The Rules

Basketball is a team sport. Two teams of five players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, and there is a hoop at each end. The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line. If the offensive team puts the ball into play behind the mid-court line, it has ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line. If it doesn't, then the defense gets the ball. Once the offensive team gets the ball over the mid-court line, it can no longer have possession of the ball in the area in back of the line. If it does, the defense is awarded the ball.



Basketball Court 1

The ball is moved down the court toward the basket by passing or dribbling. The team with the ball is called the offense. The team without the ball is called the defense. They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect passes, and garner rebounds.

When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other team. If a basket, or field goal, is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points. A free throw is worth one point. Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the number of fouls committed in a half and/or the type of foul committed. Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded the shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets three shots. Other types of fouls do not result in free throws being awarded until a certain number have accumulated during a half. Once that number is reached, then the player who was fouled is awarded a '1-and-1' opportunity. If he makes his first free throw, he gets to attempt a second. If he misses the first shot, the ball is live on the rebound.

Each game is divided into sections. All levels have two halves. In college, each half is twenty minutes long. In high school and below, the halves are divided into eight (and sometimes, six) minute quarters. In the pros, quarters are twelve minutes long. There is a gap of several minutes between halves. Gaps between quarters are relatively short. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, then overtime periods of various lengths are played until a winner emerges.

Each team is assigned a basket or goal to defend. This means that the other basket is their scoring basket. At halftime, the teams switch goals. The game begins with one player from either team at center court. A referee will toss the ball up between the two. The player that gets his hands on the ball will tip it to a teammate. This is called a tip-off. In addition to stealing the ball from an opposing player, there are other ways for a team to get the ball.

One such way is if the other team commits a foul or violation.

Basketball Court

Basketball courts vary in size depending on the gym and the level of play. However, some features remain the same. The size and height of the basket, the distance from the free throw line, etc. 

Here is a picture of the dimensions and areas of the court used for high school basketball: 

Click picture for larger view

Size of the Basketball Court

• NCAA college and NBA - 94 feet long by 50 feet wide
• High School - 84 feet long by 50 feet wide
• Junior High - 74 feet long by 42 feet wide

Three Point Arc 

The three point arc is a certain distance from the basket. Any shot made outside of the arc is worth three points instead of the normal two. The distance from the basket to the three point arc changes for different levels of basketball play:

• NBA - 23 feet 9 inches at the top, 22 feet at the sides
• Men's NCAA college - 20 feet 9 inches
• WNBA - 20 feet 6 inches
• High School and Women's NCAA college - 19 feet 9 inches

Free Throw Line 

The free throw line is located 15 feet from the backboard. After certain types of fouls or violations, players will be awarded a shot, or shots, from the free throw line. 

The Free Throw Lane or Key 

The area between the free throw line and the base line is called the "lane" or the "key". How wide the key is depends on the level of play. It is 12 feet wide for college and high school basketball, but 16 feet wide in the NBA. 

Offensive players are only allowed to be in the lane for 3 seconds before a shot hits the rim or they will get called for a three-second violation. Also, players line up on the side of the free throw lane during free throws. They are not allowed to enter the lane for a rebound until the shooter releases the shot. 

The FIBA international free throw lane used to be trapezoidal shaped. This was changed recently and now they use the NBA shaped lane. 

Free Throw and Center Circle 

The circle at the top of the key is used for jump balls on that end of the court. The center circle is for the jump ball at the start of the game or jump balls at the center of the court. 

The Basket 

The basket is located 4 feet out from the baseline. The rim should be 10 feet high. 

Out of Bounds 

The bounds of the basketball court are described by the sidelines, running the length of the court, and the base lines (or end lines) at the end of the court. 

Equipment

One of the great things about basketball is that you don't need a lot of equipment to play. Just get a ball and find a goal and you can start a pick up game. However, there are some official rules about what equipment you need when playing competitively. 

The Ball 

Professional leagues such as the NBA have very precise parameters for the official basketball they use. This includes color, material, size, air pressure, and bounce. The main thing to know about the basketball is the size. There are different sizes for different ages as well as for boys and for girls. 

 

Standard Mens Basketball (Size 7) - This is the size used by the NCAA men, boys high school, as well as the NBA. It has a circumference between 29.5 and 30 inches and weighs between 20 and 22 ounces. 

Standard Womens Basketball (Size 6) - This is the basketball used by NCAA women, girls high school, and the WNBA. It is between 28.5 and 29 inches in circumference and weighs 18-20 ounces. 

