Basketball Glossary

Basketball Glossary for All Basketball Related Terms

2012-03-21T23:51:00.002-07:00

Basketball Glossary for All Basketball Related Terms

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24 second violation: Inability of a team to shoot and hit the rim before the shot clock expires.

Air ball: A shot that misses the backboard & rim of the basket.
Alley-oop: A pass where the receiving player catches the ball in the air and shoots the ball without touching the ground.
And one: This is when a player gets fouled while in the act of shooting but still scores the basket. He then gets the opportunity to make it a three-point play by getting one free throw attempt. Originates from the referee call “X team gets the bucket and one free throw.”
Assist: A player earns an assist when his pass leads directly to a basket by a teammate.

Backcourt: The half of the court a team is defending. The opposite of the frontcourt. Also refers to a team’s guards.
Backdoor: An offensive play in which a player on the perimeter steps away from the basket, drawing the defender with them, and suddenly cuts to the basket behind the defender for a pass.
Ball fake: A sudden movement by the player with the ball intended to cause the defender to move in one direction, allowing the passer to pass in another direction
Ball hog: A player that does not pass the ball often
Bank shot: A shot that hits the backboard before hitting the rim or going through the net.
Baseball pass: A one-handed pass thrown like a baseball.
Baseline (endline): The mark surrounding the perimeter of the court where all the game action takes place. The baseline is the part of that line at the end of the courts. The opposite of a baseline is a sideline.
Bench: Refers to substitutes sitting on the sideline, as well as to the bench or chairs they sit on.
Block: 1) To tip or deflect a shooter’s shot before the ball reaches its highest point, altering its flight so the shot misses. Often referred to as a “rejection” or a “blocked shot”. 2) A violation in which a defender steps in front of a dribbler but is still moving when they collide. Also called a “blocking foul.” 3) The small painted square on the floor next to the basket just outside the lane.
Board: A term for a rebound
Bonus: A team is “in the bonus” when it accumulates seven or more team fouls in a half, giving the other team a free throw on each subsequent foul. Also called being “over the limit.”
Bounce pass: Passing the ball from one player to another by bouncing it on the floor.
Box and one: A combination defense in which four defenders play zone in a box formation, and the fifth defender guards one player man-to-man.
Box out: To make contact with an opposing player to establish rebounding position between the player and the ball. Also called “block out.”
Brick: A bad shot that clanks off the backboard or rim.
Buzzer beater: A basket in the final seconds of a game (right before the buzzer sounds) that in itself results in a win or overtime.

Center: Usually one of the tallest player on the team whose skills may include shot-blocking, rebounding and scoring.
Cylinder: The imaginary “cylindrical” space directly above the rim of the basket. Under NBA rules, the ball cannot be touched when it is in the cylinder.

Dime: Slang term for an assist.
Dish: Slang term for an assist.
Double bonus: In U.S. college basketball, when a team accumulates 10 or more fouls in a half, the other team is “in the double bonus”, earning two free throws on each subsequent non-shooting foul by the defense. Under college rules, the seventh team foul in a half puts the opponents in the “one-and-one”, in which the fouled player must make the first free throw in order to earn a second (except for fouls in the act of shooting).
Double double: The feat of collecting ten or more of two statistical categories in one game.
Double dribble: A penalty for dribbling the ball with two hands at the same time or dribbling, stopping, and then beginning to dribble again.
Double team: The act of using two defensive players to guard a single offensive player.
Draft: The selection process to determine on which NBA teams the top newcomers will play.
Draft Lottery: The process that determines the first 13 picks in the NBA Draft. The team with the worst record gets the most chances. The team with the second worst record gets the second most chances, etc. The first three picks are determined by chance, the rest are in inverted order of the teams’ record the previous season.
Dribble: The act of bouncing the ball continuously with one hand. Dribbling is a requirement for a player to take steps with the ball. To dribble, a player pushes the ball down towards the ground with the fingertips rather than patting it; this ensures greater control.
Dunk (Stuff or Jam): Making a basket by stuffing the ball down through the rim and into the net.

