- Basketball in one paragraph
- Court, basket and backboard measurements
- Teams, substitutes and the five-player rule
- Two, three or one: how points are scored
- Game length, overtime and the 24-second clock
- Dribbling, travelling and goaltending
- Fouls, team fouls and free throws
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
Under the NBA rule book, basketball is played by two teams of five who score by putting the ball down through the basket: two points from inside the three-point line, three from outside it, and one for a free throw. A game is four periods of twelve minutes, the team with the ball has 24 seconds to get a shot to the ring, and the higher score wins.
These are NBA rules, taken from the rule book on official.nba.com, as of November 2026. FIBA and college basketball run on different rules, so if you play in a school, club or international setting some details will differ. I've kept this to the rules a beginner meets in every game: scoring, the clocks, violations and fouls.
Basketball in one paragraph
Two teams of five share one ball and one court. The team with the ball tries to score at the opponent's basket while the other team defends. There are no turns: play runs continuously, stopping only for dead balls, and after a missed shot either team can grab the rebound. Most of the rules exist to stop one side holding the ball too long or moving with it unfairly.
Court, basket and backboard measurements
The rule book sets the key fixtures as follows:
| What | NBA rule book figure |
|---|---|
| Basket ring height | 10 feet above the floor |
| Ring size | 18 inches across inside, with a white cord net 18 inches long |
| Backboard | 6 feet wide and 3 and a half feet high |
| Free throw line | 15 feet from the face of the backboard |
| Three-point arc | 23 feet 9 inches from the middle of the basket |
| Three-point side lines | 3 feet from the sidelines |
The visiting team chooses which basket it attacks in the first half, and the teams swap for the second. The game starts with a jump ball in the centre circle.
Teams, substitutes and the five-player rule
Each team has five players on court, and no team may be reduced to less than five. Substitutes report to the scorer, wait near the substitution box, and only come on when an official beckons them. A team may name a captain and a co-captain, two at most. The bench holds the head coach, up to three assistant coaches, the players and a trainer.
Two, three or one: how points are scored
| Shot | Points | The condition |
|---|---|---|
| Field goal on or inside the three-point line | 2 | Any made shot that isn't from beyond the arc |
| Field goal from outside the three-point line | 3 | At least one foot on the floor outside the line before the shot, and not touching the line or the floor inside it |
| Free throw | 1 | Taken from directly behind the free throw line |
| Missed free throw tapped in | 2 | An unsuccessful free throw that's then tapped into the basket |
The ball has to enter the basket from above and stay in or pass through the net. And here's a common argument settled: stepping on the three-point line makes it a two. The shooter must be behind the line when shooting, but may land on or inside it afterwards without losing the third point.
Game length, overtime and the 24-second clock
Every period of regulation play is twelve minutes, and there are four of them. Fifteen minutes are allowed between halves. If the score is tied at the end of the fourth period, play resumes after 2:30 with overtime periods of five minutes, without changing baskets, until somebody wins.
The shot clock starts at 24 seconds. Here's the rule most people miss: the shot only beats the clock if the ball leaves the shooter's hand before it expires and then touches the basket ring. A shot that misses everything is a shot clock violation, even though a shot was taken.
Resets have a catch too. On a change of possession the clock goes back to 24 seconds. But when the offence gets the ball back first after a missed shot that touched the ring, it resets to 14 seconds, not 24.
Three more clocks run inside the game:
- The offence can't keep the ball in its backcourt for more than 8 consecutive seconds. The penalty is losing the ball at the midcourt line.
- An offensive player can't stay in the free throw lane near the basket for more than three seconds while his team controls the ball.
- A player can't dribble with his back or side to the basket below the free throw line extended for more than five seconds in the frontcourt.
- A thrower-in must release the ball within 5 seconds.
- A free throw must be taken within 10 seconds.
Dribbling, travelling and goaltending
To move with the ball, you dribble. A player who gathers the ball may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting, and taking more is travelling. You also can't hop on the same foot twice in a row after ending your dribble.
Picking up the dribble and then starting a second one is a violation too, and the penalty is losing the ball.
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Goaltending is the one that confuses watchers. A player may not touch a ball on its downward flight toward the basket while it has a chance to score, or touch it while it's above the ring inside the imaginary cylinder. Do it at the opponent's basket and the shooting team is awarded two or three points, depending on the shot.
Fouls, team fouls and free throws
A player is disqualified on his sixth personal foul. That's the number that sends a star to the bench.
Fouls on shooters turn into free throws. A player fouled while shooting gets two or three free throws if the shot misses, depending on where it was taken, and one free throw if the shot goes in. Each free throw is a one-point attempt from directly behind the free throw line.
Teams also have a running count. Each team gets four team fouls per regulation period without extra penalty. After that, common fouls give one free throw plus a penalty free throw. In overtime the limit drops to three.
My verdict
I'd start with the scoring table, the 24-second clock and the two-step rule, because those three explain most of what you'll see in the first ten minutes of any game. Then learn the sixth-foul limit and the team foul count, which is why the end of a close game slows to a crawl.
I'd skip the finer foul types and anything about FIBA or college differences until you're playing in a league that uses them. For a team game with a similar pace but less contact, my netball rules are worth a look, and volleyball is the easy option if your group wants a ball game with no dribbling at all.
Frequently asked questions
How many players are on a basketball team on the court?
Five. Under the NBA rules, no team may be reduced to less than five players.
How long is a basketball game?
Four periods of twelve minutes in the NBA, with fifteen minutes between halves. If tied, overtime periods of five minutes are played.
How many points is a basket worth?
Two points from on or inside the three-point line, three points from outside it, and one point for a free throw.
What is the 24-second rule in basketball?
The team with the ball must attempt a field goal, with the ball leaving the shooter's hand and touching the ring, before the shot clock, which starts at 24 seconds, expires.
How many fouls before a player is out?
A player is disqualified on his sixth personal foul in the NBA.
