 play for both boys and girls. This violation does not exist in women's college basketball.
Positions in basketball[change | edit source]
In professional basketball teams, each player has a position. A position is a job or role that a player has to take part in to play the game. If everyone is doing their job correctly, the team is usually successful.
- Point guard (PG) (1) - point guards are responsible for leading the team on offense. They have to take the ball out (to dribble the ball halfway across their team's court side into the opposing team's court side) and plan an "attack" or "play" - to pass the ball to a player and he passes on to another player and so on till a player shoots the basketball. Point guards can be small, but they have to be very fast and possess good ball-handling. But the most important thing for the PG is a wide view. PG should control the game when on offense. That's why PG is called 'the coach on the court'.
- Shooting guard (SG) (2) - shooting guards generally are a little bit taller and slower than point guards. They have to make good shots from far distances (like three-point lines).
- Small forward (SF) (3) - small forwards are generally taller than both point guards and shooting guards. They are the team's most versatile player, doing everything from rebounding and assisting to scoring.
- Power forward (PF) (4) - power forwards are usually one of the strongest players who play inside the 3 point line. Their job is to receive rebounds from under the basket and score in the opposing team's basket, although it is unusual for a power forward to score most points for the team.
- Center (C) (5) - Centers will usually be the tallest player on the team. They score close to the basket, rebound and block shots on the defensive end. They also start the game in the tip off.
Other positions, more usual in professional basketball teams, are used in basketball.
- Swingman - a basketball player who can play both small forward and shooting guard positions.
- Cornerman - a basketball player who can play both power forward and small forward positions.
- Point forward - a basketball player who can play both point guard and forward (either small forward or power forward) positions.
- Forward-center - a basketball player who can play both forward (usually power forward) and center positions.
The Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts[change | edit source]
If a basketball player becomes extremely good at the sport and well known for playing, coaching, or helping the game of basketball somehow, he or she is "elected" to be in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. This is the goal for the greatest basketball players in the world, like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Brian Scalabrine (The White Mamba), and Magic Johnson, and coaches like Phil Jackson, Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Knight, and Pat Summitt. If you are "enshrined" in Springfield, it is the greatest honor a basketball player, coach, official (referee), or contributor can have. It means you are the best of the best at basketball.
Variations[change | edit source]
There are many types of basketball. Some are for people with disabilities, others are played more by a specific group. The most common type is able body basketball and that is the one that has been described in this article.
Wheelchair basketball[change | edit source]
In this variation the players are all seated in a wheelchair. This is often played by people who cannot walk or are unable to play able body basketball properly. The rules are altered slightly but the game follows the same general concepts.
Other websites[change | edit source]
- FIBA, Fédération Internationale de Basketball / International Basketball Federation
- IWBF, International Wheelchair Basketball Federation