Basketball Rules for Beginners: The Basic Rules of the Game

Basketball rules can look like a thick book, but the game runs on a short list of ideas. Two teams of five try to put the ball through their own basket and keep the other team from scoring. A player with the ball has to dribble to move, a few time limits keep the game going, and illegal contact is a foul that can send a player to the free-throw line. This guide walks through those basics in plain words for a new coach, a new player or a parent in the stands. Each section says which level a rule comes from and links to the full page on that rule, and the rule numbers for every level are on basketball rules by level.

Basketball Rules for Beginners: The 10 Basics

No rulebook prints a "top ten." These are the ten ideas a beginner needs first, in the order they show up in a game. Each one is explained further down the page.

1. Five players a side. Each team has five players on the court.
2. One, two or three points. A free throw is worth one, a basket from inside the three-point line two, and a basket from behind it three.
3. A jump ball starts the game. The referee tosses the ball up at the center circle between one player from each team.
4. Dribble to move. A player holding the ball may pivot on one foot but may not walk or run with it. That is traveling.
5. No second dribble. Once a player ends his dribble, he may not start a new one until a shot, a pass or an opponent's touch. Dribbling again is a double dribble.
6. Get it over half court and keep it there. The offense has a set number of seconds to bring the ball into its frontcourt and may not then send it back.
7. Do not camp in the lane. An offensive player may not stay in the lane for more than three seconds in a row.
8. Last to touch it loses it. When the ball goes out of bounds, the other team throws it in.
9. Illegal contact is a foul. A foul gives the ball or free throws to the other team, and too many team fouls put the opponent in the bonus.
10. Too many fouls and you sit. A player fouls out on his fifth foul at most levels and his sixth in the NBA.

Players, Scoring and the Court

The NCAA men's and women's books, the NBA and FIBA all put five players from each team on the court. The NCAA men's book states the object of the game plainly. Score in your own basket and stop the other team from scoring in theirs. The same section adds that the ball can be thrown, batted, rolled or dribbled in any direction, inside the limits the rest of the rules set.

Points are the same at every level. A free throw counts one, a field goal two, and a field goal from beyond the three-point line three in the NCAA, NBA and FIBA books. What changes is where the line sits. The NCAA line is 22 feet 1 3/4 inches from the center of the basket, the NBA arc is 23 feet 9 inches, and the FIBA arc is 6.75 m. For a high school court, check your state association rulebook. The lines and spots are drawn on basketball court dimensions, and the names coaches use for each spot are on basketball terms.

Two or three points. 2 shoots from behind the three-point line, so a make counts three. 4 shoots from inside it, so a make counts two. The line's distance changes by level, and this diagram uses a high school court.

A game is not the same length everywhere either. High school games are four 8-minute quarters, NCAA men play two 20-minute halves, NCAA women and FIBA play four 10-minute quarters, and the NBA plays four 12-minute periods. A tie goes to overtime, 4 minutes in high school and 5 minutes at the other levels. The break in the middle is covered on how long basketball halftime is, and extra periods on basketball overtime rules.

Starting the Game and Keeping It Going

A jump ball at the center circle starts the game in NCAA play, in the NBA and in FIBA. After that the levels split. NCAA and FIBA games use an alternating-possession arrow. The team that did not win the opening tip gets the next held ball, and possession alternates after that. The NBA has no arrow, so a held ball is another jump ball. Jump ball rules and the lineups around the circle are on basketball jump ball rules.

After a made basket the other team takes the ball out from the end line under the basket that was just scored on. In the NCAA men's and women's books, the NBA and FIBA, that inbounder may move along the end line before he passes, and in the NBA and FIBA he may also pass to a teammate who is out of bounds behind the same line. For high school, check your state association rulebook.

After a made basket. The team that was scored on throws in from the end line. In NCAA, NBA and FIBA rules the inbounder may move along the end line before passing, so 5 runs the line and passes to 1.

Moving With the Ball

Three rules cover the ball in a player's hands.

Traveling

A player holding the ball keeps one foot planted, the pivot foot, and may step in any direction with the other. In the NCAA men's book he may lift the pivot foot to pass or shoot but may not put it back down before the ball is gone, and to start a dribble the ball must leave his hand before that foot comes up. The NBA lets a player who gathers the ball on the move take two steps to stop, pass or shoot, and FIBA also allows two steps after gaining control while moving. Steps, the gather and the jump stop are explained on traveling in basketball.

Double dribble

Once a dribble ends, a second one is a violation. The NCAA books allow a new dribble only when the player lost control on a shot, an opponent batted the ball, or another player touched a pass or fumble. FIBA's exceptions are close to the same. The NBA allows a new dribble after a shot only when the ball touched the backboard or rim. Examples are on double dribble in basketball.

Carrying

The NBA and FIBA both say a dribbler may not put a hand under the ball and carry it, or bring it to a pause and then dribble again. The call is explained on what is a carry in basketball.

Time and Space Rules

A few counts keep the offense from stalling. Each one has its own page on the site.

Over and back, and the half-court count

Once a team has the ball in its frontcourt, it may not be the first to touch it in the backcourt after sending it there. That is the rule in the NCAA men's and women's books, the NBA and FIBA. The time limit to get there is 10 seconds in high school, per the NCAA differences chart, and in the NCAA, and 8 seconds in the NBA and FIBA. See backcourt violation in basketball and the 10 second rule.

Over and back. 1 has the ball in the frontcourt and passes back across the division line to 2. In the NCAA, NBA and FIBA books it is a violation when 2 is the first to touch it there.

