PLAYERS

The act of moving and controlling the ball. Ball-handling includes ball control, dribbling, and dribble moves. The better the ball-handler, the easier it becomes for the player to move with the ball and create opportunities for their team.

Shooting is the act of throwing the ball with the purpose of it to go through the basket.

Players should start in a good stance with their shooting hand elbow under the ball and the other hand holding the ball steady on the side. The players will use their whole body to push the ball up toward the basket.

To shoot with good form, it is important to bend the knees for both balance and strength. The players should have their feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, and often, shooters will have the foot on the side of their shooting hand slightly ahead of their other foot. The player’s feet, knees, hips, shoulders and head should all be facing the basket.

The shooting hand elbow should be under the ball while the other hand should support the ball on the side. The ball should be in the fingertips of the shooting hand with a small gap between the palm and the ball. Then in one motion the player should extend their legs while extending their shooting hand. The hand and elbow should come to full extension up high with the ball primarily coming off the fingertips of the index and middle fingers. The player should flip/flex their wrist forward creating backspin on the ball which allows it to land softly on the rim. The opposite hand should come off the ball just before the player releases the ball from the shooting hand. The player should land in the same place they jumped from on both feet nice and balanced and hold their follow-through until they see if the shot goes in.

Passing is the act of throwing the ball to a teammate. A basic pass happens by holding the ball with two hands, stepping towards a teammate, and pushing the ball from the middle of the body to a teammate. Passing the ball to teammates moves the ball quicker than dribbling, and also forces the defensive players to move and react. Just like ball-handling and shooting, passing is a skill that must be honed.

The basketball is moved down the court toward the basket by passing or dribbling. The team with the ball is called the offense.

The team without the ball is called the defense. They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect passes, and take rebounds.

This is the act of retrieving the ball from the backboard or ring after a missed shot. Rebounds were originally called boards. There exist offensive and defensive rebounds.