BASKETBALL STUDY GUIDE
HISTORY:
Basketball was invented by during the school year of 1891-92 at Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. James A
Naismith conceived the idea of attaching peach baskets at opposite ends of the gym on the track that encircled the playing floor. This
is where the height of 10 feet for the basket was arrived at. The game, basketball, derives its name from the original ball and basket
used in the first games. The game was introduced in YMCA’s across America and also to foreign countries. Basketball became a part
of the Olympic games in 1936.
THE GAME:
The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent. The ball is passed, thrown, bounced, batted, or rolled from one
player to another. A player in possession of the ball must maintain contact with the floor with one foot (pivot foot), unless the player is
shooting, passing, or dribbling. Physical contact with an opponent can result in a foul if the contact impedes the desired movement of
the player.
BASIC RULES:
1. Players: Five players per team on the floor at a time with unlimited substitutions. Usually players fill the standard positions of
2 forwards, 2 guards, and 1 center. The names of these may be changed depending on the offense played.
2. Offense: Team or individual patterns or play, which are used to get the ball into scoring position. There are two basic types of
offensive attacks: the slow deliberate attack and the fastbreak attack.
3. Defense: Players may choose to play either a man to man defense (person to person) or zone. In man to man each player is
assigned a specific person to guard/play defense on. In a zone defense players are assigned a specified area to guard. The
object of defense is to try to take the ball away from your person or person in your assigned zone area, to force them to turn
over the ball, or force them to take a low percentage shot.
4. Scoring: Field Goals = 2 or 3 points, Free Throws = 1 point
5. Timeouts: Timeouts are one minute or 30 seconds in length and can be requested during a dead ball or anytime by the team in
possession of the ball.
6. Timing:
o High school varsity games play 8-minute quarters
o Time stops each time an official blows the whistle indicating a dead ball.
o There is one minute between quarters and 10 minutes at the half.
o Player has 10 seconds shoot a free throw
o A player has 5 seconds to inbound the ball
o Running time is used in physical education and intramural situations. The clock does not stop on dead balls.
PLAY:
• The game is started with a jump ball in the center circle between two opponents.
• A player is out of bounds when touching the floor on or outside the boundary line.
• The ball is out of bounds when it touches a player who is out of bounds or any other person, the floor, or any object on or
outside a boundary, or the supports of the backboard.
• The ball is caused to go out of bounds by the last player touching it before it goes out. The ball would be awarded out of
bounds for a throw-in by the opposing team.
• While the ball is alive, an offensive player cannot remain for more than three seconds in that part of the free-throw lane
between the endline, the free-throw line, and the free-throw lane lines.
• If an offensive ball handler while in the front court is closely guarded by the defense for five seconds, a violation is called
and the defense is awarded the ball.
• If two opponents are both firmly holding the ball a "jump ball" is called. A "jump ball" results in an alternating possession
which is kept track of at the official table.
• In physical education, intramurals, or pick up games, a "jump ball" is awarded to the defender.
• Violations include causing the ball to go out of bounds, double dribbling, running with the ball, kicking the ball, striking the
ball with the fist, interfering with the basket, illegal throw-in (taking more than 5 seconds or stepping on the line), being
closely guarded for 5 seconds while in possession of the ball in the front court, and the three second lane rule.
• After one team makes a field goal or free throw the other team puts the ball into play from out of bounds under the basket at
which the goal was made. Each team possessing the ball is required to advance it past the half-court line within 10 seconds
after gaining possession.
• Fouls:
o Personal: involving pushing, charging, tripping, holding, body contact
After the fifth personal foul on a player, the player is disqualified from the game
The offended player is awarded:
one free-throw if the foul occurred during a field goal attempt and the basket was made
two free-throws if the foul occurred during a field goal attempt and the basket was missed
no free-throw, but the ball is awarded to offended player’s team out of bounds
o After the seventh TEAM personal foul in the half, the person fouled will be given a BONUS free throw.
If you make your first bonus free throw you receive a second free throw.
If you miss the first bonus free throw the ball should be played like a missed field goal.
o After the tenth TEAM personal foul in the half, the person fouled will be given two free throws commonly referred
to as the Super Bonus.
o Intentional: foul involving "intent" to foul as opposed to trying to play the ball which awards the person fouled two
free throws and team possession of the ball after the free throws.
o Technical: involving delay of game, unsportsmanlike conduct, illegal entry, and excessive timeouts with the
offended team being awarded two free throws and the ball out of bounds.
TERMINOLOGY:
[Link]: the endline
[Link] Out: a term used to designate a defensive player’s position under the backboard which prevents an offensive player
from achieving good rebounding position.
3. Charging: personal contact against the body of an opponent by a player with the ball.
4. Cut: A quick offensive move by a player trying to get free for a pass.
5. Denial Defense: aggressive individual defense where the defensive player works hard to keep the offensive player from
receiving a pass.
6. Double Dribble: when one person dribbles, stops and picks up the ball and starts to dribble again or dribble with two hands
simultaneously.
7. Dribble: process of bringing the ball down the floor or moving the ball from place to place using the finger pads to tap the
ball.
8. Drive: an aggressive move toward the basket by a player with the ball.
9. Fake (Feint): using a deceptive move with the ball to pull the defensive player out of position.
10. Fastbreak: moving the ball quickly down court in order to score before the defense can set up.
11. Field Goal: a basket scored from the field, worth two points, unless outside the three point line.
12. Free Throw: the privilege given a player to score one, two, or three points by unhindered throw for a goal from within the
free throw circle and behind the free throw line.
13. Lay-up: a shot where a player releases the ball close to the basket while continuing to run off one foot.
14. Pick: a special type of screen where a player stands so the defensive player slides to make contact, freeing an offensive
teammate for a shot or a drive.
15. Pivot: take place when a player who is holding the ball steps once or more than once in any direction with the same foot; the
other foot, called the pivot foot, being kept at its point of contact with the floor.
16. Press: a team's attempt to take the ball away from their opponent before they can set up their offense.
17. Rebound: when a shot bounces off the backboard or basket and is pulled down by a player.
18. Team’s Back Court: the part of the court containing the opponent’s basket
19. Team’s Front Court: the part of the court containing a team’s own basket
20. Telegraphing the Pass: indicating where you are going to pass by looking or signaling.
21. Throw-In: a method of putting the ball in play from out of bounds.
22. Traveling: when a player in possession of the ball within bounds progresses illegally in any direction.
23. Violation: an infraction of the rules resulting in a throw-in from out of bounds for the opponents.
BHS PHYSICAL EDUCATION