Originally invented as a way to keep students busy during the winter months, basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. The first game was played by shooting the ball into a peach basket nailed to the fence, and the ball had to be picked up with a stick long after each successful shot. Decades of development and names like Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, and LeBron are almost timeless. Basketball is one of the most entertaining, challenging and exciting sports in the world. You can learn the basic rules and basic skills needed to play.
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Method 1 of 6: Learning the Rules
Step 1. Prepare the ball and hoop
All you need to play basketball is a ball of the right size and a suitable net to traverse, set at a fairly challenging height. Specific requirements for basketball regulation are included below, but basketball history is the history of making an activity out of something you own. The first basketball hoop was a Peach crate nailed to the fence. Use an empty box, soccer ball, or whatever else is available if you don't have access to the hoop.
- Basketball is usually available in four sizes: youth, middle, and adult sizes for men and women. Made of rubber and synthetic leather, basketballs are widely available in sports shops. Look for a ball that you can shoot comfortably without shaking your wrist. At most gyms, youth centers, and other athletic venues, you can borrow a basketball to practice.
- The regulation hoop is ten meters long and 18 inches (45.7 cm) in diameter, usually supported by a plexiglass board on which players can bounce shots. While a full court of basketball is played with two hoops, one at each end of the 94-foot-long court, it only needs to have one hoop to play a half-court pick-up game, or to shoot with friends.
Step 2. Split into two teams
For a full court game, basketball is played by two teams of five players each. Meanwhile, the game is also usually played on a half-field with a team of three, but if many people are playing, try to play with an even number of players in each team. Alternative basketball games for uneven numbers are included in the last section.
Step 3. Score points by shooting the ball through the hoop
In basketball, attackers can score between one and three points with a shot, depending on where the shot was taken.
- Extending the semi-circle about 20 feet (6.1 m) from the ring on most courts, it should be the "three-point line," beyond the shot that is worth the extra point. In the arc, all shots are worth two points.
- Foul shots are worth one point each and are taken from the free throw line, which is 15 feet (4.6 m) from the ring. Players will be awarded between one and three free throws if they foul during a shooting attempt, or foul after the other team has accumulated too many fouls.
Step 4. Move the ball with a dribble or pass
When you have the ball, you have to be stationary, with one foot planted on the floor to spin, or you have to dribble, bouncing up and down the floor. When the foot is planted, you can rotate with one foot, but the foot remains planted if you are not dribbling. You can still jump to shoot or pass, but when you come back you'll have to get rid of the ball.
- When you start dribbling, you should continue to dribble as you move, until you pass, shoot, or stop dribbling to prepare your pivot foot. If you stop dribbling, you cannot restart the dribble, which is a violation called "double-dribble." It's also important to avoid "over/under" dribbles, where you pick the ball up from the bottom and flip it over to dribble down. Learn to dribble well in the following sections.
- If you're about to shoot, you can pick up the ball and take two steps without dribbling before you shoot or pass. More than two steps will result in a “traveling” violation. If you've been dribbling and you stop, you can't take two steps.
Method 2 of 6: Dribbling and Passing
Step 1. Stand up properly
If you have possession of the ball during a foul, you need to crouch in a low position to guard and protect the ball while you are dribbling. In proper dribbling stance, you should crouch, knees bent and shoulder width apart, standing on your ball.
As you learn, bounce the ball continuously with each hand, back and forth between left and right to hold it with both hands, stay crouched, and point your opposite hip toward the basket
Step 2. Bounce the ball with your fingertips
To control the ball well and safely, it is important to dribble with your fingertips, not your palms. When a beginner first touches a basketball, it's common to pat or swipe with the palm of the hand instead of gripping and pushing with the fingers. With some practice, you'll be able to get a good feel for how much force to put on the ball to get it back into your hands.
- Start bouncing the ball, starting by standing up. Flex your wrists to bounce the ball and try to keep your elbows on your hips and move your elbows as little as possible. Like anything else, dribbling should be on all wrists.
