National Basketball Association(NBA)

This article is about the sport. For the ball used in the sport, see Basketball (ball). For other uses, see Basketball (disambiguation).

Basketball

Basketball

Michael Jordan goes for a slam dunk
Highestgoverning body	FIBA
First played	1891, Springfield,Massachusetts, U.S.
Characteristics
Contact	Yes
Team members	5 per side
Mixed gender	Yes, separate competitions
Type	Team sport, ball sport
Equipment	Basketball
Venue	Indoor court (mainly) or outdoor court (Streetball)
Presence
Olympic	Demonstrated in the 1904 and 1924 Summer Olympics Part of the Summer Olympic program since 1936

A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the shooting team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line, and two points if shot from in front of the line. A team can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, after the other team was assessed with certain fouls. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time (overtime) is issued when the score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the court by throwing it to a teammate, or by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling). It is a violation to lift, or drag, one's pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling.

There are many techniques for ball handling—shooting, passing, dribbling, and rebounding. Basketball teams generally have player positions, the tallest and strongest members of a team are called a center or power forward, while slightly shorter and more agile players are called small forward, and the shortest players or those who possess the best ball handling skills are called a point guard or shooting guard. The point guard directs the on court action of the team, implementing the coach's game plan, and managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays (player positioning).