Basketball
You may not have played Basketball since your school days so we thought a few reminders about the game and rules might be helpful!
Basketball explained
Basketball consists of two teams (for our purposes at least 6 aside but 7 aside may also be a good number) competing to throw an inflated rubber ball through a basket that is raised 10 feet into the air.Each team has a basket at their end of the court. The team that has the most points at the end of the time allotted for the game is declared the winner. The duration of the basketball game is dependent on the level at which the game is being played. The typical game times for the various levels of basketball are:
• Professional NBA Game: 4 Quarters, 12 minutes each. Total game time: 48 minutes
• Olympic Game: 2 halves, 20 minutes each. Total game time: 40 minutes
• The Old Dogs will play 4 quarters of 10 minutes each
Point Scoring
There are several types of shots that award a different numbers of points when made:
• 3 Points - Shots made from outside the line designated as the "3-point line."
• 2 Points - Shots made inside the line designated as the "3-point line."
• 1 Point - Following a foul, free throw shots are taken by the fouled player from the line designated as the free throw line.
Referees usually control the correct playing of the game. It is intended that the Old Dogs will self- regulate and referee the following:
Fouls
• Traveling: Players may not move more than two steps without bouncing the ball (referred to as dribbling).
• Double Dribble: Players may not dribble the ball with both hands simultaneously or resume dribbling after already stopping the ball.
• Goaltending: Players may not stop a shot before it has made contact with any part of the basket (provided a shot is in progress). This rule does not apply if the ball is still ascending in the air as opposed to descending. If a team commits goaltending, the shot counts as being made.
• Backcourt Violation: Players may not return the ball behind the centre line once it has crossed it.
Penalties
• Three free throws are awarded if the player is fouled while shooting for a three-point goal and they miss their shot. If a player is fouled while shooting a three-point shot and makes it anyway, he is awarded one free throw. Thus, he could score four points on the play.
• Inbounds. If fouled while not shooting, the ball is given to the team the foul was committed upon. They get the ball at the nearest side or baseline, out of bounds, and have 5 seconds to pass the ball onto the court.
• One & one. If the team committing the foul has seven or more fouls in the game, then the player who was fouled is awarded one free throw. If he makes his first shot, then he is awarded another free throw.
• Ten or more fouls. If the team committing the foul has ten or more fouls, then the fouled player receives two free throws.
Fouls and Violations Continued
• Hitting, pushing, slapping, holding
• Illegal pick/screen -- when an offensive player is moving. When an offensive player sticks out a limb and makes physical contact with a defender in an attempt to block the path of the defender.
• Charging. An offensive foul that is committed when a player pushes or runs over a defensive player. The ball is given to the team that the foul was committed upon.
• Blocking. Blocking is illegal personal contact resulting from a defender not establishing position in time to prevent an opponent's drive to the basket.
• Flagrant foul. Violent contact with an opponent. This includes hitting, kicking, and punching. This type of foul results in free throws plus the offense retaining possession of the ball after the free throws.
• Intentional foul. When a player makes physical contact with another player with no reasonable effort to steal the ball. It is a judgment call for the officials.
• Technical foul. Technical foul. A player or a coach can commit this type of foul. It does not involve player contact or the ball but is instead about the 'manners' of the game. Foul language, obscenity, obscene gestures, and even arguing can be considered a technical foul, as can technical details regarding filling in the scorebook improperly or dunking during warm-ups.
