THE 7 BASKETBALL
POSITIONS
1. POINT GUARD
The point guard (also known as the floor
general or the 'one') is often one of the
shortest players on the team and is
responsible for advancing the basketball up
the court and setting up the team's offense.
1. POINT GUARD
Defensively,the point guard is responsible
for guarding and disrupting the opposition's
main ball-handler. They do this by playing
aggressive (but smart) full-court defense
attempting to tip the basketball loose but
ensuring they always stay between their
opponent and the basket.
2. SHOOTING GUARD
Theshooting guard (also known as the off
guard or 'two') is often one of the shorter
players on the team and generally starts
an offensive possession on the wing.
On the defensive end of the floor, a great
shooting guard defender is quick and able
to avoid screens from the opposition's
bigs.
3. SMALL FORWARD
The small forward (also known as the
'three') is often the most versatile of the 5
basketball positions on the court both
offensively and defensively.
They'relong and athletic which allows
them to be incredibly disruptive on the
defensive end of the court and usually
makes them the team's best defensive
player.
4. POWER FORWARD
The power forward (also known as the
'four') is usually the second tallest player
on the team and is required to be both
strong and skilled.
Defensively,having size and strength is
important for boxing out their opponent
and securing rebounds.
5. CENTER
The center (also known as the 'five') is
usually the tallest and strongest player on
the team and spends most of the game
close to the basket.
Offensively,most centers don't have a
consistent midrange shot or a three-point
shot, nor are they typically the focus of
most offenses.
5. CENTER
Defensively, the two main responsibilities
of a center is to defend the basket and
rebound the basketball.
Thecenter doesn't necessarily need to be
a great shot blocker (though that certainly
helps); simply taking up space in the paint
and forcing opponents to change their
shots is often enough to prevent a score.
6. Sixth Man
The6th man is the first player to come off
the bench and enter the game.
Thisplayer can vary from game-to-game,
but on most teams there is a specific sixth
man who enters each game first off the
bench.
7. The Bench
Therest of the players who begin the
game on the sideline (usually 3 - 5 or more
players) are known as 'the bench'.
Theamount of minutes the players on the
bench will get on the court vary
significantly depending on the level of
competition the team's playing.
7. The Bench
Regardless of how many minutes they
receive on the court, the bench needs to
be constantly positive and encouraging
the players on the court.
BASIC RULES ON FOULS
BASIC RULES ON FOULS
• A foul refers to illegal personal contact or
unsportsmanlike conduct on the court or
sidelines of a game. Most player fouls
involve contact that impedes an opposing
player's gameplay.
Personal Foul Penalties
If a player is shooting while being fouled, then he gets two free throws if
his shot doesn’t go in, but only one free throw if his shot does go in.
Inbound
If fouled while not shooting, the ball is given to the team the foul was
committed upon. They get the ball at the nearest side or baseline, out of
bounds, and have 5 seconds to pass the ball onto the court.
Blocking Foul
Blocking is illegal personal contact resulting from a defender not
establishing position in time to prevent an opponent’s drive to the basket.
Flagrant Foul
Violent contact with an opponent. This includes hitting, kicking, and
punching. This type of foul results in free throws plus the offense
retaining possession of the ball after the free throws.
Intentional Foul
When a player makes physical contact with another player with no
reasonable effort to steal the ball. It is a judgment call for the officials.
Technical Foul
A player or a coach can commit this type of foul. It does not involve player
contact or the ball but is instead about the ‘manners’ of the game. Foul
language, obscenity, obscene gestures, and even arguing can be
considered a technical foul, as can technical details regarding filling in
the scorebook improperly or dunking during warm-ups.
Charging Foul
An offensive foul that is committed when a player pushes or runs over a
defensive player. The ball is given to the team that the foul was
committed upon.
Illegal Pick/Screen
When an offensive player is moving. When an offensive player sticks out a
limb and makes physical contact with a defender in an attempt to block
the path of the defender.
Personal Foul
A personal foul is an infraction that violates the rules of the game. Players
can incur personal fouls by pushing, blocking, or striking another player
in the act of shooting.
BASIC RULES ON VIOLATIONS
BASIC RULES ON VIOLATIONS
• A violation in basketball is called on any player who breaks or
violates a rule of the game defined in the league rulebook.
All violations are called by the referees and can differ within
different levels of basketball. It is important to know the
violations as a player and coach, since taking fouls or
committing violations can hurt a team's chances of winning.
• Violations are typically called for minor infractions, while
fouls are reserved for more egregious errors. Violations
describe breaches of basic rules like dribbling, bringing the
ball up the court, or passing the ball inbounds. Because
violations are mostly simple mistakes, they are much more
common at lower levels of play, more experienced players
already know how to perform basic skills.
Out-of-Bounds
being the last player to touch the ball before it goes out-of-bounds
Double Dribble
dribbling the ball before picking it up and dribbling again
Carry
scooping the ball to carry it while dribbling
Five second Violation
failure to inbound the ball five seconds after receiving it.
Goaltending
interfering with a shot when it is on a downward arc into the
basket
Jump ball Violation
Opposing players held the ball with both hands.
Held ball violation
offense holds the ball without doing anything for five seconds
Offensive Three-second Violation
staying in the restricted area for three seconds or more while on
offense.
Eight-second Violation
the offense fails to cross half court eight seconds after inbounding
the ball.
Over and Back Violation
the offense returning the ball from the frontcourt to the backcourt
without the other team touching it.
Entering Basket from below
a ball that goes through the net before the rim.
Illegal Assist
grabbing the rim, net, or backboard to give yourself an
advantage.
Travelling
taking more than two steps without dribbling the ball.
Shot clock violation
failure to get a shot off before the shot clock expires.
