Joseph Karuri

BASKETBALL
NOTES
BASKETBALL NOTES

Brief History

Basketball was invented during the school year of 1891-92 at Springfield College in Springfield,
Massachusetts. Dr. James A. Naismith conceived the idea of attaching peach baskets at opposite
ends of the gym on the track that encircled the playing floor. This is where the height of 10 feet
for the basket was arrived at. Basketball derives its name from the original ball and basket used in
the first games. The game was introduced in YMCA’s across America and to foreign countries.
Basketball became part of the Olympic Games in 1936.

Nature of the Game

Basketball is played by two teams of five players each. The object of the game is to score more
points than your opponent. The ball is passed, thrown, bounced, batted, or rolled from one
player to another. A player in possession of the ball must maintain contact with the floor with
one foot (pivot foot), unless the player is shooting, passing, or dribbling.

Physical contact with an opponent can result in a foul if the contact impedes the desired
movement of the player.

Basic Rules

1. The Court dimensions

2. Fouls and Violations

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.

FOULS

Personal fouls: Personal fouls include any type of illegal physical contact.

 Hitting
 Pushing
 Slapping
 Holding
 Illegal pick/screen -- when an offensive player is moving. When an offensive player sticks out a
limb and makes physical contact with a defender to block the path of the defender.

Personal foul penalties: If a player is shooting while a 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.

 Three free throws are awarded if the player is fouled while shooting for a three-point goal and
they miss their shot. If a player is fouled while shooting a three-point shot and makes it anyway,
he is awarded one free throw. Thus, he could score four points on the play.

 Inbounds. 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.

 One & one. If the team committing the foul has seven or more fouls in the game, then the player
who was fouled is awarded one free throw. If he makes his first shot, then he is awarded another
free throw.

 Ten or more fouls. If the team committing the foul has ten or more fouls, then the fouled player
receives two free throws.

Charging. 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.

Blocking. 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. 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.

VIOLATIONS

Walking/Traveling. Taking more than 'a step and a half' without dribbling the ball is traveling.
Moving your pivot foot once you've stopped dribbling is traveling.

Carrying/palming. When a player dribbles the ball with his hand too far to the side of or,
sometimes, even under the ball.

Double Dribble. Dribbling the ball with both hands on the ball at the same time or picking up the
dribble and then dribbling again is a double dribble.

Held ball. Occasionally, two or more opposing players will gain possession of the ball at the same
time. To avoid a prolonged and/or violent tussle, the referee stops the action and awards the ball
to one team or the other on a rotating basis.

Goaltending. If a defensive player interferes with a shot while it's on the way down toward the
basket, while it's on the way up toward the basket after having touched the backboard, or while
it's in the cylinder above the rim, it's goaltending and the shot counts. If committed by an
offensive player, it's a violation and the ball is awarded to the opposing team for a throw-in.

Backcourt violation. Once the offense has brought the ball across the mid-court line, they cannot
go back across the line during possession. If they do, the ball is awarded to the other team to
pass inbounds.

Time restrictions. A player passing the ball inbounds has five seconds to pass the ball. If he does
not, then the ball is awarded to the other team. Other time restrictions include the rule that a
player cannot have the ball for more than five seconds when being closely guarded and, in some
states and levels, shot-clock restrictions requiring a team to attempt a shot within a given time
frame.

Player Positions

Center- Centres are generally your tallest players. They generally are positioned near the basket.

Offensive - The center's goal is to get open for a pass and to shoot. They are also responsible for
blocking defenders, known as picking or screening, to open other players up for driving to the
basket for a goal. Centers are expected to get some offensive rebounds and put-backs.

Defensive - On defense, the center's main responsibility is to keep opponents from shooting by
blocking shots and passes in the key area. They also are expected to get a lot of rebounds
because they're taller.

Forward. Your next tallest players will most likely be your forwards. While a forward may be
called upon to play under the hoop, they may also be required to operate in the wings and corner
areas.
Offensive -- Forwards are responsible to get free for a pass, take outside shots, drive for goals,
and rebound.

Defensive -- Responsibilities include preventing drives to the goal and rebounding.

Guard. These are potentially your shortest players and they should be really good at dribbling
fast, seeing the court, and passing. It is their job to bring the ball down the court and set up
offensive plays.

Offensive -- Dribbling, passing, and setting up offensive plays are a guard's main responsibilities.
They also need to be able to drive to the basket and to shoot from the perimeter.

Defensive -- On defence, a guard is responsible for stealing passes, contesting shots, preventing
drives to the hoop, and for boxing out.

BASIC SKILLS

i. DRIBBLING – the process of bringing or moving the ball place to place around the court

using the finger pads to tap the ball.

