Basketball is a team sport in which players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling) or by passing it to a teammate. Players can also shoot baskets, a skill that requires considerable practice. In addition, a player may steal the ball from an opponent, intercept a pass or block a shot. The game is played for a set amount of time, and the team that scores the most points wins. The game is often broken into a series of periods, or quarters, each lasting five minutes. If a period ends with the score tied, a team can elect to play one or more overtime periods until a winner is declared.
When dribbling, players should push the ball with their fingertips rather than slapping it with the palm of their hand. This helps them to maintain control of the ball while moving at high speeds. They should also practice dribbling without looking at the ball, to improve their hand-eye coordination and to build their ability to keep the ball balanced on their fingers as they move. Practice drills such as dribble tags or stationary exercises to get this basic skill down before moving on to more advanced techniques.
On defense, a player is assigned an opposing player to guard, and they should follow him or her around the court to prevent them from getting open for a shot. The most common defensive schemes are man-to-man and zone. In man-to-man, each player is assigned a particular other player to defend; in zone, each player takes a certain area of the court, such as the top by the hoop or the bottom by the basket.
Offensive plays are more complex, and usually involve quick movements by team members without the ball to gain a better position to receive a pass. A legal attempt to stop an opponent from guarding a teammate by standing in the defender’s way is called a pick. A teammate can then “roll” away from the pick toward the basket.
A team isn’t allowed to remain in the opposition’s key for more than three seconds without shooting, which results in a lane violation and turns the ball over to the opposing team. Players should practice playing defense at game speed so that they can be ready for the fast pace of a real game.
Players should also work on their rebounding skills. Rebounding isn’t the most exciting part of a game, but it can be the difference between a winning and losing team. The best way to improve rebounding is to work on boxing out, which involves driving your back and butt into your opponent so that they can’t recover the rebound. A player should also learn to grab rebounds with both hands. This is essential, as it gives them more options if the rebound goes out of bounds or into their team’s territory. It’s also important to have a good vertical jump, as this will help them to reach missed shots that bounce from the rim or backboard.