P.E.

Fundamentals of Basketball
- The fundamentals of basketball include skills such as footwork, dribbling, shooting, and
passing, which basketball players need to learn to play the game of basketball. Young
players usually learn the basic fundamentals of the game (offensive and defensive skills)
at middle school–age from basketball coaches as part of their physical education classes
or youth basketball league. Skill development remains a foundation of basketball practice
in high school and at higher levels of education; even professional players in the National
Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues continue to hone their fundamental
skills as part of practice time and warm-ups before games.

List of Fundamental Skills

There are several fundamental skills every basketball player, from young players to
professionals, should know. They include:
1. Footwork: All fundamental skills require an understanding of footwork, which is more than
just the ability to run at full speed on the court. Footwork skills include how to backpedal while
boxing out an opponent, foot placement and weight distribution for a defensive slide, and the
right setup to make a jab step to an opponent when in a triple-threat position (a stance with the
option to shoot, pass, or dribble).
2. Dribbling: Every position on a basketball team, from centers to point guards, needs to
understand ball handling in order to be effective offensive players. Regular dribbling drills will
teach them basic dribble moves: how to dribble with their head up, crossover, use their left hand
and right hand with equal dexterity, or pass a ball from one hand to the other. Once players
understand dribbling, they can use those skills to control the ball, especially during tricky
strategic moves like the pick and roll.
3. Shooting: Learning to shoot is also an important fundamental skill. Scoring a field goal by
shooting a basket helps to win games, but without the right shooting technique, players have no
control over their shots. Through shooting drills, players learn hand placement, proper stance,
and long-distance shooting from half-court or the free throw line.
4. Passing: Passing is more than throwing a ball to a teammate. It requires decision-making
skills, a keen understanding of the many kinds of passes, and the spacing required to make an
effective pass. Passing drills teach the fundamentals of partner passing, from chest passes to
bounce passes.
5. Rebounding: Rebounding drills teach the two types of rebounding: offensive rebounding, in
which an offense player grabs a missed field goal attempt by their own team, and defensive
rebounding, in which a defensive player grabs a missed field goal by an offensive player. Players
need to know how to use their bodies to box out an opponent and prevent rebounds, as well as
the ability to grab a rebound and run to the other end of the court in a fast break.
6. Defense: Players must understand how to defend against an opponent in a one-on-one
situation, or man-to-man defense. Defensive drills teach the proper defensive stance, and how to
defend in half-court and full-court games, as well as how to defend in perimeter situations along
the sidelines and in close quarters with post players (those near the baseline). More advanced
drills teach zone defense, in which players cover a specific area of the court.
7. Jumping: Jumping fundamentals include the skills to carry out any number of jump shots,
including layups, slam dunks, and three-pointers. They also include the proper technique to step
and land on both feet for a jump stop and help players decide when to use two feet or a left-foot-
right-foot step for a jump shot.

Rules and Regulations:

What Are the Rules of Basketball?
Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. The
objective of today's game stems directly from Naismith's original rules that are based around
shooting a ball through a metal hoop suspended above the ground, which is called a basket.
These rules include;

