Basketball is an individual sport that is played on a court shaped like a soccer ball. The ball is rolled down the court, passed between players and shot to the basket to score points. A team can have up to five players on the court at a time.
Basketball is a game that has been played for over a century. It was first introduced in England, France and China in the early 19th century. In 1900, Japan and India also adopted the sport. However, it wasn’t until the late 1890s that basketball started in the United States. At the time, students at YMCAs around the country began introducing a new sport.
Basketball is a fast-paced sport that requires teamwork and communication. Players must move the ball down the court, dribble it and try to win the ball from the opposing team. Defending players make it hard for the offensive players to pass the ball. They are also in charge of preventing the other team from scoring.
Teams play one way for two periods, then they switch goals. Each team is assigned a basket to defend. If the defense fails to block or deflect a shot, the ball is awarded to the opposing team. Once the ball is given to the other team, the player must stop dribbling.
The basketball court is 91 feet long, with two 10-foot baskets. The court is divided into four quarters. The first period of the game is eight minutes long, followed by a two-minute interval between the second and third periods. After the third period, the teams play a different way. This is called overtime. There are various lengths for the overtime periods.
During the game, if a player commits five fouls, he or she is deemed “fouled out.” This means that the player must leave the game and cannot participate in any further games. Substitutions are allowed during the game.
A player can only spend three seconds in the paint at a time. When a defender fails to leave the paint in this time, the opposing team is entitled to a free inbound pass. Another violation that occurs is double dribbling. Basically, this is when a player tries to dribble twice in a row.
A flagrant foul is considered when a player makes physical contact with another player with the intent to steal the ball. Often, these fouls include hitting the arms or pushing. Besides causing the team to lose possession, it can also result in a technical foul.
Other common violations are illegal guarding and charging. Both of these fouls are punished by a free throw. Some of the rules about shooting the ball also include a shot-clock restriction. These restrictions mean that the team must attempt a shot within a certain time frame.
Lastly, a personal foul occurs when a player makes body contact with another player without legal permission. Generally, the most common examples of personal fouls are blocking, pushing and holding.