player breaks one of the core rules of basketball: they step over or across the center line; they don’t have both feet on their side of the court at all times; they hold or grab another player; they commit traveling (moving without dribbling); etc.
Factors to Keep in Mind While Playing Basketball
Learn good dribbling skills.
Learning to dribble is a key part of becoming a good basketball player. The best way to learn how to dribble is by watching others who are good at it and then trying it yourself.
Here’s how you should be dribbling:
- You should keep your head up when dribbling.
- You should try to keep the ball close to your body when you’re dribbling.
- Keep your eyes on the ball as much as possible while dribbling, since this will help you control where it goes (and prevent someone from stealing it).
- Keep your feet and knees bent for balance, so that if someone bumps into you, they won’t knock over both of us! If we stand straight up with our feet spread wide apart like a clunky robot, we’re going down like one too!
- Your shoulders should be square with where we want our next pass/shot attempt towards (i.e., towards our opponent’s basket). This helps ensure accuracy once we’ve made contact—after all there’s nothing worse than having half-nelson’d someone only for them not fall over because their arms were bent in such away that they couldn’t reach far enough forward without falling down themselves!”
Get in shape
- Eat healthy. If you’re going to be playing basketball, you’ll need to be in shape. Make sure you eat right and exercise regularly.
- Drink plenty of water before, during and after your game. Your muscles will thank you for it!
- Get enough sleep at night so that you can stay focused when your turn comes up during the game!
Practice layups often.
Layups are the easiest shots to make, and they’re the most common shots in a game. They’re also how you make sure that your team gets the lead, or at least stays on top if they’ve got it.
In short, layups are the most important shots in basketball. And since they’re so easy for any player to do, there’s really no excuse for not practicing them.
You should practice layups as often as possible because… well… when was the last time someone said “I wish I’d spent more time practicing my jump shot”?
How to defend a teammate and the opponent with the ball
The best way to defend a player with the ball is to watch his eyes. The eyes are the window into a player’s mind, and if you pay attention to what’s going on in there, you’ll be able to predict their next move.
If he’s looking left and his body is moving right, he’s going left. If he’s looking down at his feet and his hands aren’t moving at all—that could mean something too!
Here are some other things you can look at when defending your teammate (or an opponent):
- Watch their feet. It might seem obvious that feet are important for dribbling or jumping, but they’re also great indicators of intent! A player who moves her foot forward while dribbling is likely planning on driving past you; a player who lifts one foot off of the ground will probably shoot soon after; one who keeps both feet planted might intend on passing it back up top.
- Watch how high they hold their arms when they take off from the ground; if they hold their arms high above them (like LeBron James), then it means that they plan on dunking very soon; if they keep them down by their sides like Draymond Green does most often, then it means that he intends not only passing but possibly even shooting from three-point range.
- Look at which hand(s) are closer together versus further apart: this indicates whether or not someone has been practicing shooting drills lately.
- Take note of how much space there actually is between both teammates’ bodies as well as between each person individually—this tells us whether or not someone has been taking shots recently.
Be a team player and play hard
In basketball, it’s important to be a team player. You can’t do this on your own and you need to be willing to pass the ball and work together with your teammates. Try not to hog the ball or play selfishly.
- Play hard—the best way of contributing is by trying your best in every game, not just when the coach is watching!
- Be a good sport—it’s easy to get upset when you’re losing but don’t take it out on other players or spectators by being rude or disrespectful in any way; remember there are lots of kids watching so set an example for them by showing respect for yourself and others at all times!
7 Common Violations in Basketball
Double-Dribble
Double-dribbling is when a player dribbles the ball with two hands simultaneously. It’s one of the most common violations in basketball, and it can happen any time during play.
You might think that double-dribbling is just something that happens by accident, but it actually involves some pretty nifty footwork.
A double-dribble is different from traveling—which we’ll cover later—because you can keep your pivot foot stationary while moving your other foot forward to dribble again (as long as you don’t switch hands).
Kicking the Ball
Kicking the ball is one of the most common violations in basketball. It can happen in a number of ways and to varying degrees, so let’s take a look at each one:
- If you kick the ball while it is in mid-air or on the ground.
- If you kick it when it is out-of-bounds or dead.
- If you kick it when it is live, which means that play has started and players are allowed to move around freely without any restrictions or rules about where they can go on court (unless otherwise stated by officials).
If any of these situations apply to what happened with your team when playing basketball, then chances are good that someone kicked the ball.
Traveling
According to the rules of NBA and NCAA, Traveling is the common violation that are mostly done by some beginner players. Traveling is a violation in basketball. Traveling is when you start to dribble, and then stop and restart the dribble. It’s a turnover, so don’t do it!
