Basketball is a team game. Just like football and cricket, you can play the game with as many players as you wish, as long as both teams have equal number of players. But when you’re playing a tournament, you must play with 5 players on your team, no more and no less.
Positions
Just like football, each of the 5 players in basketball has their own position and role in the game. Normally the tallest player is called the ‘Centre’ and the shortest player is called the ‘Point Guard’. The medium sized players are called the ‘Forwards’ (small forward and power forward) and the ‘Shooting Guard’.
Dribbling
A player moves the ball around the court by dribbling it with only 1 hand. He dribbles it by bouncing the ball on the court continuously as he moves. If he dribbles the ball with 2 hands, then it’s a foul, and a major violation of the rules of the game. It will also be a foul if he takes more than 2 steps without dribbling the ball.
Scoring
Both teams try to win a game by scoring more points than their opponents. When a player throws the ball to the basket, and the ball passes through the net, he scores. If he scores from a short distance, then his team is awarded 2 points. If he scores from a long distance, then his team is awarded 3 points.
Game time
In competitive matches, the game is divided into 4 quarters. Each quarter lasts 12 minutes, which makes it a 48-minute game.
Fouls
There are mainly two types of fouls in basketball: 1) defensive fouls, and 2) offensive fouls. If your opponents have the ball, and you foul one of their players, then that is known as a defensive foul. And if you commit a foul when you have the ball in your hands, then it’s known as an offensive foul.
The most important foul in basketball is the contact foul. You cannot touch your opponent with your hand. If you do, then you’ve just committed a foul and your team will be penalised.
Penalties
If one of the players in your team gets fouled by one of the players of your opponent team, your team will be awarded 2 free throws. The player who’s taking the free throws must stand at a short distance from the hoop and shoot without moving the feet. Each basket he scores will give his team 1 point.
So these are few rules of basketball. Why not try it out on school court tomorrow.
Have a great game!