Junior Basketball (Size 5) - The junior size basketball is for boys and girls between the ages of 8-12. It is between 27.25 to 27.75 inches in circumference and weighs 14-16 ounces. 

Mini Basketball (Size 3) - For young children ages 5-8, the mini ball is 22 to 22.5 inches in circumference and weighs 10.5 to 11.25 ounces. 

The Basket 

The basket is made up of the backboard, rim, and net. The rim is 18 inches in diameter. A regulation backboard is 72 inches wide by 48 inches tall, although you will find backboards can vary in size. 

The rim should be 10 feet from the ground. Typically a 10 foot rim is used from ages 6th grade and older. For younger kids you can lower the goal so that they can take a proper shot at the goal. For kindergarten through second grade children you can try a 6-foot goal. Then move it up to 8 feet for 3rd and 4th grade. Try nine feet for 5th grade. Of course, this depends on the size, strength, and skill of the player. 

The basketball net hooks onto eight rungs on the bottom of the rim. It hangs down around 15 to 18 inches. The net helps to slow the ball coming through the hoop and also to help see whether a basket was made or not. 

The Uniform 

The basketball uniform generally consists of a tank top and shorts. You also need socks and some good basketball type sneakers. Basketball sneakers are good for all the starting and stopping required in the game. You can choose high tops, low tops, or three quarter height shoes. If you play under the basket a lot you may want high tops to help protect you from getting a twisted ankle. 

You should not wear a watch or a shirt with buttons while playing basketball. These can scratch or get caught on other players. Also, you may want to wear a mouthpiece to protect your teeth. 

The Clock and Timing

How long is a basketball game? 

Basketball games are played a set amount of time. It's different for different leagues and levels of play:

• High School - High school basketball games are made up of four 8-minute quarters or two 16-minute halves.
• College - NCAA college basketball games consists of two 20 minute halves. This is the same for the WNBA and international games.
• NBA - NBA games are made up of four 12-minute quarters.

When does the clock run? 

The clock runs whenever the ball is in play. The clock is stopped whenever the ball goes out of bounds, a foul is called, free throws are being shot, and during time outs. When the ball is inbound, the clock starts once a player touches the ball. 

In the NBA the clock stops after a made shot during the last two minutes of the game and overtime. For college it stops during the last minute of the game and overtime. 

Overtime 

If the game is tied after regulation time, there will be overtime. Overtime is 5 minutes long in most leagues. Additional overtimes will be added until one team ends up on top. 

The Shot Clock 

In order to speed up the game and to prevent teams from stalling, a shot clock was added. This is how long you have to shoot the ball. If the ball changes possession or hits the rim of the basket, the shot clock starts over. The length of the shot clock is different for different basketball leagues:

• NCAA College Men - 35 seconds
• NCAA College Women - 30 seconds
• NBA - 24 seconds

Not all states have a shot clock for high school. Where they do, it generally follows the NCAA rules. 

Time outs 

 
30 second time out signal

In order to give your team some rest, call a play, or just stop the game for a while, teams can call a time out. There are different rules on time outs for different leagues: 

High School - Players on the floor or the coach can call a time out. There are five time outs per game including three 60-second time outs and two 30-second time outs. 

NCAA College - There are a different number of time outs depending on whether the game is on TV or not. This is because during a TV game there are media time outs so the TV channel can show ads. For a TV game each team gets one 60-second time out and four 30-second time outs. For a non-TV game each team has four 75-second and two 30-second time outs. 

NBA - In the NBA each basketball team has six full time outs and one 20-second time out per half. Only a player in the game can call a time out. 

Non-Foul Rule Violations

Traveling (walking)

One of the basic ideas of the sport of basketball is that you have to dribble or bounce the ball while you are walking or running. When you have stopped dribbling one of your feet will become your pivot foot. You cannot move your pivot foot or lift it off of the ground. If you do, this is called traveling.

Double dribble

You only get to dribble once in basketball. If you stop dribbling you have to pass it to another player or shoot the ball. If you start dribbling again, this is called double dribbling.

Three seconds

Offensive players are not allowed to stay in the free throw lane, or key, for more than three seconds. Anytime they leave the key or the ball hits the rim, the three second count starts over again.

Ten Seconds

The offensive team has 10 seconds to get the ball across half court. If it takes longer than 10 seconds, then they will lose possession of the ball.

