Basketball vocabulary

Word	Example sentence	Meaning
assist	James won the MVP award with 28 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.	a pass to a teammate that leads directly to a goal
backboard	My shot came off the backboard and down through the hoop for a 3-point goal.	a board behind the basket, of which the ball may rebound
basket	In the early days, peach baskets were nailed to the walls and used as goals.	1. a container used to hold or carry things 2. a net fixed on a hoop used as the goal
block	He stepped in front of our player to block his run, and the referee ruled it a foul.	to stop the movement of an opponent, or stop an opponent's pass or shot
bounce	Players must bounce the ball on the floor as they run.	to rebound after hitting a surface
bounce pass	The crowd cheered when Mario threw a perfect no-look bounce pass.	a pass that bounces off the floor before it reaches the receiver
chest pass	Michael threw a quick chest pass, ran forward, and received a bounce pass back.	a two-handed pass thrown from chest height
double-dribbling	Young players still learning the game often get fouled for double-dribbling.	violation of dribbling the ball with two hands, or stopping and restarting the dribble
draft	Every team studies the players in the draft and decides which ones they'll try to recruit.	the annual process by which NBA teams select local or foreign players for their teams
dribble	He dribbled past two defenders and then shot for goal.	To bounce the ball repeatedly with one hand while running or walking
drive	Yao Ming is very difficult to stop when he drives to the basket.	A fast, strong dribble directly to the basket in an effort to score
exceed	A team that exceeds the time-limit on the shot clock loses possession of the ball.	to go beyond what is allowed
foul	Larry's already had four fouls, so if he commits another one he'll be out of the game.	a violation resulting from illegal contact with an opposing player
free throw	Rodney practises his free throws for an hour every day.	a free shot taken from the free throw line as the result of a foul
game clock	The coach called a time-out, and the game clock stopped while he talked to his players.	a scoreboard clock that shows the time remaining in each period of a game
guarding	Guarding is a man-on-man defensive tactic used to counter dangerous players.	following an opponent to stop him from driving, shooting or passing easily
hoop	The ball has to go through the hoop from above to score a goal.	the round metal rim from which a basketball net is suspended
jump shot	A jump shot is much harder to block than a set shot.	a shot taken while a player is jumping through the air
lay up	The best players spend a lot of time working on skills to improve their lay ups.	a shot taken close to the basket that is usually banked off the backboard and into the basket
MVP	Michael was awarded MVP many times during his career.	'most valuable player' award, given to the best player in a game
no-look pass	Crowds love the no-look pass, but coaches warn players not to use it just to show off.	a pass thrown without looking towards the receiver
overhead pass	An overhead pass can get the ball to a teammate who's behind some opponents.	a pass thrown from over the head, to clear a defender or for added power
overtime	We won the game by outscoring our opponents in overtime.	a five-minute extra period that is played when the game is tied after four quarters
personal foul	Younger players often get over-excited and too aggressive and commit many personal fouls.	a foul that involves illegal physical contact such as blocking, charging, elbowing or holding
possession	The team whose player commits a violation loses possession of the ball.	to be holding, or be in control of, the ball
rebound	A lot of goals are scored from rebounds after an opponent's shot misses.	get control of a ball that has come off the rim or backboard after a failed shot attempt
referees	How many referees are usually on court during a game of basketball?	officials who call violations and fouls, give penalties, signal field goals, and stop and start play
set shot	Practising set shots is important because they are used to score from free throws.	a shot taken with both feet on the floor in a set position
shoot	Players earn more points if they shoot from outside the three-point line.	to throw the ball in an attempt to score a goal
shot clock	Players have to keep an eye on the shot clock while they are playing.	a clock that shows the amount of time a team has left to take a shot
slam dunk	Matt drove towards the basket, jumped high into the air and scored with a huge slam dunk.	a high jump shot in which the ball is thrust down through the hoop
substitute	The substitutes sat on the bench and watched as their teammates on the court kept playing.	a player who comes into the game to replace a player on the court
technical foul	Their coach got a technical foul for arguing with a referee.	a foul called against a player or coach for unsportsmanlike conduct such as arguing with a referee
three-point line	In the NBA, the three-point line is 23 feet 9 inches from the basket.	a semi-circle painted on the court, from outside of which a successful shot earns three points
time-out	Their coach indicated that he wanted a time-out, and the referee stopped the game.	clock stoppage requested by a coach for a short meeting with the players
travelling	Even professional players sometimes get penalized for travelling.	the violation of moving with the ball without dribbling correctly
turnover	Good players protect the ball to stop opposition players from making a turnover.	a player loses the ball to a member of the other team without taking a shot
violation	Two of the most common violations in junior basketball are double-dribbling and travelling.	an infraction of the rules