Fast break: A play that occurs when the offensive team quickly gets the ball ahead of the defensive team.
Field Goal: A shooting attempt, missed or successful, by an offensive player during the course of a game.
Flagrant foul: A foul that concerns serious unsportsmanlike personal contact with an opponent on the court.
Foul: Actions by players which break the rules but are not floor violations. These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by offensive players as well. Players who are fouled either receive the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive one or more free throws if they are fouled in the act of shooting, depending on whether the shot was successful. One point is awarded for making a free throw, which is attempted from the free throw line.
Forward: One of the three standard player positions, forwards are primarily responsible for scoring and rebounding.
Free throw: An unopposed attempt to score a basket, worth one point, from the free throw line. Generally, two attempts are awarded when the player is fouled in the act of shooting (three attempts are awarded in the case of three point shot), fouled flagrantly, or when the opposing team fouls while over the foul limit. One attempt is awarded for technical fouls.
Free throw line: A line on the court that is 15 feet (4.6) in front of the basket.

Goaltending: A defensive player illegally blocking an opponents shot attempt when the balls’ trajectory is downward, or within the parameters of the rims cylinder.

Half-time: The intermission between the first and second half which usually lasts 12-15 minutes. Teams change the end of the court that they shoot at during half-time.

Illegal defense: Two-defensive players guarding an offensive opponent without possession of the ball.

Jump shot: A shot taken while jumping

Key: The painted part of the court around the basket. The bottom of the key is the baseline. The top of the key is the free throw line. The sides of the key draw a line between both lines and represent the area that players stand behind during a free throw. Offensive players are also not allowed to stand in the key for more than 3 seconds. Also called the “box”, the “paint”, or the “lane”.

Lane (or the Paint): The painted area from the end line under the basket to the free-throw line. (Offensive players can not be in the lane more than three seconds — this is called a three second violation)
Lay-up: A field goal attempt made from below the basket, laying the ball up near the basket. The player either lays the ball over the rim and into the basket or banks it off the backboard and into the basket.

Man-to-man defense: A defense designed to allow each player on a team to guard one player from the other team when on defense, as opposed to guarding an area of the floor on defense (zone).

NBA: The National Basketball Association, the largest professional league in the United States

Offensive foul: A rule violation committed by a member of the team playing offense.
One-and-one: In U.S. college basketball, once a team accumulates seven fouls in a half, the other team enters the “one-and-one”. If a team’s 7th, 8th, or 9th team foul is a non-shooting foul when it is on defense, the fouled player must make the first free throw in order to earn a second. On the 10th team foul, the opponents enter the “double bonus”, in which all non-shooting fouls by the defense result in two free throws.
Outlet pass: A pass thrown by a rebounder to start a fast break.
Over-and-back: A violation that occurs when the offensive team lets the ball cross the center line back into their own half-court after already establishing a presence in the offensive half-court. Also called a “Backcourt violation”.
Overtime: When a game is tied at the end of regulation play, the two teams play a five minute (NBA) overtime. A game can include as many overtime periods as necessary to determine a winner.

Paint: See the ‘lane’ or ‘key’ above.
Pass: When a player throws the ball to a teammate. Used to transfer possession of the ball from one player to another.
Personal Foul: A violation committed by one player against another player. Following a player’s fifth personal foul (sixth in the NBA), he or she is disqualified for the rest of the game.
Pivot foot: The foot that must remain touching the floor until a ball handler who has stopped dribbling is ready to pass or shoot.
Point guard: Usually a team’s best ballhandler. He leads the offense and distributes the ball to the team’s best scorers.
Power forward: Known primarily for their rebounding and defensive skills, they spend most of their time around the basket.

Quadruple-double: The rare feat of amassing double digit figures in four statistical categories during one game.

Rebound: Controlling the ball following a missed shot.
Rejection: See ‘Block” above.
Reserve: A player sitting on the bench other than the five currently competing in the game.
Rookie: A player with no prior NBA experience, who usually is acquired in the NBA Draft.

