Basketball is one of America's most popular sports and has a detailed set of rules. The rules of the game stay consistent from the youth levels up through the professional ranks, with minor differences. Fans can pick up the rules easily through observation, and the reasoning for the rules can be found in the rule books.
Teams
Each team consists of five players on the court and each player must wear a uniform that conforms to the specific league's mandates. Players have numbers on their jerseys and each team has a designated basket to shoot at to score points. There is a specific number of fouls each team can commit before being penalized, and that penalty is given in terms of allowing the opposition free-throw attempts.
Fouls
According to the National Basketball Association rule book, "A player shall not hold, push, charge into, impede the progress of an opponent by extending a hand, forearm, leg or knee or by bending the body into a position that is not normal. Contact that results in the re-routing of an opponent is a foul which must be called immediately."
Fouls can be called on offensive players and defensive players.
"If a defender is able to establish a legal position in the straight line path of the dribbler, the dribbler must avoid contact by changing direction or ending his dribble." Players are allotted a specific number of personal fouls, depending on the level of play, and when they exceed that number they have fouled-out and must sit out the rest of the game.
Technical fouls exist for situations when players delay the game, disrespectfully address officials, fight, commit illegal substitutions, call more than the allotted number of timeouts, hang on baskets or engage in conduct that officials deem is worthy of a technical foul. The opposition gets free throws for each technical foul and players are allowed two before being ejected.
Traveling
Players in possession of the ball must dribble it when moving their feet, otherwise a travel will be called and possession will be given to the opposition. The NBA rule book states that "A player shall not run with the ball without dribbling it."
Double dribble
Once a player has stopped his/her dribble, that player may not begin to dribble again. If so, it is a violation and the ball is given to the opposition. The NBA rule book lists three exceptions to that policy: "A field goal attempt at his basket, provided the ball touches the backboard or basket ring, or, an opponent touching the ball, or, a pass or fumble which has then touched another player.
Scoring
Players score points by putting the ball into the opposition's basket, called a field goal. Teams get two points for a field goal that is scored during play and within the 3-point line. Teams get three points for a field goal that is shot from beyond the 3-point line. And teams get one point for every converted free throw.
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