Three seconds in the lane

While his team has the ball in its frontcourt, an offensive player may not stay in the lane for more than three seconds in a row. That is the rule in the NCAA men's book, the NBA and FIBA. The NCAA differences chart says high school and NCAA women's players need both feet outside the lane to be out, and FIBA says the same. NCAA men count one foot out and one in the air as out. The NBA also has a defensive three-second rule. More on the 3 seconds rule.

Three seconds. 5 may not stay in the lane more than three seconds in a row while his team has the ball in its frontcourt, so he steps out. High school, NCAA women and FIBA need both feet outside the lane to count as out.

Five seconds

Five seconds shows up in three places. A closely guarded player has five seconds in NCAA play when holding the ball in the frontcourt with a defender within 6 feet, and in FIBA when holding the ball with a defender within 1 m. The NCAA differences chart shows high school also counts a closely guarded dribbler. A thrower-in has five seconds to release the ball in the NCAA, the NBA and FIBA. And the NBA limits backing down below the free-throw line extended to five seconds. See the 5 seconds rule.

The shot clock

The NCAA uses a 30-second shot clock and the NBA and FIBA use 24 seconds. In high school, the NCAA differences chart lists a 35-second clock only where the state adopts one. Lengths and resets are on basketball shot clock rules and high school shot clock rules.

Out of Bounds and Throw-Ins

The ball is out when it touches a player who is out, or the floor or anything on or outside the boundary line, in the FIBA wording. The line itself is out. The team that touched the ball last before it went out loses it, and the other team throws it in from the nearest spot in the NBA, FIBA and NCAA men's books. A pass that goes over the backboard is also out in the NCAA.

The thrower-in has his own limits. In the NCAA men's book he may not step onto the court before the pass, may not carry or hand the ball in, and may not touch it again on the court before someone else does. FIBA lists the first and third. Out-of-bounds situations are collected on basketball out of bounds rules, and every violation by level is on the basketball violations list.

Two more rules beginners ask about. Kicking the ball on purpose is a violation, and accidental contact with the leg is not, in the NCAA men's book, the NBA and FIBA. And a player may not touch a shot on its way down while it is above the rim. That is goaltending, and the basket counts in the NCAA men's book, the NBA and FIBA. FIBA also covers a ball that has touched the backboard. See basketball goaltending rules.

Basketball Rules and Fouls

A violation and a foul are different things. In the NCAA men's book a violation gives the ball (or the points, on goaltending) to the other team, while a foul is charged to the player and can bring free throws as well as the ball. A personal foul is illegal contact with an opponent. The NCAA men's book counts it while the ball is live, and FIBA counts it whether the ball is live or dead.

Shooting fouls

A shooter who is fouled and misses gets as many free throws as the shot was worth: two on a missed two, three on a missed three. If the shot goes in, the basket counts and he gets one more free throw. That is the rule in the NCAA men's book, the NBA and FIBA.

Team fouls and the bonus

Fouls that do not come on a shot are counted for the team. Once a team passes a set number, the other team shoots free throws instead of taking the ball out. High school and NCAA women give two free throws from the fifth team foul in a quarter. NCAA men give a one-and-one from the seventh team foul in a half and two shots from the tenth. The NBA penalty starts after four team fouls in a period and FIBA's after four in a quarter.

Fouling out, technicals and flagrants

A player is out of the game on his fifth foul in high school, the NCAA and FIBA, and on his sixth personal foul in the NBA. What counts toward that total differs, so check the level's rule on the basketball fouls list. A technical foul covers conduct and some administrative breaches, such as a timeout beyond the number allowed in the NCAA men's book. A flagrant foul is contact the NCAA men's book describes as flagrant, excessive or severe. Both are covered level by level on technical foul in basketball and flagrant foul in basketball. The charge and the block are on what is a charge in basketball.

Free throws

The shooter has 10 seconds to shoot in the NCAA and the NBA and 5 seconds in FIBA, and the shot must go in or touch the ring. Lane spaces and when players may step in are on basketball free throw rules.

Which Rulebook Your Game Uses

High school basketball in the United States follows the NFHS book as each state association adopts it, college men and college women each have an NCAA book, and the NBA and FIBA have their own. A middle school or youth coach should ask the league or state association which book it plays and what it changes, and every rules page on the site is listed on the rules and terms hub.

Basketball Rules Quiz

Ten quick questions for a team meeting or a new parent. The answers follow each question.

1. A shooter is fouled on a three-point try and misses. How many free throws? Three, at the NCAA, NBA and FIBA levels.
2. A player dribbles, picks the ball up, then dribbles again. What is the call? Double dribble, unless one of the exceptions above applies.
3. The ball is in the frontcourt and a pass goes back across half court to a teammate. Legal? No, if that teammate is first to touch it in the backcourt.
4. How long may an offensive player stand in the lane? No more than three seconds in a row while his team has the ball in its frontcourt.
5. How many fouls before an NBA player fouls out? Six personal fouls.
6. Is the out-of-bounds line in or out? Out.
7. A defender blocks a shot on its way down above the rim. What happens? Goaltending, and the basket counts.
8. How long is the NCAA shot clock? 30 seconds.
9. How long does an NBA team have to get the ball over half court? 8 seconds.
10. After a made basket, may the inbounder run along the end line? Yes, in the NCAA, NBA and FIBA books.

More Guides From This Batch

• How Long Is Basketball Halftime? Halftime Length by Level
• Simple Basketball Offense for Youth and Beginner Teams

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