- Make sure the ball is inflated to the right specifications, or it will be difficult to bounce properly. Follow the directions on your ball and add a little air if necessary.
Step 3. Try and keep the ball at waist level
It was difficult to control the ball at first, and players began to have difficulty keeping it and controlling it without looking constantly. But practice dribbling low to the ground so that it becomes comfortable for you. Dribble deep into your chest is easy for defenders to stop you. Try to stay at your waist, not higher.
Step 4. Keep your head up
If there's one thing the coach will talk about when you're learning the ball, it's this. As you learn to play, it's important to keep your head up and look around, not look straight down at the ball you bounce. Good soccer players can see their teammates, opponents, and the ring at the same time. Practice dribbling without looking at the ball and your skills will greatly improve. It's hard to know where to go and where to pass when your eyes are locked on your shoes.
Being low will give you less opportunity to dribble badly and lose control of the ball. As well as being harder to get off of you, it will also be harder for you to mess up your dribble
Step 5. Start moving, when you are ready
Most basketball is not played from a standing position, so it's important to start dribbling. Start by walking as if you were dribbling a ball, in a comfortable position. When you're comfortable dribbling and walking, start running, and finally start trying to do short sprints as you dribble. Don't worry about running super fast, worry about controlling the ball.
Set up some cones or chairs in the driveway and practice dribbling around them in 8s as fast as you can, but focusing on ball control. Stay low, keep your head and control the ball while dribbling fast
Step 6. Practice dribbling with both hands
When you're starting to learn to dribble, it's most comfortable to dribble with your dominant hand, the hand you use to write. Unless you want to always go to one side, though that will make you a footballer - your very predictable need to diversify your ball handling skills.
Practice doing the exercise with your dominant hand to learn the basics, but also dribbling with your less dominant hand. Try working together around a chair, walking and herding, then finally running. A great footballer is equally good from both sides
Step 7. Practice making different types of tracks
Don't listen to the ball hog: a good pass is always better than a mediocre shot. Learning to make sharp and accurate passes is an important part of playing basketball. You should comfortably go straight to your teammates without making them move.
- Make a chest pass (chest pass). Grab the ball on both sides, in both hands, as if you were trying to squeeze air. Bring it to your chest, then move both hands to pass the ball to a teammate who is standing a distance away comfortably, without letting the ball hit the ground. Both wrists should be wagging, away from you, as if you were swimming breaststroke.
- Make a bounce pass (bouncing pass). Hold the ball in the same way as if you were trying to squeeze it. About halfway between you and your teammates, bounce the ball to the ground and to other players. Practice making the pass so that it only bounces once and comes comfortably into your partner's chest. Practice with one and two hands for the bouncing pass.
Method 3 of 6: Shooting
Step 1. Be straight with the basket every time you shoot
Whenever you want to shoot, it's important to "balance," which means you need to point both sets of toes so they're pointing straight at the circle, then align your hips so that you aim to line up your front side with the hoop. Your shot will be more accurate when you are straight, if you follow the correct basic technique for shooting.
When you get ready to take a shot, stop dribbling and take the ball in both hands, and straight up to the hoop. Practice your throwing move, where you take a dribble and turn your hips in one quick motion
Step 2. Balance the ball in your dominant hand
The shooting hand is your dominant hand, the hand you use to write and to dribble comfortably. Keep your elbows shooting tight at your hips, and keep the ball balanced on your fingertips under the basketball. Bring it even with your chin and bend your knees, squatting down.
- Your strength will come with your shooting hand, but you can stabilize the ball and balance it with your other hand. Gently touch the ball with the other hand on the side of the ball. All the power of the shot has to come from your other hand.
- To practice your shooting motion, lie on the ground with the ball and hold the ball straight up with your shooting hand. Practice rolling the ball straight into the air a few inches in a backwards loop, straight back into your hand.