Traveling is one of the most common violations in basketball, especially among young players. So if you’re new to the game, watch out for this one—it will happen to everyone at some point or another!
Lane Violation or Three Seconds in the Key
It’s the most common violation in basketball: when a defender is standing in the key (or rim area) for more than three seconds. This rule is designed to prevent offensive players from camping out near the basket and waiting for an easy scoring opportunity.
If you’re caught holding onto the ball for too long, you’ll be called for a lane violation/three second violation—and it could lead to some frustration if your team is trying to keep up with points against an opponent!
Charging
A player is charged when he runs into another player, causing them to lose control of the ball. This happens most frequently in basketball when two players race for a loose ball and collide as they each attempt to gain possession.
Charging is also called charging into, running into, or personal fouls (depending on the league).
Reaching In or Hand-Checking
The referee will call a foul if his hand or forearm is placed on an offensive player. This is called “Reaching In” and it’s one of the most common violations in basketball.
So, what does it mean to reach in?
When asking yourself this question, you have to consider that reaching in can only occur when there is contact between two players. If contact doesn’t occur, then no foul has occurred!
If there was no contact between two players and then one of them was called for reaching in (or hand checking), then something must have happened first that led up to that moment. The way that I look at it is this:
If a defender hits his arm against yours while playing defense, then he should be able to keep playing without being called for any violation because he wasn’t trying anything sneaky like grabbing your jersey with both hands and pulling down on it so hard that you fall over!
However, if he just bumps into your arm accidentally while making an attempt at defending himself from getting scored upon by blocking shots or stealing passes away from him–then no foul should be called (unless of course another rule applies).
Taunting
Taunting is a common violation in basketball, and it’s important to know the different outcomes that can result from taunting. Taunting is a personal foul, meaning the referee will blow their whistle, stop play and award the offended player with two free throws for each instance of taunting.
Frequently Asked Question (How to Play Basketball)
Is there a certain size ball that you should use?
The size of the ball depends on the age and height of your players. The smaller balls are used for younger kids and are harder to dribble and shoot, but easier to pass. The larger balls are easier to dribble and shoot, but harder to pass. You may want to start off playing with a medium-sized ball until everyone gets comfortable handling it before moving up in size.
With all these types of basketballs available, how do you know which one is right for you? The answer: it depends on what your needs are as an individual player or team! If you’re looking for a basketball that will last through many seasons without breaking down in quality (and maybe even improve), then buying one made from synthetic materials would be best suited for this purpose since they tend not wear out easily over time compared with their counterparts made entirely out of leather (i
Are uniforms necessary to play basketball?
While you don’t need to wear a uniform or any special clothing, most people do. This can help the team identify with each other and the sport. It can also help them identify with the school or community.
There are many reasons why you might want to wear a basketball uniform:
- to stand out as a team when you play against other teams that may not have uniforms (this helps with self confidence)
- to make it easier for spectators to see who is on what team since they are wearing jerseys of different colors and designs (this will make it easier for them to follow the game)
- if your school has rules about what kind of clothes students can wear at school, then this rule might apply only during certain times such as PE class but not during lunch hour so having uniforms allows everyone’s appearance to be similar throughout all parts of their day
How do I practice my dribbling and shooting without a net or court?
You can practice your dribbling and shooting in your backyard, driveway or garage. You can also practice on an outdoor basketball court. If you don’t have access to either of these places, then head over to a playground where you can work on your skills without fear of getting hit by a car!
If you want some help with improving your game so that you can start playing with people who are better than yourself, join us at the basketball courts near our school (which is located at “123 Main Street”). We’ll be happy to teach anyone how to play basketball who wants to learn more about this great sport
How can I score more often when playing basketball?
The best basketball players know how to score. In fact, they get more points than anyone else on their team. So if you want to be a good basketball player yourself, you need to learn how long it takes for a basket ball player’s shot to go in the basket and why this matters.
You can improve your shooting skills by practicing with a friend or by using an app like Physics Basketball or Shot Tracker (both available for free). You’ll find these apps helpful for understanding basic physics principles that apply when making shots from different distances and angles:
- Force = Mass × Acceleration (Newton’s Second Law)
- Momentum = Velocity × Distance (Conservation of Momentum)
- Kinetic Energy = ½ Mass × Velocity² (Conservation of Energy)
Conclusion
we have covered all the major aspects of basketball from a new player’s perspective. Now it is time to practice and become familiar with the game. You will find it difficult at first, but with some effort and dedication, you can succeed at becoming an excellent player.
Hopefully, this article has cleared up any confusion you might have had about the rules of basketball. Now, if you feel like sharing it with your friends so they can learn a thing or two too, we’d be eternally grateful.