🏀 Basketball, explained
Two teams of five score by shooting a ball through a hoop 10 feet up; most points when time runs out wins.
What am I watching?
Basketball is five-on-five on a rectangular court with a hoop at each end. The team with the ball (the offence) tries to score by shooting it through the opponent's hoop; the other team (the defence) tries to stop them and take the ball away. Play flows almost continuously — after a made basket the other team simply inballs the ball and attacks the other way, so the score changes every 20-30 seconds and games routinely finish above 200 combined points.
The engine of the modern game is the shot clock: the attacking team has just 24 seconds to attempt a shot, so there is no stalling. Watch how a possession develops — a point guard brings the ball up, teammates set screens (legal body blocks) to free shooters, and the offence hunts either an open three-point shot or a clear path to the rim. On defence, watch whether a team guards man-to-man (each player tracks one opponent) or packs the paint in a zone.
For a first game, follow three things: the shot clock winding down (possessions get frantic under 5 seconds), the foul count (fouls send opponents to the free-throw line, and players are ejected after 5 fouls in FIBA play or 6 in the NBA), and the final two minutes of a close game, when deliberate fouling, timeouts and clock management turn the sport into a chess match. NBA games are widely followed in India, and Satnam Singh becoming the first Indian player drafted into the NBA in 2015 remains a landmark moment for the sport here.
How scoring works
Points are scored by putting the ball through the opponent's hoop, which stands 10 feet (3.05 m) above the floor. A shot made from inside the three-point arc is worth 2 points; a shot from beyond the arc is worth 3. When a player is fouled, they may get free throws — unopposed shots from the free-throw line worth 1 point each.
How many free throws depends on the situation: a player fouled while shooting gets 2 (or 3 if fouled on a three-point attempt), and if the fouled shot still goes in, the basket counts and they get 1 bonus free throw — the celebrated "and-one". Once a team accumulates enough fouls in a period (the team-foul "bonus"), every subsequent defensive foul sends the opponent to the line even off the ball.
The team with more points at the end of regulation wins. There are no draws: tied games go to 5-minute overtime periods, repeated until one team leads when the clock hits zero.
- Field goal inside the arc: 2 points
- Field goal beyond the three-point arc: 3 points
- Free throw: 1 point, taken unopposed from the free-throw line
- Fouled while shooting: 2 free throws (3 if the attempt was a three)
- And-one: fouled but the shot drops — basket counts plus 1 free throw
- Team fouls beyond the per-quarter limit put the opponent "in the bonus" — free throws on every foul
- No draws: tied games play successive 5-minute overtimes until someone leads
- The rim is 10 ft (3.05 m) high in every serious competition worldwide
Formats
5x5 (full court)
NBA rules
FIBA rules
3x3
The rules
The court and equipment
Basketball is played on a hard rectangular court with a hoop (an 18-inch / 45 cm metal rim with a net) mounted on a backboard at each end, 10 feet (3.05 m) above the floor. A FIBA court measures 28 m x 15 m; an NBA court is slightly larger at 94 ft x 50 ft (about 28.7 m x 15.2 m). Key markings: the centre line splits the court into frontcourt and backcourt; the three-point arc surrounds each basket; the free-throw line sits 15 ft (4.6 m) from the backboard; and the rectangle under each basket — "the paint" or key — carries its own time restrictions.
The ball
Men's competitions use a size 7 ball (about 75 cm circumference, roughly 600-650 g); women's competitions use the slightly smaller size 6.
The three-point arc
The arc's distance differs by rulebook: 6.75 m (6.60 m in the corners) under FIBA, versus 23 ft 9 in / 7.24 m (22 ft / 6.70 m in the corners) in the NBA. Any shot with both feet behind the line is worth 3.