Step 3. Roll the ball out of your hand
When you have the ball in the right position, extend your elbows to shoot straight up and forward, scrolling your wrists forward, as if you were trying to pick up a cookie jar on a high shelf. Continue extending your arms to shoot toward the hoop. Let the ball come forward as your arms extend to the end, rolling back as you let go. Continue to follow it through your hands, placing it in the cookie jar, after you've released the ball.
Step 4. Push off with your feet, jumping straight up
To get extra power from your shot, crouch and pop up on your feet as you shoot. When your arms get to their highest point, you should jump up a bit, extend your legs and put some extra power under the shot with your jumps.
- Don't jump forward, towards the hoop, jump straight up. This is a common mistake for beginners. You want to jump straight up in the air and bow the ball towards the goal, don't start in front.
- Free throws are generally done without jumping, and you don't need to jump to shoot. However, it is difficult to get the ball into the hoop using arm strength alone, so most of the shots taken will be "jump shots."
Step 5. Aim the imaginary coin at the lip of the ring
Most of your first pair of shots will probably chime from the hoop or the board loudly. Not a problem! Shooting the ball into a high hoop is not easy, and requires a lot of practice. It can be difficult to know exactly where it's going: the red square on the board? The top of the ring? This can help some beginners to visualize a small coin balanced on the front lip of the ring, and that what you are trying to do is knock it down with your shot.
Most beginner shots are too high, and this exercise trains the eye to lower the "shot" shot, aiming more at the ring. If your drawing tends to be too low, change the exercise so that you aim behind the edge, where it connects to the board. This will be more helpful to improve your goals
Step 6. Practice lay-ups from both sides
Lay-ups are an important part of the game of basketball and a great basic exercise for beginners. A good basketball player must lay-up so well that he will never miss a lay-up in the game. The lay-up should be an easy way to get two points.
- Start at the corner of the free-throw line on the dominant side. Dribble in the direction of the circle from the corner, and pull when you are close to the last two lines on the side of the marker path. Take your steps and jump from the foot closest to the hoop (if you're dribbling righty, jump off the left foot). Bounce the ball off the board, just over the top corner of the backboard, and into the hoop.
- This helps some beginners to visualize the thread tying your dominant hand to your dominant knee, to help remember which leg to jump. As you drive, let your shooting hand "pull" up to the side of the knee, jumping off the other knee.
- When you have the bottom mechanism, try a lay-up on the opposite side, using the other hand. This will feel awkward at first, but being able to push the lines on both sides will make you a better basketball player.
Step 7. Shoot continuously, from anywhere
Shooting practice is a great way for a little practice and fun. Just shooting around is one of the best parts of basketball practice, so there's little reason to miss it. Try shooting from across the field, in key, from different angles. Dribble around as you shoot, so you kill two birds with one stone. Practice shooting when you are tired and when you are fresh.
- Practice free throws. A good basketball player should be able to make almost automatic free throws. Take them over and over again until you can memorize the shooting motion and commit to muscle memory.
- Don't waste valuable practice time shooting halfway through the Marys or NBA ice field three points away. Get your fundamentals down and practice shooting 10 times in a row, before you try to work the magic.
Method 4 of 6: Playing Defense
Step 1. Learn your role in defense
If you play defense, your goal is to keep your opponent from scoring. That means you have to mess up passes, try to steal the ball if possible, and block shots. It's your job to interfere, stick and mess with the other team's ability to pass and score points.
- Most teams will play "man-to-man" defense, which usually means that you'll be matched against another player on the opposing team, whom you'll be guarding for the rest of the game. This, in most cases, other players also play your position.
- In more advanced basketball, sometimes defensive "zones" are used, where you will be given a territory of the court to guard, and you will take every player who walks into it. Think of it like an imaginary bubble you're trying to protect.
Step 2. Learn proper defensive stances
Not all basketball is about fouls, and your play has to be fast on both sides of the ball. To learn to play a strong defense, learn to go low and wide. Crouch with your feet more than shoulder-width apart and place your arms straight at your sides, extending and making yourself as wide as possible. Stand on the balls of your feet and make sideways movements to keep players with the ball. Lock your eyes on the ball.