Over-and-back

Once the offensive team has gotten the ball over half court, they cannot go back into the defender's half court with the ball. This is called over-and-back.

Carrying (palming)

Carrying, or palming, is like a double dribble. Players may not put the palm of their hands under the ball or carry the ball in one hand for a long time. This is similar to holding the ball and a double dribble.

Lane violations

During a free throw shot, players will line up on both sides of the lane. If they jump into the lane prior to the shot, it will be called a lane violation. If it was an offensive player, a made shot will not count. If it was a defensive player, a missed shot will not count and the shooter will get another try.

Kicking

Players are not allowed to intentionally kick the ball. If a defensive player kicks the ball, the offensive team will get it out of bounds. 

Goaltending 

Goaltending is when a player interferes with a shot when it is above the rim, but still on its downward path to the basket, interferes with the ball while on the rim of the basket, or touches the net or rim while the ball is being shot. If goaltending is called on the defense, the shot is called good. If goaltending is on the offense, then the shot does not count and the defense gets the ball. 

Out of bounds 

The ball is considered out of bounds when it touches the ground outside the lines of the court. The lines themselves are considered out of bounds as well. It is also out of bounds if the ball touches a player who has any part of their body touching the ground out of bounds. 

Foul Penalties

Depending on the situation and type of foul in basketball, the penalty will be different. Non-shooting fouls generally cause the team to lose possession of the ball. Shooting fouls result in free throws. If the basket was made when the player was fouled, then the basket counts and one free throw is awarded. If the basket wasn't made, then either two free throws or three (if the player was attempting a three point shot when fouled) are awarded. 

Fouling Out 

Each time a player commits a foul, they get another personal foul added to their name. If they reach a certain total during they game they will have "fouled out" and will not be allowed to play any more. It takes five fouls to foul out in college and high school, six fouls in the NBA. 

Team Fouls 

The total number of team fouls add up during the game as well. After a certain number of fouls, a team is considered "over the limit" and free throws will be awarded for non-shooting fouls. The rules for the NBA and college/high school are different: 

NBA - Team fouls are added up per quarter. Four fouls are allowed with two free throws being awarded starting with the fifth foul. Only defensive fouls count toward team fouls. 

NCAA college and High School - Team fouls are added up per half. After 6 fouls a team is awarded a one-and-one free throw. A one-and-one means that the first free throw must be made in order to get a second free throw. If the player misses the first, the ball is live and play begins. After 10 fouls in a half, two free throws are awarded. 

Technical Foul 

A technical foul is given for unsportsmanlike conduct or other infraction. This can range from fighting to arguing with the official. Both coaches and players can get technical fouls. 

The penalty for a technical foul is two free throws and the ball for the other team. Also, if a player or coach receives two technicals during a game, they will be ejected. In college a technical foul counts as a personal foul as well, so it adds into fouling out. In the NBA a technical foul does not count as a personal foul. 

Flagrant Foul 

Another type of foul in basketball is the flagrant foul. This is when a foul could seriously injure an opponent. Generally two free throws and possession of the ball are awarded. In high school and college the player committing the flagrant foul is ejected from the game. In the NBA it can count as a technical foul or the player can be ejected depending on the severity of the foul. 

Personal Fouls

Basketball is sometimes called a non-contact sport. Although, there is plenty of legal contact between players, some contact is considered illegal. If an official decides that the contact is illegal, they will call a personal foul. 

Most of the fouls in a game are committed by the defense, but the offense can commit fouls as well. Here are list of some of the types of fouls. 

Typical Defensive Fouls 

Blocking - A blocking foul is called when one player uses their body to prevent the movement of another player. This is often called when the defensive player is trying to draw a charge, but does not have their feet set or initiates the contact. 

 
Referee signal for blocking foul

Hand Check - A hand check foul is called when a player uses their hands to impede or slow the movement of another player. This is usually called on the defensive player covering the player with the ball on the perimeter. 

Holding - Similar to a hand check foul, but is generally called when a player grabs another player and holds on to prevent them from moving. 

Illegal Hand Use - This foul is called for any use of the hands on another player that the referee thinks is illegal. It's generally called when you hit another player on the arm during shooting or when trying to steal the ball. 

Typical Offensive Fouls 

Charging - Charging is called on the player with the ball when they run into a player that already has position. If the defensive player doesn't have position or is moving, then generally the official will call blocking on the defender. 