Teams and positions
Each team has five players on court and up to seven substitutes (NBA benches are larger, with up to 13 active players). Substitutions are unlimited and happen during stoppages. The traditional positions are point guard (the primary ball-handler and organiser), shooting guard, small forward, power forward and centre (usually the tallest player, stationed near the rim). Modern teams blur these roles heavily — 'positionless' basketball, where big players shoot threes and guards post up, is now the norm at the top level.
Game length and the clocks
A game is four quarters: 10 minutes each under FIBA rules (40 minutes total) or 12 minutes in the NBA (48 minutes total), with a 15-minute halftime. The game clock stops on every whistle, out-of-bounds and made basket in the final stages, so real elapsed time is far longer — expect roughly 2 to 2.5 hours. If scores are level at the end, teams play 5-minute overtime periods until there is a winner.
The 24-second shot clock
The offence must attempt a shot that at least hits the rim within 24 seconds of gaining possession, or it loses the ball. After an offensive rebound the clock resets to only 14 seconds. This rule, adopted to kill stalling, is why basketball never sits on a lead the way some sports do.
Other time limits
The offence has 8 seconds to advance the ball past halfway, and once past it may not pass or dribble back (the backcourt violation). An offensive player may not camp in the paint for more than 3 seconds. A closely guarded player holding the ball must pass, shoot or dribble within 5 seconds.
Moving the ball: dribbling, passing, violations
A player may move with the ball only while dribbling — bouncing it continuously with one hand. Running with the ball without dribbling is a travel; stopping a dribble and starting again, or dribbling with two hands, is a double dribble. Both give the ball to the other team. The ball is out of bounds if it or the player holding it touches the boundary lines or anything beyond them. There is no offside and no restriction on where players may stand, which keeps the game free-flowing.
Goaltending and basket interference
Defenders may not touch a shot while it is on its downward flight toward the rim — that is goaltending, and the basket is awarded anyway. Exactly when the ball becomes legal to touch differs between rulebooks (see the NBA vs FIBA section).
Fouls and free throws
Illegal physical contact — hitting a shooter's arm, pushing, holding, or crashing into a defender who has established position (a charge) — is a personal foul. A player fouls out of the game after 5 personal fouls under FIBA rules, or 6 in the NBA. Non-shooting fouls normally just give the opponent the ball, but once a team commits its 5th team foul in a quarter (in both rulebooks), the opponent is 'in the bonus' and shoots free throws on every subsequent foul.
Shooting fouls
Fouling a shooter gives them 2 free throws (3 on a three-point attempt). If the shot goes in despite the foul, the basket counts plus 1 free throw — the and-one.
Unsportsmanlike, flagrant and technical fouls
Excessive or dangerous contact is an unsportsmanlike foul (FIBA) or flagrant foul (NBA): free throws plus possession, with ejection for the worst cases or a second offence. Technical fouls punish non-contact misconduct — arguing, taunting, delay — with a free throw for the opponent.
Rebounding and transition
Roughly half of all shots miss, so the battle for the rebound is central. Defenders 'box out' — plant their body between opponent and rim — to secure defensive rebounds; an offensive rebound is a bonus possession and resets the shot clock to 14 seconds. A defensive rebound often triggers the fast break: the rebounding team sprints the ball up the floor to attack before the defence is set, producing the dunks and alley-oops that fill highlight reels.
NBA vs FIBA: the key rule differences
The sport is the same everywhere, but the NBA plays by its own rulebook while the World Cup, Olympics, EuroLeague (with minor variations) and most national leagues follow FIBA. The differences change how the game looks and are worth knowing before you switch between the two.
Quarter length
FIBA quarters are 10 minutes (40-minute game); NBA quarters are 12 minutes (48-minute game). NBA scores therefore run higher, and star players carry heavier minute loads.
Three-point line
FIBA's arc is 6.75 m from the basket (6.60 m in the corners); the NBA's is 7.24 m / 23 ft 9 in (6.70 m / 22 ft in the corners). The shorter FIBA arc makes international defences pack the paint differently, and NBA shooters often look even more comfortable on the FIBA line.
Goaltending
In the NBA the ball may not be touched while any part of it is in the imaginary cylinder above the rim. Under FIBA rules, once the ball touches the rim it is live — any player may legally tap it in or swat it away. FIBA endings often feature legal rim-tap plays that would be violations in the NBA.
Fouling out and other details
Players foul out on the 5th personal foul under FIBA rules versus the 6th in the NBA. The NBA also has rules FIBA lacks, such as the defensive three-second violation (defenders can't camp in the paint away from an opponent), while FIBA permits full zone defences without restriction. Timeout rules differ too: FIBA timeouts can only be called by the coach at a dead ball, while NBA players can call them live.
Substitutions, timeouts and the endgame
Substitutions are unlimited but only at stoppages. Each team gets a set number of timeouts (five per game under FIBA rules, with limits per half; seven in the NBA) — 60-75 second breaks used to set plays, rest stars or kill the opponent's momentum. In the last two minutes of a close game the losing team fouls deliberately to stop the clock and force free throws, gambling that the opponent misses; combined with timeouts and challenge reviews, the final 'two minutes' of a tight game can take fifteen of real time — and are usually the best part.
Glossary — 35 terms
Stats decoded
| Stat | Unit | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | points | A player's or team's average points scored per game. The headline scoring stat: 20+ PPG marks a star scorer, and the NBA scoring title usually requires 30+. Team averages in the NBA sit around 110-115. |
| Rebounds per game | rebounds | Average rebounds collected per game, combining offensive and defensive boards. 10+ RPG marks an elite rebounder; the league leaders sit in the 12-14 range. |
| Assists per game | assists | Average passes per game that led directly to a made basket. The core playmaking stat: 8-10 APG is elite point-guard territory. |
| Field goal % | % | Made field goals divided by attempts, counting twos and threes equally. Around 46-47% is a solid mark for a perimeter player; big men who mostly dunk can exceed 65%. Its blind spot — treating a three like a two — is why analysts prefer eFG% and TS%. |
| Three-point % | % | Made three-pointers divided by attempts. League average hovers around 36%; 40% on high volume marks an elite shooter. Because a three is worth 50% more than a two, even a 36% three-point shooter yields more points per shot than a 50% two-point shooter. |
| Free throw % | % | Made free throws divided by attempts. Elite shooters convert around 90%; below 60% invites opponents to foul you deliberately in close games. |
| Player Efficiency Rating (PER) | rating | John Hollinger's all-in-one per-minute box-score rating, pace-adjusted and normalised so the league average is always 15. Above 20 is very good, above 25 is superstar level. It rewards volume scoring and undervalues defence, so read it alongside other metrics. |
| True shooting % (TS%) | % | Scoring efficiency that properly credits three-pointers and free throws, calculated from total points per shooting possession. League average is in the mid-50s; 60%+ on high volume is elite. The best single number for 'how efficiently does this player score'. |
| Effective field goal % (eFG%) | % | Field goal percentage adjusted so a made three counts 1.5 times a made two, reflecting its extra point. Sits between raw FG% and TS% in sophistication; around 53-54% is league average. |
| Plus/minus (+/-) | point differential | The team's score margin while a given player is on the floor: +8 means the team outscored opponents by 8 in their minutes. Noisy in single games because it depends on teammates, but revealing over a season. |
| Steals per game | steals | Average times per game a player legally takes the ball from the offence. Around 2 per game leads the league; steals fuel fast-break points. |
| Blocks per game | blocks | Average shots swatted per game. 2+ marks an elite rim protector, though blocks understate rim protection — the shots never taken don't show up. |
| Turnovers per game | turnovers | Average possessions per game a player loses via bad passes, violations or offensive fouls. High-usage creators naturally commit more; what matters is the assist-to-turnover ratio, where 2:1 or better is good for a lead guard. |
| Usage rate (USG%) | % | The share of team possessions a player 'uses' (shot, free throws or turnover) while on the floor. Around 20% is average; 30%+ marks a primary option. Not inherently good or bad — it measures offensive burden, not quality — but efficiency at high usage is the mark of a superstar. |
Quick answers
How long is a basketball game?