1. Only five players per team on the court. In the NBA, WNBA, and NCAA basketball, each
team can play a maximum number of five players on the court. If a team breaks this main rule,
they will lose possession of the ball. Sometimes this inadvertently happens, particularly at low
levels of the game, when substitute players check into the game and others don't leave the court
in time.
2. Score more than your opponent to win. To win the game, a team must score more field
goals than the other team. A field goal refers to any basket a player scores during gameplay.
Field goals can be worth two or three points. Field goals shot from inside the arc that designates
the three-point line on the court are worth two points. Field goals shot from outside the arc are
worth three points. Field goals can take the form of jump shots, layups, slam dunks, and tip-ins.
3. Score within the shot clock. Teams have a limited amount of time to shoot the ball during a
given possession. In the NBA and WNBA, teams are allowed 24 seconds of possession before
they must shoot, while NCAA teams are allowed 30 seconds. A shot clock mounted above the
hoop on each side of the court displays and counts down the time allotted. If the shot clock
elapses, the opposing team forfeits the ball and becomes the defensive team.
4. Dribbling advances the ball. Basketball players may only advance the ball by passing or
dribbling (bouncing the ball on the floor) as they move up and down the court. If a player stops
dribbling, they may not resume; instead, they must pass the ball or shoot it. If an offensive player
with possession of the ball stops then continues dribbling before passing or shooting, the referee
will call a “double dribble,” and the opposing team gets the ball. Additionally, players may only
advance the ball by dribbling it. If they run while holding the ball, they are traveling. Referees
will issue a traveling call, and possession of the ball will go to the opposing team.
5. The offense has five seconds to inbound the ball. After the offense scores a basket, the
opposing team receives possession of the ball. One of their players has to inbound the ball from a
designated spot on the sidelines of the court to resume gameplay. The player has five seconds to
pass the ball to another player on his team, or else the team loses possession. The defender
cannot contact the ball when the offensive player is trying to inbound it, or the referee can issue a
technical foul.
6. The offense must advance the ball. Once an offensive team advances the ball past the half-
court line, the ballhandler may not cross that line again, or a referee will award possession of the
ball to the opposing team.
7. Ball and ballhandler must remain inbounds. During gameplay, the player with possession
of the ball must stay within the designated inbounds lines marked on the court. If a player steps
out of bounds or touches this line with their foot while holding the ball, the referee will award
possession to the opposing team. Additionally, if a player shoots the ball while their foot is
touching the line and the shot is successful, it will not count.
8. Defenders can’t interfere with a shot on a downward trajectory. After the offensive player
shoots the ball, it is illegal for a defensive player to interfere with it once it begins its descent
toward the rim. This interference is called a goaltend and will result in an automatic field goal for
the offense.
9. Defenders can legally block or steal the ball. The defending team’s goal is to prevent the
offensive team from scoring by either stealing the ball, blocking the ball from entering the
basket, or using defensive tactics to prevent an offensive player from shooting and scoring.
10. Defenders must leave the paint after three seconds. The area directly in front of the basket
is sometimes referred to as "the paint" or "inside the key." Offensive players may not camp out
in this area waiting for the ball or an offensive rebound. Any individual player can spend a
maximum of three seconds at a time in the space before they have to move. Once they step out of
the paint, they can return. If the referee notices a player hovering in the paint for over three
seconds, the team will receive a three-second violation.
11. Each team is allotted a certain number of fouls. The NBA allows each team a total of five
fouls per quarter. Once a team surpasses this allotment, they go “into the bonus,” which means
the officials will award the opposing team with free throws for every additional foul that a player
commits in that quarter of play. In the NCAA, these foul shots are known as "one and one" shots,
which means that if a player makes the first free throw, they receive a second free throw. If they
miss the first free throw, either team can rebound the errant shot and claim possession. After 10
team fouls, the opposing team gets a "double bonus," which means they get to take two foul
shots.
12. Illegal contact results in a foul. When a basketball player commits illegal physical contact
against an opposing player, the referees will call a personal foul. Most player fouls involve
contact that impedes an opposing player's gameplay. When a player fouls another player on an
opposing team in the act of shooting, the referee rewards the fouled player with unguarded free
throws from the foul line. Each successfully made free throw counts for one point. Referees can
assess coaches with fouls for unsportsmanlike acts, such as using profanity to dispute a missed
call.
13. Illegal contact results in a 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. Shooting fouls result in free throw attempts for the fouled player. If
a defender fouls a shooter attempting a two-point shot, the shooter will receive two free throws.
If a shooter is fouled during a three-point shot attempt, they will receive three free throws. If the
player makes the shot they were attempting at the time of illegal contact, the basket counts, and
the shooter will receive one free throw.
14. Excessive contact results in a flagrant foul. Flagrant fouls refer to a personal foul that can
potentially injure the opponent. These fouls carry heavier penalties, such as fines, immediate
ejection, and even suspension. There are two types of flagrant fouls: flagrant foul—penalty (1)
and flagrant foul—penalty (2). Flagrant 1 refers to fouls involving unnecessary contact. The
penalty for this foul type is a free throw for the opponent and possession of the ball. Flagrant 2
refers to any foul involving unnecessary and excessive contact. Officials perform an instant-play
review to determine if an act qualifies for the flagrant 2 penalty. If it does, the player at fault is
assessed a fine and an automatic ejection from the game, and the opposing team receives free
throws and possession of the ball.
15. Charges and illegal screens result in an offensive foul. An offensive foul is a personal foul
that offensive players commit when their team possesses the ball. The two most common
offensive fouls are charging and illegal ball screens. Charging is when an offensive player makes
contact with a defensive player who has planted their feet in a locked position. An illegal screen
is when a non-ball-handling offensive player moves while setting a screen for their teammate to
prevent the defender from moving about the court.
16. Certain rule violations result in technical fouls. A technical foul is a penalty for violating
the game’s administrative rules. Officials commonly assess technical fouls for fighting and
verbal abuse, often assessing coaches with this penalty if they are too abrasive when disputing a
call. Technical fouls result in a free throw and a change of possession. If a player or coach
receives two technical fouls in the same game, the referee will eject them. Players with a long
history of technical fouls risk suspension from the regular season and even playoff games.