BASKET AT THE BUZZER
At the end of any playing period or at the end of the game, if the shot was released before the time expired and the buzzer sounded, the basket will count(if made).
PIVOT FOOT
You must establish a pivot foot if you have the basketball and are not dribbling. If you catch the ball with both feet on the ground, you may use either foot as the pivot foot(in which one foot remains in contact with the same point on the ground). If you catch the ball while moving or after dribbling,if you land on 2 feet simultaneously, either foot may be used as the pivot foot. If one foot is touching the floor, when the second foot touches the floor, the first foot becomes the pivot foot. A player may make one step and then jump simultaneously on two feet, in which case neither foot may act as a pivot foot.
FOULS/PLAYER IN THE AIR
A player who has jumped from a spot has a right to land in that same spot. If he does not jump straight up and makes contact with his opponent who has taken a legal guarding position, it is the jumper´s foul. Moving under a player who is in the air and causing contact is usually an unsportsmanlike foul(dangerous play), and can be a disqualifying foul.
FOULS & FREE THROWS
If you are fouled while you are shooting, you will be awarded 2 free throws if it was a 2 point attempt and 3 free throws if it was a 3 point attempt for a basket. Free throws are not awarded on a charging foul. For all other fouls, if it is the 7th-9th team foul in the half, you will shoot 1+1(if you make the first free throw, you get another shot; if you miss the first free throw, the ball is in play). On the 10th foul and thereafter for every foul, you will shoot 2 free throws.
HOLDING FOUL-DEFINITION
Holding is personal contact foul with an opponent that interferes with his freedom of movement. This holding can occur with any part of the body.
VIOLATIONS
A violation in an infraction of the rules. The penalty is loss of the ball by the team that committed the violation. The ball is awarded to the opponents for a throw-in from out-of-bounds at the closest point where the violation occurred.
OUT-OF-BOUNDS
A player is out of bounds when any part of his body is in contact with the floor or any object on, above or outside of the boundary lines. The ball is out of bounds when it touches a player who is out of bounds, or the supports or the back of the backboards or it touches the floor or any object on, above or outside a boundary line.
DRIBBLING RULE
A dribble starts when a player throws, taps, or rolls it on the floor and touches it again before it touches another player. The dribble is completed when the player touches the ball simultaneously with both hands or the ball comes to rest in one or both hands. Accidentally losing and then regaining control(fumble),tapping the ball in order to gain control,tapping the ball from the control of another player, blocking the pass and then recovering the ball are NOT considered to be dribbles.
ILLEGAL SCREENING
A foul will be called for illegal screening when there is an attempt to illegally delay or prevent an opponent who does not control the ball from reaching a desired position on the playing court. Remember, the foul will be called on the player causing the contact.
WHAT IS A FOUL?
Basketball, in theory, is a non-contact game. However, it is obvious that when you have 10 players moving with great speed inside a limited space, contact cannot be avoided. If contact occurs in a "bona fide" (normal basketball play)attempt to play the ball and does not place the opponent at a disadvantage, the contact may be considered incidental and no foul will be called. Contact from behind is not a normal basketball play, and the player who is behind is usually responsible for the contact because of his position in relation to his opponent and the ball. The player responsible for the contact receives the foul.
PUSHING FOUL
A pushing foul occurs when there is personal contact (with any part of the body) that takes place when a player forcibly moves or attempts to move an opponent who has or does not have control of the ball.
10 SECOND RULE
In boy´s basketball, they have a rule called the 10 second rule, in which when a player gains control of a live ball, the offensive team has 10 seconds to cross over half court. If a team fails to do this, it is a violation and the ball is awarded to the opposing team.
LEGAL GUARDING POSITION
To be in a legal guarding position, the defender is facing his opponent, has both feet on the floor in a normal stance for his/her heighth.
BLOCKING/ CHARGING FOUL
Blocking is personal contact which impedes the progress of an opponent. Charging is personal contact, with or without the ball, by pushing or moving into an opponent´s torso. When judging a block/charge, the official shall use the following principles: 1)the defender must establish an initial legal guarding position, 2)the defender may remain stationary or move laterally or backwards in order to maintain the guarding position, 3)In moving to maintain the guarding position, one or both feet may be off the floor for an instant, as long as the lateral or backwards movement is considered normal defensive movement,4)the defensive player must be on the spot first, and contact must occur on the torso.
