Basketball Study Guide
Terminology:
Offense- the team that has control or possession of the ball
Defense- the team not in possession of the ball
Travelling(walk)- taking more than 2 steps with the ball without dribbling, passing, or shooting
Dribbling- the act of bouncing the ball with one hand at a time and moving
Double dribble- bouncing the basketball with 2 hands at the same time(illegal)
Pivot/Pivot Foot- the foot that must stay on the ground in one place when dribbling has stopped
Jump Ball- a referee throws the ball into the air to start the game between two players from opposing teams
Triple Threat when a player is passed the ball, they have 3 options…they may either
1) Pass 2) Dribble or 3) Shoot
Foul- an infraction or breaking of the rules….such as, Traveling, Holding, Blocking, Charging
Free Throws- a player will take 2 shots from the foul line after being fouled trying to take a shot. Each free throw shot is worth 1 point!!!
Foul Line- the line where players take 2 shots after a shooting foul
1 and 1(7 fouls)- after a team has fouled 7 times, the opposing team will go to the foul line and take 2 free throws. If they make the 1st, they get a 2nd automatically. If they miss the 1st, the ball is in play and a 2nd shot is not awarded.
Rebound- when a ball has been shot and the ball does not go in, whoever grabs and possesses the ball after the miss gets a “rebound”
Swish- when the ball passes through the basket without touching the rim(making a swishing sound)
Bank Shot- having the ball hit the backboard before going into the basket
Fouled Out- if a player has 5 fouls they will be ejected from the game(fouled out)
Players
There are 5 players on the court at one time from each team…..they are usually….
1) Center(1)- responsible for rebounding and usually staying in the middle
2) Guards(2)- controls the tempo and speed of the game, usually controlling the ball often
3) Forwards(2)- responsible for staying near(and running) the baseline and getting rebounds
Areas of the Court
Baseline- the line under the basket from side-line to side-line
Key- also known as the “paint”. A rectangular area under the basket. The offense may not have both feet in the key for more than 3 seconds(foul)
Zone Defense- a defensive strategy where a defender is responsible for a specific area rather than a person.
The basket rim is 10 feet off of the ground!
Points and Scoring
3 point Line- a big arc on the court. A shot with both feet behind the line that goes in is worth 3 points
Lay-up- a shot made very close to the basket and using the backboard
Jump Shot- a shot taken by a player who releases the ball after they jump first
Slam Dunk- jumping up with the ball and slamming it into the rim and basket
Free Throws = 1 point
Shots made inside the 3 pt line = 2points
Shots made outside the 3 pt line = 3 points