Regulation is 40 minutes under FIBA rules (four 10-minute quarters, used at the World Cup, Olympics and most leagues worldwide) or 48 minutes in the NBA (four 12-minute quarters). The clock stops on whistles and in late-game situations, so a real game takes roughly 2 to 2.5 hours. Tied games go to 5-minute overtimes until there is a winner — basketball has no draws.
What is the shot clock in basketball?
The shot clock gives the attacking team 24 seconds to attempt a shot that at least touches the rim; failing that, possession passes to the other team. After an offensive rebound it resets to just 14 seconds. Both the NBA and FIBA use the 24-second clock, and it is the rule that keeps basketball fast — no team can sit on a lead by holding the ball.
What are the differences between NBA and FIBA rules?
The big three: quarter length (NBA 12 minutes, FIBA 10), the three-point line (NBA 7.24 m, FIBA 6.75 m), and goaltending (in FIBA play the ball is live once it touches the rim and can be tapped by anyone; in the NBA the cylinder above the rim is protected). Players also foul out on 6 fouls in the NBA versus 5 under FIBA, and the NBA has a defensive three-second rule that FIBA does not. The sport is otherwise the same, but NBA stars switching to World Cup or Olympic play must adjust to all of these.
How many points is a three-pointer worth and where is the line?
A shot taken with both feet behind the three-point arc is worth 3 points instead of 2. The arc is 6.75 m from the basket under FIBA rules (6.60 m in the corners) and 23 ft 9 in / 7.24 m in the NBA (22 ft / 6.70 m in the corners). The corner three is the shortest and most valuable three-point shot, which is why modern offences station shooters there.
What is a triple-double?
A triple-double is reaching 10 or more in three statistical categories in one game — usually points, rebounds and assists. It represents an elite all-around performance: scoring, controlling the glass and creating for teammates in the same night. Only a handful of players in any era average close to one.
How many fouls until a player fouls out?
Five personal fouls under FIBA rules; six in the NBA. A fouled-out player must leave the game for good, though their team continues with a substitute and still has five on the floor. Separately, once a team commits five team fouls in a quarter, every additional foul sends the opponent to the free-throw line — the 'bonus'.
What is goaltending in basketball?
Goaltending is illegally interfering with a shot — touching the ball on its downward flight toward the rim. The penalty is that the basket counts as if it had gone in. The rulebooks differ on the details: under FIBA rules the ball becomes live for everyone once it touches the rim, while in the NBA no one may touch the ball while it is in the imaginary cylinder above the rim.
How does overtime work in basketball?
If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, teams play a 5-minute overtime period. If it is still tied, they play another, and another — there is no limit and no shootout; overtimes repeat until one team leads when the clock expires. Team fouls carry into overtime rules per period, and fatigue plus foul trouble makes multi-overtime games chaotic.
What is a pick and roll?
The pick and roll is basketball's most-used play. A teammate sets a screen ('pick') on the defender guarding the ball-handler, then cuts ('rolls') toward the basket. The defence must instantly choose between switching, chasing over the screen, or helping off another shooter — and each choice concedes something: a mismatch, an open drive, or an open three. Nearly every possession you watch at the top level starts with some version of it.
Which are the biggest basketball competitions in the world?
The NBA is the world's premier league, based in North America. Internationally, national teams contest the FIBA Basketball World Cup every four years and the Olympic tournament, both played under FIBA rules. The EuroLeague is the top club competition outside the NBA, featuring powerhouse European clubs like Real Madrid and Panathinaikos. India's own hoops scene is growing off NBA viewership and grassroots programmes, with the national team competing in FIBA Asia events.