Screen (or Pick): The act of delaying or preventing an opponent from reaching a position, without causing undue contact.
Set shot: A field goal that is shot from a stationary position.
Shot: A player’s attempt to score a basket. The most common form of shooting is jumping straight-up facing the basket, and releasing the ball using your fingertips as a guide.
Shot clock: The shot clock is used to time possessions. The offensive team has a certain time (NBA: 24 seconds, NCAA: 35 seconds) to make a scoring attempt.
Shooting guard: Known primarily for their scoring and shooting, the shooting guard is usually one of the teams top offensive weapons.
Sideline: The white or colored lines which mark the outer boundaries of a court. The opposite of a sideline is a baseline.
Sixth man: Refers to the team’s first player off the bench, after the staring five.
Small Forward: Known primarily for their offense, the small forward is not necessarily smaller than the power forward.
Steal: Taking the ball away from an opponent or intercepting a pass.
Swing-man: A player who can “swing” back and forth and play two positions. Often the Small Forward.
Swish: When a shot goes through the net without hitting the backboard or rim.

Technical foul: A foul most commonly associated with unsportsmanlike non-contact behavior. However, some procedural violations are also technical fouls. The term is frequently abbreviated to simply “tech” or “T.”
Three-point field goal: A shot attempted anywhere from behind the three-point line of the defending team that, if successful, is worth three points.
Three-point line: An arcing line on the court representing the line behind which three point shots must be taken.
Three second violation: When an offensive player is in the “lane” more than three seconds.
Time-out: A requested break in action by a team either with the possession of the ball, or when the ball is dead.
Traveling: A violation that occurs when a player holding the ball illegally moves one or both of his feet without dribbling.
Trillion: A stat line in which a player fails to collect either a shot, point, rebound, assist, or foul, thus resulting in a stat line of all zeros.
Triple-double: The feat of amassing double digit figures in three statistical categories during one game.
Triple-Threat: The position derives from the fact that the offensive player with the ball has three choices regarding what to do with the ball. The player can either dribble, pass, or shoot the ball. Because of these variety of choices, defenders must respect the offensive player in the triple threat position and defend all three threats, thus giving a wide berth. The offensive player, therefore, has plenty of room to operate.
Turnover: When a player from one team gives possession to a member of another team by losing the ball. This can result from getting stolen, making mistakes such as stepping out or throwing the ball out of bounds, committing a violation (such as traveling) or committing an offensive foul.

Weak-side: The portion of the defensive team on the court furthest away from the offensive player with possession of the ball.
WNBA: The Women’s National Basketball Association, the largest professional basketball league for women in the United States.

Zone defense: A defensive strategy where one player defends one section of the court

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Terms Related to Defense in Basketball

2012-03-21T23:48:00.001-07:00

Terms Related to Defense in Basketball | Basketball Glossary for Defense

Advance step
A step in which the defender's lead foot steps toward their man and the back foot slides forward.

Blocked shot:
When the defence deflects or stops a shot attempt with their hand while the ball is still on its upward flight.

Box-and-one
A combination defense in which four defenders play zone in a box formation and the fifth defender guards one player man-to-man.

Defense:
the act of preventing the offense from scoring; the team without the ball.

Defensive rebound:
Grabbing the ball from the missed shot attempt by an opponent.

Guarding:
the act of following an opponent around the court to prevent him from getting close to the basket, taking an open shot or making easy an pass, while avoiding illegal contact.

Halfcourt defense
The portion of a team's defensive play conducted with both teams having established positions

Man-to-man defense:
the defensive style where each defensive player is responsible for guarding one opponent.

Match-ups:
any pairing of players on opposing teams who guard each other.

Rejected
To have one's shot blocked.

Steal:
A defensive action, which causes a turnover by an opponent.

Transition defense
The portion of a team's defensive play conducted when the other team has first gained possession and is moving up the court, before both teams have established positions. Includes defense against fast breaks.

Zone defense:
a defense where each defender is responsible for an area of the court and must guard any player who enters that area.

Terms Related to Shooting in Basketball

2012-03-20T23:55:00.002-07:00

Basketball Terms Related to Shooting | Basketball Glossary for Shooting/Scoring

Baby Hook
The baby hook in basketball shooting branches off from the evolution of the classical sky hook. This basketball shooting form resembles the skyhook in that it still relies on your shoulders to separate the basketball from the defender. It differs from the skyhook mainly because you are now using your wrist instead of your arm in terms of shooting the basketball towards the hoop.

