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
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
