Gemopedia
Ball Sports🇺🇸United States Olympic19th century

Basketball

A five-a-side team sport in which players score by throwing an inflated ball through a 10-foot-high hoop.

👥5 per team📐court⏱~48 min🌤indoor
Photo · Wikipedia

What is Basketball?

Invented by Dr James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891 as an indoor winter game, basketball is now the second-most-watched sport in the world. Two teams of five score by shooting the ball through the opposing team's basket, mounted on a backboard 3.05 m (10 feet) above the floor. The NBA (United States) is the world's premier league; FIBA governs international play.

Quick facts

Category

Ball Sports

Type

Team sport

Players

5 per team

Duration

~48 min

Where played

indoor

Field / court

court

Country of origin

🇺🇸 United States

Estimated origin

December 1891 (invented by Dr James Naismith)

Olympic

Yes

Popularity

global

How it works

Objective

Score more points than the opposition by shooting the ball through the opposing team's basket.

Match structure

Each quarter begins with a jump ball (or possession arrow after the initial jump). The game is timed with a running clock that stops for fouls, timeouts and out-of-bounds. Each possession is limited by a shot clock (24 s FIBA/NBA, 30 s NCAA women, 30 s NCAA men).

Rules

Basic rules

  • Dribbling

    You must bounce (dribble) the ball while moving. Picking up your dribble and starting again is 'double dribble', a turnover.

  • Travelling

    Taking too many steps (more than 2 after gathering the ball, per current NBA/FIBA interpretation) is a turnover.

  • Shot clock

    The offence must attempt a shot that hits the rim within 24 seconds (FIBA/NBA).

  • 3-second violation

    An offensive player cannot stay in the paint (key) for more than 3 seconds.

  • Fouls

    Personal fouls limit each player to 5 (FIBA) or 6 (NBA) before being fouled out.

Advanced rules

  • Team fouls & bonus

    After a team accumulates 4 fouls in a quarter, subsequent fouls send the opposing team to the free-throw line.

  • Backcourt violation

    Once the ball crosses the halfcourt line, the offence cannot retreat with it into their own half.

  • Goaltending

    Blocking a shot on its downward arc, or after it has touched the backboard above the rim, is illegal — the basket counts.

Scoring

2 points from inside the arc, 3 from beyond, 1 for a free throw.

ActionPoints
Field goal inside the arc2 points
Field goal beyond the arc3 points
Free throw1 point per made shot

Win condition · Higher score at the end of regulation (or overtime) wins.

Playing area

Called

court

Dimensions

FIBA: 28 m × 15 m. NBA: 28.65 m × 15.24 m. Hoop 3.05 m high.

Rectangular indoor hardwood court. A three-point arc (FIBA 6.75 m, NBA 7.24 m) frames the paint (key), with a free-throw line 4.60 m from the backboard.

The basketball court

A NBA / FIBA regulation court — with the three-point arc, the paint (key), the free-throw circle and the restricted area.

PaintFree-throw line3-point arcFIBA: 28 m × 15 m · NBA: 28.65 m × 15.24 m · hoop 3.05 m high
CourtPaint (key)3-point line

Equipment

  • Basketball

    Inflated rubber-lined leather ball, 29.5 inches (75 cm) circumference for men, 28.5 inches for women.

  • Hoop & backboard

    10-foot-high hoop with a 45 cm diameter, attached to a rectangular backboard.

Positions & roles

  • Point guard (PG)

    ×1

    The primary ball handler and playmaker.

  • Shooting guard (SG)

    ×1

    The primary perimeter scorer.

  • Small forward (SF)

    ×1

    A versatile wing who can score inside and outside.

  • Power forward (PF)

    ×1

    A strong post presence and rebounder.

  • Center (C)

    ×1

    The tallest player — dominates the paint on both ends.

Officiating

Three referees rotate around the court. The table officials manage the game clock, shot clock, scores, fouls and possession arrow.

  • FIBA: 3 referees
  • NBA: 3 referees
  • Table officials (scorer, timekeeper, shot-clock)

Penalties & fouls

Penalties

  • Personal foul

    Illegal contact — free throws awarded if the fouled team is in the bonus, or if the player was in the act of shooting.

  • Technical foul

    Behaviour / dead-ball violations — one free throw awarded to the opposition.

  • Flagrant foul

    Excessive contact — free throws + possession, with possible ejection.

Fouls

  • Blocking

    Illegal defence — obstructing an offensive player's movement without established position.

  • Charging

    Offensive foul — plowing into a defender who has established legal position.

  • Reach-in

    Slapping across the shooter's arms while defending — usually called for hand contact.

Terminology

Layup
A close-range shot released while running toward the basket.
Dunk
Slamming the ball through the hoop from above.
Assist
A pass that directly leads to a teammate scoring.
Rebound
Recovering the ball after a missed shot.
Pick and roll
The most common offensive play — a screen followed by a cut to the basket.
And-1
A basket scored while being fouled — worth the field goal + one free throw.
Airball
A shot that misses the entire rim and backboard.

Major competitions

  • NBA Finals

    annual · USA · since 1947

  • FIBA Basketball World Cup

    quadrennial · worldwide · since 1950

  • Olympic Basketball Tournament

    quadrennial · worldwide · since 1936

  • EuroLeague

    annual · Europe · since 1958

Where it is played

Governing bodies

  • Fédération Internationale de BasketballFIBA

    Founded 1932 · Mies, Switzerland

    Official site ↗

  • National Basketball AssociationNBA

    Founded 1946 · New York, USA

    Official site ↗

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

  • Michael Jordan
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  • Kobe Bryant
  • LeBron James
  • Bill Russell
  • Diana Taurasi
  • Lisa Leslie

Records

  • Most NBA championships (player)

    Bill Russell — 11 rings (1969)

  • Most points in an NBA game

    Wilt Chamberlain — 100 points (1962)

  • Most Olympic gold medals (basketball)

    USA — 16 golds (2024)

Learn this sport

beginner

  1. 1
    What is basketball?

    Two teams of 5 try to score by putting a ball through the opponent's 10-foot hoop.

  2. 2
    Scoring

    2 points inside the arc, 3 points from beyond, 1 for a free throw.

  3. 3
    Dribbling & travelling

    You must bounce the ball while moving; a max of 2 steps after picking it up.

  4. 4
    Fouls & free throws

    Illegal contact gives the opponent free throws.

Frequently asked

How many players on the court?+

Five per side; a full team roster is usually 12 with 7 on the bench.

How long is an NBA game?+

48 minutes of game time in four 12-minute quarters — clock stoppages take real elapsed time to around 2h 15m.

Who invented basketball?+

Dr James Naismith, in December 1891, as an indoor winter alternative to outdoor sports.

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-20.verified