Welcome to the Basic Basketball Rules series of articles, where we will focus on the basic concepts of Basketball.
Part 1: Basketball Basic Rules
Part 2: Basketball Offence and Defense Rules << You are here
Part 3: Basketball Infringements aka Basketball Fouls
In Part 2, we will focus on the basic concepts of Basketball Offense and Defense.
Basketball offense refers to the team’s collective efforts to score points by strategically moving the ball and creating scoring opportunities. It involves a combination of plays, passing, dribbling, and shooting to outmaneuver the opposing defense.
Successful basketball offense relies on players’ agility, teamwork, and the ability to exploit defensive weaknesses, ultimately aiming to convert possessions into points.
After the offense scores a basket, the opposing team receives possession of the ball. One of their players has to inbound the ball from behind the baseline underneath the basket.
If the offense turns the ball over (e.g. ball goes out of bounds in their possession), the opposing team will inbound the ball from the designated spot (generally where the turnover occurred) on the sidelines of the court to resume gameplay. The player has 5 seconds to pass the ball to another player on his team on the court, or else the team loses possession.
During gameplay, the ball and ballhandler must always remain inbounds, within the confines of the marked outer court lines i.e. the sidelines and the baselines.
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.
Basketball defense involves a set of strategies and techniques employed by a team to prevent their opponents from scoring. It encompasses both individual and team-based efforts to disrupt offensive plays, block shots, and secure rebounds.
Effective basketball defense requires players to communicate, anticipate movements, and apply pressure to limit the opposing team’s scoring opportunities.
The defending team’s basic goal is to prevent the offensive team from scoring. This can be done by either stealing the ball as the offensive player is dribbling or blocking the ball as the offensive player is shooting.
The rectangle area directly in front of the basket is sometimes referred to as “inside the key” or “the paint” (“restricted area” in the basketball court diagram below). Offensive players may not camp out in this area, with or without the basketball.
Any individual offensive player can spend up to a maximum of 3 seconds at a time in this space before they have to move out of this area. Once they step out of the paint, their 3 second count resets.
If the referee notices a player hovering in the paint for over three seconds, the team will receive a 3 second violation, and the ball will be awarded to the defensive team.
