BASKETBALL,DEFENSE!
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world because of it's fast and exciting pace of play. Basketball isn't as big of topic in my family like soccer,but we do still enjoy watching the sport.As a matter of fact some of us actually played when we weren't busy playing our main sports. I got into Basketball because of my friends and family. I actually even joined a team, but I gave it up to continue playing soccer.Even though I no longer play my friends still do so I am glad that I can go to their games without being lost and I can even give them advice from what I see in the stands.Like I said we don't really watch basketball unless its our favorite team playing.
How To Play:The Basics
Dribbling the ball. Dribbling is controlling the ball with your hands while running. When dribbing you should know how to dribble with both hands in case you need to get pass the opposing team. You should also keep your head up while dribbling because you will want to see the court to find the open spots and to pass to your teammates.
Passing the ball. When passing you should be finding the open man when your team has the ball.Passing needs to be accurate and crisp, don't hold onto the ball just to show off your dribbling.The faster you can pass the ball to an open teammate the better chance you have at scoring.When passing you can use a chest pass,bounce pass, or baseball pass.
Shooting the ball. The game is all about scoring by putting the ball through the rim.Shooting is a learned skill and the more you work at it, the more confidence you will get. Shooting well is all about getting lift on your jump shot,bringing the ball to a proper release position, putting backspin on the ball and following through.
Rebounding the ball. Rebounding is all about boxing out the opposing team after they shot and being first to the ball. When rebounding you should go to a spot about 3-feet away from the backboard and face the backboard when jumping. Make sure while rebounding that you use your butt to keep opponets from getting the inside position on you and use your hands to bring the ball down with a firm grip to your chest.
Defense. All players must make an effort to play an effective defense if they want the ball back. To play defense you should stay between your man and the ball at all times. You should use your arms to block the passing lanes and to block their shots without fouling. Playing defense is all about effort and anticipation.
The Positions
Point Guard (The 1): Point guards are expected to run their team's offens by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time.
Shooting Guard (The 2): Shooting guards are the ones to score points and steal the ball on defense, but they can also bring up the ball if needed.
The Small Forward (The 3): Small forwards are responsible for scoring points and defending, and often are secondary rebounders behind the power forward and the center.
Power Forward (The 4): The Power forward is often the team's most powerful and dependent scorer, being able to score close to the basket while also being able to shoot mid-range jump shots 10-15 feet from the basket.They can also shoot from the 3-point line.
Center (The 5): The center is often the tallest player on the team they are valued for their ability to protect their basket from close range attempts from the oposing team.
The Rules
There are 2 teams and each team must have 5 players on the court.
When starting the game their will be a jump ball, which means 1 player from each team will jump in the air after the ball is thown to try and knock it to their teammate.
The player must bounce, or dribble, the ball with one hand while moving both feet. If, at any time, both hands touch the ball or the player stops dribbling, the player must only move one foot or else they will get a violation called "travling" and it will become the other team's ball. The foot that is stationary is called the pivot foot.
Once the player stops dribbling they are no longer allowed to dribble again until they pass or shoot the ball. If the player does dribble again after they already stopped it will be a violation called "Double dribble" and will automatically become the other team's ball.
The ball must stay in bounds. If the team with the ball loses the ball and it goes out of the bounds the ball automtically becomes the other team's ball.
The player's hand must be on top of the ball while dribbling. If they touch the bottom of the basketball while dribbling and continue to dribble this will be another violation called "carrying" and it will be the other team's ball.
Once the offensive team passes the half court they are no longer allowed to go back into the backcourt. If this does happen this is called a "Backcourt" violation and it will become the other team's ball, but if the defensive team knocks in back into the backcourt the offensive team can go and recover the ball.
The main rule when playing defensive is to not foul.
The players are not allowed to kick the ball or hit it with thier fist.
My Favorite Basketball Teams
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
UCLA MEN/WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
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