Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each,
opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a
basketball (approximately 9.4 inches (24 cm) in diameter) through the defender’s hoop (a basket 18
inches (46 cm) in diameter mounted 10 feet (3.048 m) high to a backboard at each end of the court),
while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop.
A field goal is worth two points, unless made from behind the three-point line, when it is worth
three. After a foul, timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a technical foul
is given one, two or three one-point free throws. The team with the most points at the end of the
game wins, but if regulation play expires with the score tied, an additional period of play
(overtime) is mandated. (資料來源)
Players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling) or by
passing it to a teammate, both of which require considerable skill. On offense, players may use a
variety of shots – the layup, the jump shot, or a dunk; on defense, they may steal the ball from a
dribbler, intercept passes, or block shots; either offense or defense may collect a rebound, that
is, a missed shot that bounces from rim or backboard. It is a violation to lift or drag one’s pivot
foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume
dribbling.
The five players on each side fall into five playing positions. The tallest player is usually the
center, the second-tallest and strongest is the power forward, a slightly shorter but more agile
player is the small forward, and the shortest players or the best ball handlers are the shooting
guard and the point guard, who implements the coach’s game plan by managing the execution of
offensive and defensive plays (player positioning). Informally, players may play three-on-three,
two-on-two, and one-on-one. (資料來源)