Bank Shot
a shot where the ball is first bounced (or banked) off the backboard at such an angle that it then drops into the basket.

BEEF
Balance, Eyes, Elbow, Follow Through

Buzzer beater
A basket in the final seconds of a game (right before the buzzer sounds) that in itself results in a win or overtime.

Double Nickel
To accumulate 55 points.

Dunk:
when a player close to the basket jumps and strongly throws the ball down into it; an athletic, creative shot used to intimidate opponents.

Fade Away
People change from calling it the "fall-away" in the last era to calling it the "fade-away." Whatever it is called, it is indisputably the deadliest perimeter basketball move that many NBA basketball players use and abuse. Essentially, it is a jump shot done while you jump or step backward. It seems simple but it deems tough.

Field Goal:
when the ball enters the basket from above during play; worth 2 points, or 3 points if the shooter was standing behind the 3-point line.

Four-point play
A rare play in which a player is fouled while making a three-point shot and then makes the resulting free throw.

Free throw
An unopposed attempt to score a basket, worth one point, from the free throw line. Generally, two attempts are awarded when the player is fouled in the act of shooting (three attempts are awarded in the case of three point shot), fouled flagrantly, or when the opposing team fouls while over the foul limit. One attempt is awarded for technical fouls ;it is worth 1 point.

Finger roll
A finger roll is an upgrade version of a lay-up - it is executed underhand with a strong forward spin without using the backboard.

Granny shot
An underhand shot taken using both hands, usually as a free throw.

High percentage shot:
a shot that is likely to go in the basket, such as a layup.

Hook Shot

Inside shooting:
shots taken by a player near or under the basket.

Jump shot | Jumper
A shot taken while jumping

Lay-in
A close-range shot using one hand to tip the ball over the rim

Layup
A close-range shot using one hand to bank the ball off the backboard

Leaner
Also known as a leaning jump shot, it is a basketball shooting technique in which you combine a forward jump towards the basketball hoop with a set shot while drawing contact from your defender.

Lower percentage shot:
a shot that is less likely to go in the basket, such as one thrown by a player who is off balance or outside his shooting range.

1-and-1 or 1-plus-1:
in college, a free-throw attempt awarded for certain violations that earns the shooter a 2nd attempt only if the first is successful.

Outside shooting:
shots taken from the perimeter.

Points in the paint
Field goals made in the painted area below the free-throw line

Release:
the moment that the ball leaves a shooter's hands.

Reverse Lay Up
Reverse lay-up, or simply the reverse, is a lay-up using the backboard and done with your back facing the basketball hoop and often your defender after you blow by him.

Scoring opportunity:
when a player gets open for a shot that is likely to score.

Shooter:
a player who takes a shot at the basket.

Shooter's roll:
the ability to get even an inaccurate shot to bounce lightly off the rim and into the basket

Shooting range:
the distance from which a player is likely to make his shots.

Sky Hook
Kareem Abdul Jabbar almost ruled the 80s with this basketball shooting technique, the sky hook basketball shot. Similar to the baby hook, the sky hook uses the shoulder to screen the defender from the ball and create shooting room for the basketball shooting player. The biggest difference is that it utilizes the upper arm power, a leap slightly towards the defender, and the basketball shot has a higher arc.

Slam dunk:
see dunk.

Tear DropThe basketball shooting technique called "tear drop" is also referred to as the floater. Both of them are very descriptive names in that the basketball shot seems to "float" over the defender and drop into the hoop so lightly as if it were a drop of tears. It is an alternate basketball shooting move in a layup where you take the step-and-a-half early and while jumping forward, you shoot the basketball over your defender before he jumps.

3-point play:
a 2-point field goal followed by a successful free-throw.

3-point shot:
a field goal worth 3 points because the shooter had both feet on the floor behind the 3-point line when he released the ball; also counts if one foot is behind the line while the other is in the air.

Set shot
A shot taken without leaving the floor.

Swish
(n) A shot which goes through the net without hitting the backboard or rim. (v) To make a swish.

Three-point field goal
A shot, worth three points, attempted with both feet behind the three-point line.

