Basketball Rules & Standards

Whether you're watching professional or college basketball or coaching high school or middle school basketball, there are some rules that stay the same no matter the league or the skill of players. These basketball standards help keep the game the same regardless of age, gender or skill level.

Game Play Rules

In basketball leagues, the basic premise of the game remains the same. Two teams of five players each try to throw a ball through their opponent's basket in an attempt to score points. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins. Players can score one, two or three points at a time. Free throws---which are awarded as a result of fouls---are worth one, field goals inside the three-point line are worth two points and any shot made from outside the three-point line is worth three points. Teams may not have more than five players on the court at the same time while the ball is live and the clock is running.

Violations

Certain violations apply to all basketball leagues and levels. An illegal dribble, for example, involves a player dribbling the ball---repeatedly pushing the ball to the floor while walking, running or standing. If the player dribbles, then stops dribbling and holds the ball, followed by dribbling again, it is a violation, and the ball is awarded to the opposing team. The 3-second violation is also a standard violation across all leagues. Players may not stand in the free throw lane for more than 3 seconds, while their team is on offense and in the front court. Allowance is made by the officials for a player with the ball attempting to take a shot at the basket or for a player attempting to get out of the lane. Intentionally striking the ball with any part of the foot or leg is also a standard violation.

Fouls

Certain acts of physical contact are considered illegal across all levels of basketball. These include using the body to impede the progress of an offensive player---known as blocking---as well as using the hands to hold the body or arms of another player. Other personal fouls include using the arms to push another player so hard that he is dislodged from his position and using the hands and arms to hit another player on the arms in an attempt to block or dislodge the ball, called illegal use of the hands. Personal fouls which occur on an offensive player who is in the act of shooting the ball result in two free throws for the offensive player. If the offensive player was fouled in the act of shooting and the shot went in, he receives one free throw as well as the counted basket.