Point your hips toward the side of the line and your back toward the hoop you're defending. You want to make it as difficult as possible for the person you're keeping between you and the ring, so it's more effective to "push" them by aligning your hips properly. With some practice, this will become second nature
Step 3. Practice your side-to-side movements
The hardest thing about playing defense is staying crouched on the defense and trying to stick to the offensive players like glue. It's hard to move from side to side quickly, so the more experienced you become at doing the side-to-side shuffle, the better defender you will become. Practice walking sideways, taking big sideways steps in one direction, crossing your legs just behind your leading leg, and pushing again. Then, go back the other way. Practice this until your feet hurt.
Most coaches will coach the players by dribbling from side to side, and the opponent switching their positions depending on how the stride offense is. You can train on your own, sliding around the driveway in the house laterally
Step 4. Take care of your feet as long as possible
Initially basketball players often made a common mistake: jumping in the air too much. A strong temptation comes when you try to block your opponent's shot by jumping in the air with your arms outstretched whenever they look like they're about to shoot, but train yourself to keep your feet on the ground as long as possible. It's so easy to fake-shot, go up for a shot and pull it back down as soon as you release it into the air, leaving you vulnerable and useless as a defender.
Instead, train yourself to stand very straight when you see your opponent pulling down to shoot, and throw your arms straight 90 degrees in the air. It will be as disruptive as jumping, and you will still be locked into playing defense if necessary
Step 5. Pick up rebounds
Another important part of playing defensively is training yourself to grab the bounces when they come. If your opponent has missed a shot, don't let them have a second chance. Stay under the basket and pick up the ball as it bounces freely. If it's up for grabs, be the one to grab it.
Step 6. Avoid violations
When charging to a defender is going to give you a foul, most of the offense going on is called on the defence. In your quest to be a disruptive presence on the field, you must also remember where the line is and avoid crossing it, or you will get a called foul.
- Hitting, pushing or slapping an opposing player's arm at any time will be a violation. Focus your eyes on the ball. If you touch the ball it can't be a foul.
- Reaching out and grabbing your opponent will give you a foul. Once you've blocked the ball, you can't cheat by reaching out and grabbing it.
Method 5 of 6: Playing Well
Step 1. Learn the role of each position on the field
If you're on a basketball team, the primary position has rules and roles that govern each specific job. To improve your skills, it's a good idea to study the specifics of each position and learn what places you might fill in the field.
- Center (center player) is the main player who guards the ring. This player is usually the tallest and fittest player on the field, whose job revolves around grabbing the bounce, being near the ring to make rebound shots easy, and guarding the defensive circle. Notable center players are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming.
- The forward is the second biggest player on the field, physically enough to play defense and return, but skilled enough to shoot from the outside. Good forwards make excellent cuts and a strong physical presence in the arc. Notable forwards are Charles Barkley, Bill Russell and Tim Duncan.
- The guard is the architect of the offense. The guards are the players who bring the ball onto the field, regulate play, and shoot from the outside. Guards usually score the most points and are rewarded for speed, accurate passing and marksmanship. The great forwards are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.
Step 2. Practice your fundamentals to improve your skills
If you want to become a better basketball player, practice your fundamentals. Good dribbling, shooting, and defensive skills are great ways to spend time being a good player. Don't practice making past passes, or lowering the hoop so you can practice 360 dunks until you can shoot lay-ups from both hands, 10 by 10, and you can make 20 free throws in a row.
Step 3. Pass often and keep the ball moving
A good basketball team can keep the ball moving at all times, guarding defenses that lose balance and their heels. When your team has the ball, keep passing fast and sharp to move the ball around and find an open path to the ring.
