Basics of Basketball

These facts are explained below in point form for easy understanding and reference:

• Basketball is a quick, non-contact sport played both indoors (mostly) and outdoors on a court.
• Each team consists of five active players, that is, five players of each team play on the court at any one time. There will be up to five substitute players (per team) who will be sitting on the side line.
• Every player in the team is assigned positions when playing, and those positions are determined based on the height of each player. Usually, “guards” or “positions 1 and 2” are played by the shortest players, whilst the medium sized players play “forwards” or “position 3 and 4”. The tallest players hold the “center” or “position 5”.  
• The game starts with the ball being thrown up by the referee, and two players (one from each side) who are standing in the center circle will jump for the ball and would tap it to one of their team members.
• The game progresses as the players pass the ball to one another, or dribble the ball towards the goal in the opposing end.
• The objective of the game is to obtain goals or points by throwing the ball through the ring or hoop. Every successful throw is awarded two points each, except for those throws which are made from outside the three point line, which earns them three points, or for penalty throws where a successful throw is awarded one point.
• An infraction of the rules of basketball by a player is called a Violation, and this result in the giving of the ball to the opposition. A violation can occur on the following instances: 
• If a player takes more than 2 steps without bouncing or dribbling the ball, known as “Traveling”.
• When a player bounces the ball with both hands at once, or when a player starts dribbling after a dribble stop, known as “Double Dribbling”.
• When a player dribbles the ball by contacting it away from the top of the ball, i.e. contacting the side or the bottom area of the ball (holding or touching the ball from the bottom whilst dribbling), known as “Carrying”.
• It is not allowed to push, trip, block, and hit or hold the player in possession of the ball and doing so will be considered a foul by the referee. A foul is an illegal action committed by a player of one team on another in the opposing team. If a player commits more than five fouls in a game, he/she will not be allowed to play the game there on and will be sent off the court.

The above are some of the most basic basketball rules and facts that one ought to know to better understand the process of the game.