How To Play Basketball

HowToPlayBasketballIntroductionofaBasketballTeam(1)Pointguard(PG):alsocalledtheplaymakeror‘theball-handler’,isoneofthestandardpositioninaregulationbasketballteam.Apointguardhasperhapsthemostspecializedroleofanypositionespeciallyheisexpectedtoruntheteam’soffencebycontrollingtheballandmakingsurethatitgetstotherightplayersattherighttime.Aboveall,thepointguardmusttotallyunderstandhisorhercoach’sgameplan;inthisway,thepositioncanbecomparedtoaquarterbackinAmericanfootball.(2)Shootingguard(SG):alsoknownasthetwooroffguard,isoneoffivetraditionalpositionsonabasketballteam.Playersofthepositionareoftenshorter,leaner,andquickerthanforwards.Ashootingguard'smainobjectiveistoscorepointsforhisteam.[1]Someteamsasktheirshootingguardstobringuptheballaswell;theseplayersareknowncolloquiallyascomboguards.KobeBryant,forexample,isashootingguardwhoisasgoodaplaymakerasheisascorer;otherexamplesofcomboguardsareJamalCrawfordoftheAtlantaHawks,AllenIverson,andJasonTerry.(3)Smallforward:orcolloquiallyknownasthree,isoneofthefivepositionsinaregulationbasketballgame.Smallforwardsaretypicallysomewhatshorter,quicker,andleanerthanpowerforwardsandcenters,butonoccasionarejustastall.Thesmallforwardpositionisconsideredtobeperhapsthemostversatileofthefivemainbasketballpositions,duetothenatureofitsrole.[1]CurrentNBAsmallforwardsarebetween6'6"and6'10"(1.98–2.09m)inheight.Thetypicalplacementforasmallforwardwouldbebetweenthekeyandthree-pointline.Mostsmallforwardsarehighlyversatileandhighlyessentialinaline-up.Smallforwardsareprimarilyresponsibleforscoringpointsandalsooftenassecondaryortertiaryreboundersbehindthepowerforwardsandcenters,althoughafew,suchasHedoTurkoglu,whoplayaspointforwardshaveconsiderablepassingresponsibilities.(4)Powerforward:isapositioninthesportofbasketball.Thepositionisreferredtoinplaybooktermsasthefourpositionandiscommonlyabbreviated"PF".Ithasalsobeenreferredtoasthe"post"position.Powerforwardsplayarolesimilartothatofcenterinwhatiscalledthe"post"or"lowblocks".Theytypicallyplayoffensivelywiththeirbackstothebasketandpositionthemselvesdefensivelyunderthebasketinazonedefenseoragainsttheopposingpowerforwardinman-to-mandefense.Thepowerforwardpositionentailsavarietyofresponsibilities.Manypowerforwardsarenotedfortheirmid-rangejump-shot,andseveralplayershavebecomeveryaccuratefrom12to18feet(3.7to5.5m).TheseskillsaremoretypicallyexhibitedintheEuropeanstyleofplay.(5)Center:colloquiallyknownasthefiveorthepost,isoneofthestandardpositionsinaregulationbasketballgame.Thecenterisnormallythetallestplayerontheteam,andoftenhasagreatdealofstrengthandbodymassaswell.AtypicalNBAcenterisbetween6'10"(2.08m)and7'3"(2.21m).Inmanycases,thecenter'sprimaryroleistousehisorhersizetoscoreanddefendfromapositionclosetothebasket.Acenterwhopossessessizealongwithathleticismandskillconstitutesanunparalleledassetforateam.Thecentersarealsogenerallytheplayerswhoarechosentotakejumpballs.pointguard:usuallythefastestplayerontheteam,organizestheteam'soffensebycontrollingtheballandmakingsurethatitgetstotherightplayerattherighttimeshootingguard:createsahighvolumeofshotsonoffense;guardstheopponent'sbestperimeterplayerondefensesmallforward:oftenprimarilyresponsibleforscoringpointsviacutstothebasketanddribblepenetration;ondefenseseeksreboundsandsteals,butsometimesplaysmoreactivelypowerforward:playsoffensivelyoftenwiththeirbacktothebasket;ondefense,playsunderthebasket(inazonedefense)oragainsttheopposingpowerforward(inman-to-mandefense)center:usesheightandsizetoscore(onoffense),toprotectthebasketclosely(ondefense),ortorebound.HowtoPlayBasketballShootingShootingistheactofattemptingtoscorepointsbythrowingtheballthroughthebasket.Methodscanvarywithplayersandsituations.Typicallyaplayerfacesthebasketwithbothfeetfacingthebasket.Aplayerwillthenallowtheballtorestonthefingertipsofthedominanthand(theshootingarm)slightlyabovethehead,withtheotherhandsupportingthesideoftheball.Theballistypicallyshotbyjumping(thoughnotalways)andstraighteningtheshootingarm.Theshootingarm,fullyextendedwiththewristfullybentisheldstationaryforamomentfollowingthereleaseoftheball,knownasafollow-through.Playersoftentrytoputasteadybackspinontheballtodeadenitsimpactwiththerim.Theidealtrajectoryoftheshotissomewhatarguable,butgenerallycoachesrecommendaproperarch.Playersmayshootdirectlyintothebasketormayusethebackboardtoredirecttheballintothebasket.Thetwomostcommonshotsthatusetheabovedescribedsetuparethesetshotandthejumpshot.Thesetshotistakenfromastandingposition,withneitherfootleavingthefloor,typicallyusedforfreethrows.Thejumpshotistakenwhileinmid-air,whentheballisreleasednearthetopofthejump.Thisprovidesmuchgreaterpowerandrange,anditalsoallowstheplayertoelevateoverthedefender.Failuretoreleasetheballbeforethefeetreturntothegroundisconsideredatravelingviolation.Anothercommonshotiscalledthelayup.Thisshotrequirestheplayertobeinmotiontowardthebasket,andto"lay"theball"up"andintothebasket,typicallyoffthebackboard(thebackboard-free,underhandversioniscalledafingerroll).Themostcrowd-pleasingandtypicallyhighest-percentageaccuracyshotistheslamdunk,inwhichtheplayerjumpsveryhighandthrowstheballdownward,straightthroughthehoop.Anothershotthatisbecomingcommonisthe"circusshot."Thecircusshotisalow-percentageshotthatisflipped,heaved,scooped,orflungtowardthehoopwhiletheshooterisoff-balance,airborne,fallingdown,and/orfacingawayfromthebasket.Ashotthatmissesboththerimandthebackboardcompletelyisreferredtoasanairball.Aparticularlybadshot,oronethatonlyhitsthebackboard,isjocularlycalledabrick.ReboundingTheobjectiveofreboundingistosuccessfullygainpossessionofthebasketballafteramissedfieldgoalorfreethrow,asitreboundsfromthehooporbackboard.Thisplaysamajorroleinthegame,asmostpossessionsendwhenateammissesashot.Therearetwocategoriesofrebounds:offensiverebounds,inwhichtheballisrecoveredbytheoffensivesideanddoesnotchangepossession,anddefensiverebounds,inwhichthedefendingteamgainspossessionofthelooseball.Themajorityofreboundsaredefensive,astheteamondefensetendstobeinbetterpositiontorecovermissedshots.PassingApassisamethodofmovingtheballbetweenplayers.Mostpassesareaccompaniedbyastepforwardtoincreasepowerandarefollowedthroughwiththehandstoensureaccuracy.Astaplepassisthechestpass.Theballispasseddirectlyfromthepasser'schesttothereceiver'schest.Aproperchestpassinvolvesanoutwardsnapofthethumbstoaddvelocity(速度)andleavesthedefenselittletimetoreact.Anothertypeofpassisthebouncepass.Here,thepasserbouncestheballcrisplyabouttwo-thirdsofthewayfromhisownchesttothereceiver.Theballstrikesthecourtandbouncesuptowardthereceiver.Thebouncepasstakeslongertocompletethanthechestpass,butitisalsoharderfortheopposingteamtointercept(kickingtheballdeliberatelyisaviolation).Thus,playersoftenusethebouncepassincrowdedmoments,ortopassaroundadefender.Theoverheadpassisusedtopasstheballoveradefender.Theballisreleasedwhileoverthepasser'shead.Theoutletpassoccursafterateamgetsadefensiverebound.Thenextpassafterthereboundistheoutletpass.Thecrucialaspectofanygoodpassisitbeingdifficulttointercept.Goodpasserscanpasstheballwithgreataccuracyandtheyknowexactlywhereeachoftheirotherteammatespreferstoreceivetheball.Aspecialwayofdoingthisispassingtheballwithoutlookingatthereceivingteammate.Thisiscalledano-lookpass.Anotheradvancedstyleofpassingisthebehind-the-backpasswhich,asthedescriptionimplies,involvesthrowingtheballbehindthepasser'sbacktoateammate.Althoughsomeplayerscanperformsuchapasseffectively,manycoachesdiscourageno-lookorbehind-the-backpasses,believingthemtobedifficulttocontrolandmorelikelytoresultinturnoversorviolations.DribblingDribblingistheactofbouncingtheballcontinuouslywithonehand,andisarequirementforaplayertotakestepswiththeball.Todribble,aplayerpushestheballdowntowardsthegroundwiththefingertipsratherthanpattingit;thisensuresgreatercontrol.Whendribblingpastanopponent,thedribblershoulddribblewiththehandfarthestfromtheopponent,makingitmoredifficultforthedefensiveplayertogettotheball.Itisthereforeimportantforaplayertobeabletodribblecompetentlywithbothhands.Gooddribblers(or"ballhandlers")tendtobouncetheballlowtotheground,reducingthedistanceoftraveloftheballfromthefloortothehand,makingitmoredifficultforthedefenderto"steal"theball.Goodballhandlersfrequentlydribblebehindtheirbacks,betweentheirlegs,andswitchdirectionssuddenly,makingalesspredictabledribblingpatternthatismoredifficulttodefendagainst.Thisiscalledacrossover,whichisthemosteffectivewaytomovepastdefenderswhiledribbling.Askilledplayercandribblewithoutwatchingtheball,usingthedribblingmotionorperipheralvisiontokeeptrackoftheball'slocation.Bynothavingtofocusontheball,aplayercanlookforteammatesorscoringopportunities,aswellasavoidthedangerofhavingsomeonestealtheballawayfromhim/her.BlockingAblockisperformedwhen,afterashotisattempted,adefendersucceedsinalteringtheshotbytouchingtheball.Inalmostallvariantsofplay,itisillegaltotouchtheballafteritisinthedownwardpathofitsarc;thisisknownasgoaltending.ItisalsoillegalunderNBAandMen'sNCAAbasketballtoblockashotafterithastouchedthebackboard,orwhenanypartoftheballisdirectlyabovetherim.Underinternationalrulesitisillegaltoblockashotthatisinthedownwardpathofitsarcoronethathastouchedthebackboarduntiltheballhashittherim.Afterhittingtherimtheballitisagainlegaltotouchtheballeventhoughitisnolongerconsideredasablockperformed.Toblockashot,aplayerhastobeabletoreachapointhigherthanwheretheshotisreleased.Thus,heightcanbeanadvantageinblocking.Playerswhoaretallerandplayingthepowerforwardorcenterpositionsgenerallyrecordmoreblocksthanplayerswhoareshorterandplayingtheguardpositions.However,withgoodtimingandasufficientlyhighverticalleap,evenshorterplayerscanbeeffectiveshotblockers.TheDeathofSteveJobsSteveJobs,co-founderandformerchiefexecutiveofUStechnologygiantApple,hasdiedattheageof56.Applesaid hehadbeen"thesourceofcountlessinnovationsthatenrichandimproveallofourlives"andhadmadetheworld"immeasurablybetter".Applesaidthecompanyhad"lostavisionaryandcreativegenius,andtheworldhaslostanamazinghumanbeing".Overamillionpeoplefromallovertheworldhavesharedtheirmemories,thoughts,andfeelingsaboutSteve.Onethingtheyallhaveincommon—frompersonalfriendstocolleaguestoownersofAppleproducts—ishowthey’vebeentouchedbyhispassionandcreativity."StevewasamongthegreatestofAmericaninnovators-braveenoughtothinkdifferently,boldenoughtobelievehecouldchangetheworld,andtalentedenoughtodoit,"saidMr.Obama.SteveJobsismyrolemodel,hisdrivetomakeadifferenceintheworldhasbeenmorethansuccessful.Mr.Jobsisarevelationtomankind.Applewillnotbethesamewithouthim.Hismotivationandhiseffortswillnotbelostwithinmyyoungergeneration.Hewillforeverbeaninspirationtous.Speakingasapostgraduateofcomputerscience,IwasdeeplysaddenedbythepassingofSteveJobs.AlthoughInevermethim,hiscontributiontoPCgreatlyinfluencedandinspiredme.IalsowanttohavemyownMacbook.Theworldhaslostagenius.Stevewasanextraordinaryinnovatorwhochangedhowwethinkabout,develop,use,andexperiencenewtechnologies,music,andideas. weherehavealwayshadtremendousrespectforSteve'screativegeniusandcommitmenttomakingproductsthatwerepowerful,accessible,andelegant.Hisimaginationandvisionchangedtheworld.