Basketball Court – Rules and Regulations
Basketball is basically a team game where two teams, usually of five people each, against each other on a flat rectangular floor, compete for the primary goal of making the other team shoot the ball through the hoop of their opponent with as few points as possible. Usually, basketball is played with three phases: passing the ball, shooting the ball, and rebounding with the ball. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible. There are three phases to every game – the setup, the play, and the defense. Every game is made up of at least twenty five seconds of active time.
In a college basketball game, the players are divided into groups or teams. The teams play each other in an endless rotation, or half court set up. The ball is normally passed from one player to the other player, or from one player to one teammate who is in the form of a substitute player. Most often, players dribble the ball around on the court until they make contact with a basket or a free throw line, making two-man play. When playing a two-man game, the two players on the court who are not dribbling the ball are designated as the guards and the forwards, while the rest of the players are called the backcourt.
Typically, there are two fouls per possession and two minutes per game. There are two fouls called a penalty and a turnover. Penalties occur when a player shoots the basketball or tries to take a penalty while the basketball is in play. When the ball goes out of bounds, a penalty is called.
There are two fouls that occur in each game and are called a kick and a spike. When the basketball goes out of bounds it is considered a kick, but when a player spikes the basketball it is considered a spike. Each team has seven players on the court at all times, including five starters. The starting five members of each team are referred to as the starters. If a basketball is set for play, it is served to the players seated in front of the bench.
The basketball goal consists of three poles along with a net. The goal begins at the top of the court and extends down towards the ground at a maximum of forty-five feet. The basketball aim is to hit the pole at a target of one foot in each direction for a maximum number of points. The ball must travel one foot over the hurdle that is in front of the starting five for a basket. The three points are scored using a point system based on the order of points was called. Each player has a maximum number of attempts to make a basket.
A foul will be charged to the referee if the ball goes out-of-bounds, if the basket is crossed over without being touched by a defender or if the player makes two attempts to make a basket without a good completion. Basketball courts are generally rectangular, but depending on where it is being played, they can be made into other shapes. They can be designed to imitate an international basketball court, or a shaped to look like a basketball court in the United States. They can also have the playing surface raised up so that the players cannot use the floor to jump. In any case, whether you play on an asphalt court, hardwood, carpet, linoleum or even concrete, you are sure to love the sport.