1. Touch the ball with your fingertips, not your palms.

2. Get in a low stance.
3. Bounce the ball off the ground firmly, extend through your elbow.
4. Keep your hand on top of the ball.
5. Keep the ball low, below your waist.
6. Keep your head up, eyes up.
7. Protect the ball from the defender.
8. Don’t pick up your dribble unless you are ready to pass or shoot.
9. Avoid dribbling violations such as traveling, double dribble, and carrying.

ii. SHOOTING – Practice the B.E.E.F. method for shooting

B = Balance Keep your feet shoulder width apart, with your dominate foot slightly ahead of your
non-dominate foot.
E = Eyes Focus on the rim.
E = Elbow Dominate hand’s elbow should be aligned with your torso in a 90° angle so you are
looking at the back of your wrist.
F = Follow Through Flick your wrist after releasing the ball. Imagine reaching into a cookie jar up
on a high shelf.

Other shooting tips:

 Rest the ball on the finger tips not in the palm of the hand.
 Your non-dominate hand acts only as a guide to the ball. This hand doesn’t assist in
shooting the ball.
 If shooting from a greater distance you must jump in order to recruit power from your
legs.

iii. PASSING – an alternative way to move the ball around the court that is not comprised of
the act of dribbling. There are three common passes in basketball.
(a)Chest pass – the ball is thrown from your chest to your teammate’s chest with no
bounce or arc.
(b)Bounce pass- The ball is thrown from your chest and is bounced once before entering
your teammate’s hands near their chest area. This pass is the most difficult pass to
defend.
(c)Overhead pass – The ball is passed from over your head into your teammate’s chest.
Tips to proper passing:
i. Grip the ball with both hands.
ii. Step with your non-dominate foot.
iii. Follow through with thumbs pointing down and fingers pointing to target.
iv. Aim for your teammate’s chest so they can quickly be prepared to take a shot.
v. Receivers of the pass should always meet the pass.

iv. LAYUPS- a shot where a player releases the ball close to the basket while continuing to
run off one foot.
Right handed layup:
i. Dribble with right hand
ii. Jump off left foot
iii. Shoot with right hand as you lift your right leg
Left handed layup:
i. Dribble with left hand
ii. Jump off right foot
iii. Shoot with left hand as you lift your left leg
iv. Aim for the side of the box on the backboard you are shooting from.
Terminology

1. Baseline – the end line

2. Boxing out – a term used to designate a player’s position under the backboard that
prevents an opposing player from achieving a good rebounding position.
3. Carrying – In a carry, your hand makes contact with the bottom of the ball, then flips the
ball over in the act of dribbling.
4. Charging – personal contact against the body of an opponent by a player with the ball.
5. Cut – a quick offensive move by a player trying to get free for a pass.
6. Denial Defense – aggressive individual defense where the defensive player works hard to
keep the offensive player from receiving a pass.
7. Double Dribble – when one person dribbles, stops and picks up the ball and starts to
dribble again or dribble with two hands simultaneously.
8. Dribble – the process of bringing the ball down the floor or moving the ball from place
to place using the finger pads to tap the ball.
9. Drive – an aggressive move toward the basket by a player with the ball.
10. Fake (Feint) – using a deceptive move with the ball to pull the defensive player out of
position.
11. Fast break – moving the ball quickly down the court in order to score before the defense
can set up.
12. Field Goal - a basket scored from the field, worth two points, unless outside the three
point line.
13. Free throw – the privilege given a player to score one point by an unhindered throw for a
goal from within the free-throw circle and behind the free throw line.
14. Lay-up – a shot where a player releases the ball close to the basket while continuing to
run off one foot.
15. Pick – a special type of screen where a player stands so the defensive player slides to
make contact, freeing an offensive teammate for a shot, drive, or pass.
16. Pivot – takes place when a player who is holding the ball steps once or more than once in
any direction with the same foot. The other foot, called the pivot foot, is kept at its point
of contact with the floor.
17. Press – a team’s attempt to take the ball away from their opponent before they can set up
their offense.
18. Rebound – when a shot bounces off the backboard or basket and is pulled down by a
player.
19. Team’s Back Court – the part of the court containing the opponent’s basket.
20. Team’s Front Court – the part of the court containing the team’s own basket.
21. Telegraphing the Pass – indicating where you are going to pass by looking or signalling.
22. Throw-in – a method of putting the ball in play from out of bounds.
23. Traveling – when a player in possession of the ball within bounds progresses illegally in
any direction.
24. Violation – an infraction of the rules resulting in a throw-in from out of bounds for the
opponents