It is a common misconception that basketball should be played by virtuosic ballers who are all dunking non-stop and hogging the ball. Good players pass, selfish players dribble around constantly and lose the ball. Practice your passes
Step 4. Practice grabbing bounces
One of the most undetected basketball skills is bouncing. Due to a lot of missed shots, the ball will end up somewhere unexpected, bouncing in one direction or another, sometimes straight in the air. When the ball goes wild, both teams have a chance to gain control of it, meaning that the ability to get past the opponent and pick it up is invaluable. When you practice shooting, practice walking in circles to grab your own bounce if possible.
If you're playing low, as a forward or center, practice "punching out" other players with your backside, knocking them out with your muscle strength. Keep it low and wide, keep your arms up, and keep your eyes on the ball to give yourself the best chance to reach the board
Step 5. Learn to set “picks” for your coworkers
As you learn to work as a team, you will eventually want to start working in games and formations, most of which involve some kind of "pick and roll". Setting a “pick” means using your body as a barrier, for one of your teammates against a defender. Most of the time going forward will set a "pick" for the guard, although any player can set a "pick" on the offense.
Step 6. Learn to make cuts
When your team has the ball, you need to move. Don't just stand there flat-footed waiting for the pass! Make a cut under the ring, try and shake the defender, and open. Give your team the option of supporting by moving and keeping it flowing. Look for open spaces and look for open shots.
Method 6 of 6: Learning Basketball Variations
Step 1. Play “horse
If you don't want to play full time on basketball, "pigs" or "horses" are a great way to have fun on the court and work on your shots at the same time. Legend has it that Airness herself, Michael Jordan, took horse play just as seriously as she practiced.
Horses can be played with any number of players. The first player takes a shot from anywhere on the field. If a shot is made, the next player must make a shot from the same place. If the shot misses, the player receives the first letter in the word "pig" or "horse" (the only difference is the number of letters. Each shot results in another letter. The game continues until the losing player has spelled out all the words)
Step 2. Play “21” if you get an odd number of players
21 is the perfect game to play when you have a non-even number of players, even if it's perfect for three. At 21, each player plays against every other player, in an attempt to be first for 21 points. Each shot inside the bow is worth one point, and each shot outside is worth two.
- After scoring, players can shoot free throws (each worth one point) until one is missed. If you score once and then shoot straight 20 free throws, you win the game.
- If you miss a shot and another player takes it, bounce and shoot in one swift motion. Your points total returns to zero (if you have less than 15 points) and returns to 15, if you have between 20 and 15. If the 15th free throw misses, the player will return to zero.
Step 3. Play “knockout
“A good game to practice free throws and play with a group of people is knockout. All players must line up on the free throw line. First person shoots a free throw. If the shot misses, the player must bounce and keep shooting the ball until making a shot. As soon as a goal is scored, the player returns to the end of the line. As soon as the first player's ball hits the ring, the second player can shoot. If the second player in the line scores before the first player, the first player is eliminated. Once one of them scores, the next person in line can shoot.
Step 4. Playing “basketball
“Basketball is like drill shots plus baseball scoring and bullshit. Created for the film of the same name by the creators of South Park, basketball is basically two teams that take turns trying to score points from three different "bases", while the other team tries their psychology. Every missed shot is the output.
Tips
- Wear basketball shoes and clothes to play basketball.
- Drink enough water.
- Get plenty of rest.
- Have sportsmanship. Don't fight with your opponent. A good way to show respect to your opponent is to shake hands after the game.
- Don't give up even if you are not good at first.
- Always eat something healthy before the game
- Don't yell at your coworkers if they make a mistake. This will make him lose faith. Chances are he'll play worse because they're nervous that you're going to yell at them again. How would you feel if you kept getting screams?
- After hitting someone, apologize. If you've also been hit by someone, accept the apology. Nothing good comes from feeling bad.
Warning
- Play at your own risk. Basketball players face many injuries, including but not limited to: sprained and twisted ankles, broken arms and wrists, and even concussions.
- If you feel very tired, stop playing and rest. When you feel better, play. Basketball can be very tight and tough.
- Always be alert and concentrated. Don't mess around because you might get hurt. You don't want the ball to hit the back of your head do you?