Three-pointer
A three-point field goal

Trey
A three-point field goal

Three-point play
(1) A play in which a shooter is fouled while making a two-point shot and then makes the resulting free throw. (also and one). (2) (rarely) When a shooter is fouled while taking but missing a three-point shot and then makes all three free throws.

Toilet Bowl
When the ball hits the rim on a certain angle and then circles around it, can go in or out.

Up And Under
Whatever the name by which it is called, the up and under basketball shooting move consists of not two but three phases: The 'up' phase, the 'hang' phase, and the 'under' phase. Basically, you leap and fake a lay-up in the air by holding the ball up, get by your defender in the air, and do an actual lay-up in a second timing before you land.

Terms Related to Passing in Basketball

2012-03-20T22:32:00.003-07:00

Basketball Terms Related to Passing | Basketball Glossary of Passing

Alley Oop
An offensive play in which a player throws the ball up near the basket to a teammate (or, more rarely, to himself) who jumps, catches the ball in mid air and immediately scores a basket, usually with a slam dunk.

Assist
A pass to a teammate who scores a basket immediately or after one dribble.

Ball Fake
A sudden movement by the player with the ball intended to cause the defender to move in one direction, allowing the passer to pass in another direction. Also called "pass fake."

Baseball Pass
Passing the basketball using an overhand throw with one hand similar to a baseball pitch.

Behind-the-back Pass
Behind-the-back passes are passes dealt to a target behind the passer's back. Usually done to confuse the defender, behind the back passes can either be bounced off the floor or passed directly to a teammate's chest. However, most behind-the-back passes are direct. Earl Monroe was famous for this move. Steve Nash uses this move often, and Chris Webber is famed for using this move down in the paint.

Blind Pass
A pass from a ball handler who does not look at the receiver while delivering the pass.Also known as a no-look pass, the blind pass is performed when a player looks in one direction but passes the ball to his target in another direction.

Bounce Pass
A pass that bounces once before reaching the receiver.

Chest Pass
The ball is passed from the chest.

Curl pass
A low, one-handed pass made by stepping around the defender's leg and extending the throwing arm. Also called a "hook pass."

Dish
An assist.

Drop a Dime
To make an assist

Elbow pass
Introduced with much hype by Jason Williams, the elbow pass is one of the most difficult trick passes to execute. The elbow pass serves as a devastating complement to the behind-the-back pass and can be used with various no-look elements. Most effective on a fast-break, the elbow pass entails what appears to the defender to be a simple behind-the-back pass, but as the ball crosses the passer's back, the passer hits it with his elbow, redirecting the ball back toward the side it started on and hopefully leaving the defender(s) amazed and out of position. Williams was able to pull off this pass at a full sprint during a Rookie All-Star game, but most players have trouble hitting the ball with their elbow while standing still.

Give and Go
Give and Go is an offensive play that involves passing the ball (give) and then running (go) to an open spot to receive the ball back, usually near the basket, for an easy score.

Jump pass
A jump pass is a pass performed while the passing player's feet are off the floor. When done intentionally, usually when a teammate gets open during the shot, it can sometimes confuse the defender, causing him to believe that the passer is shooting instead of passing. At times, however, it is done as a result of the player having their shooting lane blocked and often leads to the player turning the ball over to the opposing team. This kind of pass is risky to execute, and the chances of perfectly passing the ball to an open teammate are considerably low, as it leaves the offensive player very vulnerable to turnovers.

Outlet Pass
A pass thrown by a rebounder to start a fast break.

Overhead pass
An overhead pass is another fundamental passing technique. It is used by snapping the ball over the head, like a soccer throw-in. This pass is especially effective in helping to initiate a fast break. After a defensive rebound, a well-thrown overhead, or outlet, pass can allow a breaking offensive player to quickly score without even dribbling by catching the ball near the basket.

Pass
(v) To throw the ball to a teammate. (n) The act of passing.

Passing Lane
An opening between defenders through which the ball can be passed to a teammate.

Reverse Pass

Touch pass
A touch pass is an advanced passing technique in which a prior pass or a loose ball is immediately redirected to another player by tipping or slapping the ball. This is the quickest pass in basketball and is therefore very effective when executed correctly.