Basketball Coaching Rules
- Rules in different basketball leagues can vary.basketball image by sonya etchison from Fotolia.com
Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith while he was looking for an active indoor game to keep his students busy. Over the years, this game changed drastically from a simple game with a peach basket to a sport played throughout the world by millions. To coach a basketball team at any level can be difficult and the rules vary depending on the league and the age of the players. - For rules on certain types of defense and time limitation, it is best to check with your particular league. In some leagues a coach may not call a defensive full-court press on the other team until the last two minutes of each half. In others, only straight man-to-man defense is allowed instead of zone defense.
College basketball consists of two 20-minute halves while the NBA (National Basketball Association) has four 12-minute quarters. The basic rules of basketball, however, tend to stay the same no matter what league you are in. - In basketball there are five players on each team that can be on the court at one time. To score two points, a team must shoot the basketball through their designated hoop. If they shoot from behind the three-point line, the team will receive three points and if they shoot a free-throw they will receive one point.
If a team knocks a ball out of bounds, the opposite team will then have possession of the ball.
Teams prevent the other team from trying to score by blocking shots or stealing the ball. A player must pass the ball or dribble as he moves on the court. - When a player violates one of the rules of basketball, the opponent gains possession of the ball but a foul is not recorded. Some violations include the double dribble (stopping the dribble then starting it again), over and back (going over the half-court line then returning backcourt) and travelling (taking more than two steps with the ball).
Other violations are related to time and they include the five-second violation (being unable to throw a ball inbounds after five seconds), 10 seconds backcourt (not passing the ball over half-court within 10 seconds) and 3 seconds in the lane (a player without the ball staying in the lane under the basket for more than 3 straight seconds). - The play immediately stops when a foul is called. There are many different fouls; most of them are called on the defense. If a player initiates illegal contact with a player from the other team, he is charged with a foul. Other fouls include reaching in, over-the-back, holding, blocking, shooting and tripping, which are all variations on illegal contact.
Depending on how many fouls your team has and the rules of your league, the player who was fouled will shoot at least one free throw (a shot from the free-throw line) or the opposing team gets possession of the ball. In the NBA, a team automatically shoots free throws if a shooting foul has been committed, if a team has more than four fouls in one quarter or if a player is fouled while scoring a basket.