BACKCOURT RULE
A player whose team is in control of the ball which is in the frontcourt(past halfcourt line) may not cause the ball to go in his backcourt. He or a member of his team must have touched it last before going in the backcourt. It is a violation and the ball is awarded to the opposing team. Important: a player is considered in the backcourt until he has both feet on the ground in the frontcourt. So, if a teammate is already in the frontcourt(both feet and the ball) and passes to a teammate who is not yet legally in the frontcourt, then that is a backcourt violation.
PRINCIPLE OF VERTICALITY
The principal of verticality means that a player is entitled to his/her space that is occupied, plus all vertical space above that player. Therefore if a defender has his/her arms in that vertical space above the offensive player, and the offensive player with the ball jumps up and there is contact with the defender´s arms, it is a foul by the offensive player
DON´T FOUL OUT!
In the pros, you are disqualified from playing in the game on your 6th foul. But for everyone else, you will be disqualified on your 5th foul. Your goal on defense should be to make "stops", not fouls. Stop the other team from scoring without fouling.
HANDCHECKING
Handchecking is the action by a defensive player in a guarding situation where the hand or hands are used to contact an opponent to either impede his progress or to assist the defensive player in guarding his opponent. It is a foul!
PERSONAL FOULS
A foul is an action that involves contact with an opposing player, whether the ball is alive, in play or dead. A player shall not block, hold, charge, trip, impede the progress of an opponent by extending his arm, shoulder, hip, knee, or foot.
INJURY TIME-OUT
In case of an injury to a player, the official may stop play. If the ball is in play when the injury occurs, the officials shall wait to stop the game until the team with the injury gets possession of the ball. Exception: when necessary to protect an injured player, the officials may stop play immediately.
5 SECOND VIOLATION
There are 2 differnt 5 second violation calls. One is when a team cannot pass the ball in bounds within 5 seconds. This results in a change of possesion. The other 5 second call is when a player is pressured by a defender and does not go anywhere. Example, if a player stops dribbling and looks to pass but can´t because a defender is pressuring him/her, it is a 5 second violation also resulting in a turnover. Also if a player is dribbling in 1 spot and a defender is guarding him/her tight, it can be a 5 second violation.
3 SECONDS IN THE KEY
The rule states While his team is in control of the ball, a player shall NOT remain for more than three (3) consecutive seconds in the opponents´ restricted area.
The lines bounding the restricted area are part of the restricted area and a player touching one of these lines is in the area.
The 3second restriction is in force in all outofbounds situations.
The count shall start at the moment the player making the throwin is outofbounds and the ball is at his disposal (is in play).
The 3second restriction does NOT apply:
a. While the ball is in the air during a shot for goal.
b. During a rebound.
c. When the ball is dead.
Allowance must be made for a player who, having been in the restricted area for less than 3 seconds, gets the ball inside the key. The player now has 3 more seconds to shoot or pass and get out of the key.
DOUBLE DRIBBLE
After dribbling and after the dribble has ended, a player may not begin dribbling again or at any time dribble more than once with two hands. This is called a double dribble and is a violation, with the penalty being loss of the ball to the opposing team.
SUBSTITUTIONS
When substituting, the substitute shall report into the official scorer at the scorer´s table, and then wait until an official beckons you in during a dead ball. If you just run onto the court(illegal substitution), it is a technical foul on your team.
TRAVELLING
Travelling is progressing with the ball while moving one or both feet in one direction while holding the ball.
TIME-OUTS
Each team is awarded 2 thirty second timeouts each quarter. Any player on the court or the coach may call a timeout.
ILLEGAL USE OF HANDS
Illegal use of the hands occurs when a player contacts an opponent with his hand(s) in an attempt to play the ball. If the contact is with the opponent´s hand while it is on the ball, it shall be considered incidental contact.
JUMP BALL
In high school and college basketball, there is a jump ball at the beginning of the game and at the beginning of each period of overtime played. After the jump ball, teams take turns getting possession of the ball(called alternate possession) when the ball is tied up.
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE GAME
Basketball is played by two teams of five players on each team. The purpose of each team is to score into the opponents basket and to prevent the other team from scoring.