Basketball

Basketball is a limited-contact sport. It is played with 2 teams on a court, each team has 5 players. The overall goal is to score the most points on the opposing teams net. The net is commonly 10 feet above the ground. Each shot is worth 2 points unless it is shot behind the 3 pointer line - a semi-circle on each half of the court.

There are different positions in basketball. The point guard, who brings the ball up the court, the shooting guard, whose main task is to score the points and steal the ball. There is also the center, who is usually the tallest and strongest player, the power forward, which plays a similar role to that of the center, which is to defend and score. Lastly, there is the small forward, who is more agile than the centers and power forwards but also more strong and powerful than the point guard and shooting guard. Even though there are different positions, basketball is mostly made up of teamwork, and players can switch positions according to the circumstances.

The referee starts by lining up two of the tallest players, face to face in the center of the court. The referee stands in the middle of them and throws up the ball. The goal of the two players is to jump and hook the ball with their hands and throw the ball to one of their teammates. This is called a jump ball. The player with the ball then has to bounce the ball up the court or pass the ball to another teammate. The person with the ball is not allowed to run with the ball in their hands. they must bounce the ball up the court while still maintaining control. This is called dribbling.

While dribbling there are different moves to ensure the opposing team can't steal the ball. There is the crossover, the easiest and most simple move, which is to bounce the ball back and forth, switching from one hand to another. There is the spin move, which is to spin quickly around while still dribbling the ball. There is the between the legs, which is to bounce the ball between your legs. While dribbling the ball, you must not take more than 3 steps with the ball, you must not dribble out of bounds, (which is a black or blue line on the edge of the court) and you must not let the opposing team take the ball. 

There are also many rules of basketball. You may not take more than 3 steps while holding the ball. You may not take a step out of bounds. You may not stop dribbling then resume dribbling, nor can the ball touch both of your hands at the same time. You may not kick the ball, you may not hold the ball for more than 5 seconds and you may not stay in the key (the area closest to the net) for more than 3 seconds, with or without the ball. 

Fouls are also committed during a game. A foul is most commonly committed by the defending team, as the offensive team takes a shot or dribbles the ball. If the offensive team gets fouled while taking a shot, the team is awarded foul shots. Each foul shot is worth 1 point.