 
Referee signal for a charging foul

Moving Screen - A moving screen is called when the player setting the pick or screen is moving. When setting a screen you have to stand still and maintain position. Sliding a bit over to block your opponent will cause a moving screen foul to be called. 

Over the Back - This foul is called when rebounding. If one player has position, the other player is not allowed to jump up over their back to try and get the ball. This is called on both offensive and defensive players. 

Who Decides? 

The officials decide if a foul is committed. While some fouls are obvious, others are more difficult to determine. The referee has the final say, however, arguing will get you nowhere. 

Sometimes referees will call the game "close". This means they are calling fouls with just a little bit of contact. Other times the referees will call the game "loose" or allow more contact. As a player or coach you should try to understand how the referee is calling the game and adjust your play accordingly. 

Referee Signals

Referee Basketball
Violations Signals

Walking or traveling (not bouncing the ball while walking)  Illegal or double dribble  Carrying or Palming the ball  Over and back (half-court violation)

Five second violation  Ten seconds (taking more than 10 seconds to get the ball over half court)  Kicking (intentionally kicking the ball)  Three seconds (offensive player is in the lane or key for more than 3 seconds)

Referee Basketball Foul Signals

Hand check  Holding  Blocking  Pushing

Charging or player control foul  Intentional foul  Technical foul or "T" (generally for misconduct or unsportsmanlike behavior)

Other Referee Signals

Jump Ball  30 second time out  Three point attempt  Three point score

No Score  Start clock  Stop clock

Note on Basketball Referees 

Keep in mind that the referees are there to make the game better. Without officials the game would be no fun at all and they are doing the best they can. They WILL make mistakes. Basketball is a difficult game to referee. That's just how it is. Getting angry, yelling at the ref, and throwing a fit does no good and will not help you or your team. Just keep playing and listen to the refs regardless of whether you agree with the call or not. Move on to the next play. They are doing the best they can and are trying to make the game enjoyable for all. 

Basketball Rules

The rules of basketball can vary slightly depending on the level of play (for example professional rules differ from college rules) or where the game is played (international rules are different from USA professional rules). These rule differences, however, are usually just variations on the basic game of basketball and the majority of the rules discussed below can be applied to most any game of basketball played. 

The winner of a basketball game is the team with the most points. You get points by throwing the basketball through the opponent's hoop or basket. In regular play a basket made from within the three point line is worth 2 points and a basket shot from outside the three point line is worth three points. When shooting a free throw, each free throw is worth 1 point. 

Rules for the offense 

The basketball team on offense is the team with the basketball. When a player has the basketball there are certain rules they must follow: 

1) The player must bounce, or dribble, the ball with one hand while moving both feet. If, at any time, both hands touch the ball or the player stops dribbling, the player must only move one foot. The foot that is stationary is called the pivot foot. 

2) The basketball player can only take one turn at dribbling. In other words, once a player has stopped dribbling they cannot start another dribble. A player who starts dribbling again is called for a double-dribbling violation and looses the basketball to the other team. A player can only start another dribble after another player from either team touches or gains control of the basketball. This is usually after a shot or pass. 

3) The ball must stay in bounds. If the offensive team looses the ball out of bounds the other team gets control of the basketball. 

4) The players hand must be on top of the ball while dribbling. If they touch the bottom of the basketball while dribbling and continue to dribble this is called carrying the ball and the player will lose the ball to the other team. 

5) Once the offensive team crosses half court, they may not go back into the backcourt. This is called a backcourt violation. If the defensive team knocks the ball into the backcourt, then the offensive team can recover the ball legally. 

Defensive Rules 

The team on defense is the team without the basketball. 

1) The main rule for the defensive player is not to foul. A foul is described as gaining an unfair advantage through physical contact. There is some interpretation that has to be made by the referee, but, in general, the defensive player may not touch the offensive player in a way that causes the offensive player to lose the ball or miss a shot. 

Rules for everyone 

1) Although the foul rule is described above as a defensive rule, it applies exactly the same to all players on the court including offensive players. 

2) Basketball players cannot kick the ball or hit it with their fist. 

3) No player can touch the basketball while it is traveling downward towards the basket or if it is on the rim. This is called goaltending. (touching the ball on the rim is legal in some games). 

Every player on the court is subject to the same rules regardless of the position they play. The positions in basketball are just for team basketball strategy and there are no positions in the rules. 

Basketball Court

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