Outdoor Games
How to play Basketball
Create legal shots at the opposing basket and stop opponents doing the same. This guide uses international five-a-side timing and scoring.
What you need
Basketball, two baskets, marked court, clock and score sheet; organized games also use officials and a shot clock
Set up the game
- Put five players per team on court. Locate baselines, sidelines, center line, free-throw lane and three-point arc.
- Start with a center jump ball; later held balls use alternating possession.
Playing Basketball
- Advance by passing or dribbling. After gathering the ball, observe pivot/traveling rules; do not restart a deliberately ended dribble.
- Free throws score one; baskets inside or touching the arc score two; shots beyond it score three.
- Out-of-bounds and violations normally award opponents a throw-in. After a basket, the other side inbounds behind its endline.
- Avoid illegal contact. Shooting fouls generally award free throws; other fouls can award a throw-in or team-penalty free throws. Five personal fouls removes a player.
- Play four ten-minute quarters, with five-minute overtimes for ties. Offense ordinarily gets eight seconds to reach frontcourt and 24 to shoot; offensive rebounds ordinarily reset to 14. Higher final score wins.
Pass out of a crowd
Leah drives toward the basket and two defenders close the lane. A teammate remains outside the arc with feet clearly behind it. A pass can create an uncontested potential three-point shot; forcing a finish through both defenders risks a bad attempt. The eventual award depends on the teammate’s actual shooting position and whether the shot goes in.
Explain the particular infringement
A travel changes possession without being a personal foul. A cleanly deflected pass out of bounds is another inbound, not automatically a foul. Naming the actual infringement helps beginners understand what to change. For a casual session without clocks, announce your own time or score target rather than calling it FIBA regulation. Practice a legal stop and pivot slowly before using them against a defender.
Beginner decisions
- Keep a lane available for the ball-handler. Crossing their path can bring your defender into space they were trying to attack.
- After passing, cut into an open lane or relocate for a return pass. Five players chasing the ball creates crowding rather than options.
- Defend by watching the opponent’s torso and moving your feet. Following every hand fake can pull you off balance and tempt a reach across the attacker’s arms.
Common rule mix-ups
- Picking up the ball and then dribbling again after waiting.
- Treating every collision as a foul without considering guarding position and responsibility for contact.
Questions about this game
Can I turn while holding the ball?
Yes, with a legal pivot. Check how you gained control before lifting or moving feet to dribble or shoot.
Does a foot on the arc mean three?
No. The line belongs to the two-point area.
Sources and edition notes
FIBA 2024 five-a-side rules, introductory full-court overview. NBA, NCAA, 3×3 and informal pickup scoring differ.
Sources and stated format checked October 14, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.
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