By Regina Volpe and Abby Strusowski – STAFF WRITERS

Basketball is not just Airbud and Space Jam. If a dog or cartoon characters know the rules, you can too. Five players for each team are on the court at any given time.

The positions are: the one spot (point guard), the two spot (shooting guard), the three spot (small forward), the four spot (power forward) and the five spot (center). Their goal is to score their team the most points by the end of the game (big shock there).  Here are some basic basketball terms that Airbud would wag a tail at:

Terms:

Air Ball: player shoots ball, ball is no where near the hoop

Backboard: the thing behind the net; helps with aiming your shot

Double Dribble: has double meaning; when a player is dribbling with two hands on the ball or when a player starts to dribble again after already stopping

Dunk: more commonly know as a slam dunk; players use their height to their advantage to jump and directly put the ball into the hoop

Foul:

Personal Foul: any type of illegal physical contact (i.e. pushing, hitting, slapping).

Flagrant Foul: any type of violent physical contact (i.e. kicking or punching).

Intentional Foul: when a player makes physical contact with the opposing player with no intention (see what I did there) to steal the ball.

Technical Foul: can be committed by a player or coach so hopefully someone taught you about manners. Any foul language, obscenities, or excessive arguing can result in a technical foul

Free Throw: similar to any free kick/shot in any other sport; the offensive player who has been fouled is awarded a free shot at the foul line (or known as the charity stripe)

Pivot: think Ross Gellar from Friends screaming, “Pivot!” when Joey and Chandler are helping him move the couch. This is essentially the same thing in basketball except with a much smaller object a.k.a. the ball. Once the player has stopped dribbling, they cannot take any more steps, therefore one foot must remain planted on the ground.

Rebound: No, not when your ex dates someone else after your breakup. When a player grabs the ball after a missed shot.

Shot Clock: it’s the final countdown for a player to take a shot; if the clock runs out the defense gets possession of the ball

Three-Pointer: Any shot made outside of the arc

Traveling: No, not your vacation to Tahiti. When the player moves without dribbling the ball

Frequently Asked Questions

How many points is a shot?

Depends.

Shots inside the arc are two points.

A free-throw shot is one point.

Any shot made outside of the arc (whether it’s just outside the arc or all the way across the court) are worth three points.

How long is the game?

For NCAA men’s basketball, the game is divided into two halves. Each half is 20 minutes long. There is a halftime break between both halves.

For NCAA women’s basketball, it is now four quarters. Each one is 10 minutes long.

After the first two quarters, there is halftime break, followed by the second two quarters.

Which team gets the ball first?

One player from each team stands on either side of the midcourt line. Their

teammates surround them in a circle, alternating teams. The referee tosses

The ball into the air and the two players try to tip it off to their teammates.

Whichever team gets the ball has possession, usually it’s referred to as tipoff.