Rules of the basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules. Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports.

A regulation basketball hoop consists of a rim 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high mounted to a backboard. A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the hoop during regular play. A field goal scores two points for the shooting team if a player is touching or closer to the hoop than the three-point line, and three points (a 3 pointer) if the player is outside the three-point line. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it while walking or running dribbling or passing it to a teammate. It is a violation traveling to walk with the ball, carry it, or to double dribble (to hold the ball and then resume dribbling).


Basketball has evolved many commonly used techniques of shooting, passing, and dribbling, as well as specialized player positions and offensive and defensive structures ,player positioning, and techniques.