Learn Basketball

Traveling

A basketball violation for moving illegally with the ball without dribbling it.

Double dribble

A basketball violation for dribbling with two hands at once, or for dribbling again after picking up the ball.

Shot clock

A timing rule that requires the attacking basketball team to attempt a shot within a set number of seconds.

Backcourt violation

A basketball rule breach for returning the ball into a team's own defensive half after it has crossed into the attacking half.

Goaltending

A basketball violation for interfering with a shot while the ball is on its downward path to the basket or above the rim.

Personal fouls and free throws

The basketball rules covering illegal contact and the uncontested shots awarded when a player is fouled.

Quick check: Get to know the game

1. Which of these is a core skill in Basketball?
BlockingQuadricepsHamstringsGlutes
2. In sport, what does “Aggregate Score” mean?
A supporting match official who patrols a line or touchline to judge offside, out-of-play, and other calls, advising the main referee.The combined total of scores across two or more matches used to decide a multi-leg tie.Base training is an early-season phase of mostly easy, high-volume aerobic work that builds the endurance foundation for harder training later.In golf, completing a hole in one stroke more than its par.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Read the basic rules and how scoring works
Watch a few minutes of real play
Explain the aim of the game to someone else

Common mistakes

• Trying to play before you understand how a point is won
• Skipping the rules and picking up misconceptions

Practice goals

◎ Explain the object of the game in one sentence
◎ Follow a full point or passage of play without confusion

What you’ll need

The essential equipment, and the kind of place you’ll play. Most sports need far less to get started than people expect.

Milestone: You know what equipment you need to start and the kind of place the sport is played.

Lessons

Equipment

Basketball

A large, inflated ball with a dimpled surface used to play basketball.

Facility

Basketball court

A rectangular hard-surfaced court with a raised hoop and backboard at each end where basketball is played.

Facility

Sports hall

A large indoor hall with multi-sport line markings, used for court sports like basketball, volleyball and badminton.

Facility

Multi-use games area (MUGA)

A fenced outdoor hard-surface area marked for several sports, common in schools, parks and community facilities.

Playing surface

Hard court

A rigid acrylic, concrete or asphalt court that gives a true, consistent, medium-paced bounce — the standard multi-use outdoor surface.

Playing surface

Wood

An indoor sprung timber or parquet floor — grippy, consistent and lightly cushioned; the classic surface for indoor court sports.

Quick check: What you’ll need

1. In sport, what does “Aggregate Score” mean?
A supporting match official who patrols a line or touchline to judge offside, out-of-play, and other calls, advising the main referee.The combined total of scores across two or more matches used to decide a multi-leg tie.Base training is an early-season phase of mostly easy, high-volume aerobic work that builds the endurance foundation for harder training later.In golf, completing a hole in one stroke more than its par.
2. In sport, what does “Isolation” mean?
In boxing and combat sports, when a fighter is put to the canvas or otherwise ruled down and the referee administers a count.In volleyball, a back-row defensive specialist who focuses on receiving and digging rather than attacking.A basketball tactic that clears space for one attacker to take on a single defender one-on-one.A mobility drill is a controlled exercise that moves a joint actively through its range to prepare it for training or improve movement quality.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Identify the essential equipment
Borrow or buy entry-level gear
Check any venue equipment rules

Common mistakes

• Overspending on advanced gear before you know you’ll continue
• Ignoring fit and safety in favour of looks

Practice goals

◎ Turn up with everything you need to play
◎ Know what each essential item is for

Learn the core skills

The fundamental skills the sport is built on. These are what to practise first — everything else builds on them.

Milestone: You can name the core skills and know which ones to practise first.

Lessons

Footwork

The skill of moving efficiently around the playing area to be in position for each shot or action.

Passing

The skill of moving the ball to a teammate accurately to keep possession and create chances.

Shooting

The skill of striking or releasing the ball toward the goal or basket to score.

Dribbling

The skill of moving with the ball under close control to beat opponents or keep possession.

Catching

The skill of cleanly securing a ball travelling through the air or off the ground.

Marking

The defensive skill of staying close to an opponent to limit their space and options.

Quick check: Learn the core skills

1. In sport, what does “Aggregate Score” mean?
A supporting match official who patrols a line or touchline to judge offside, out-of-play, and other calls, advising the main referee.Base training is an early-season phase of mostly easy, high-volume aerobic work that builds the endurance foundation for harder training later.The combined total of scores across two or more matches used to decide a multi-leg tie.In golf, completing a hole in one stroke more than its par.
2. In sport, what does “Jersey” mean?
The lactate threshold is the exercise intensity at which blood lactate starts to rise sharply because the body can no longer clear it as fast as it is produced.The term used in tennis for a score of zero.The process by which practice and experience produce relatively permanent improvements in the ability to perform a movement skill.The shirt or top worn by a player, typically in team colours with a number, and in cycling a marker of race leadership.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Name the core skills
Practise the two or three that matter most first
Get feedback on one skill

Common mistakes

• Chasing flashy skills before the fundamentals are solid
• Practising without any feedback loop

Practice goals

◎ Perform the core skills at a basic, repeatable level
◎ Know which skill to work on next

Build your technique

How specific movements and shots are performed. Learn these once the basics feel comfortable, one at a time.

Milestone: You understand how the key techniques are performed and when they are used.

Lessons

Jump Shot

A basketball shot released at the top of a vertical jump, letting the shooter get the ball over a defender with a soft, arcing release.

Layup

A close-range basketball shot taken while moving toward the basket, laying the ball softly off the backboard or over the rim.

Chest Pass

A two-handed pass thrown directly from chest height in a straight line to a teammate, the most basic pass in basketball and netball.

Free Throw

An unguarded basketball shot taken from the free-throw line, relying on a calm, repeatable routine rather than power.

Crossover Dribble

A basketball dribbling move that switches the ball quickly from one hand to the other to change direction and get past a defender.

Quick check: Build your technique

1. In sport, what does “Aggregate Score” mean?
A supporting match official who patrols a line or touchline to judge offside, out-of-play, and other calls, advising the main referee.Base training is an early-season phase of mostly easy, high-volume aerobic work that builds the endurance foundation for harder training later.In golf, completing a hole in one stroke more than its par.The combined total of scores across two or more matches used to decide a multi-leg tie.
2. In sport, what does “Jump shot” mean?
A basketball shot released at or near the peak of a vertical jump to raise the release above defenders.One of the parallel marked corridors that divides a track, pool or bowling alley so competitors race or play within an assigned strip.A defensive approach where a team sits deep near its own goal in a compact shape, conceding space further up the field.A mouthguard is a soft protective insert worn over the teeth in contact sports to help cushion impacts to the mouth.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Break a key technique into its steps
Practise it slowly before adding speed
Film or check your form

Common mistakes

• Adding power or speed before the movement is grooved
• Copying a pro’s style without the underlying basics

Practice goals

◎ Perform a key technique with sound, safe form
◎ Self-correct one common fault

Understand tactics & strategy

How the game is actually played and thought about — the tactics and bigger-picture strategy that turn skills into a game.

Milestone: You can follow how the game is played tactically, not just physically.

Lessons

Counter-attack

Winning the ball and moving forward at speed to attack before the opponent can reorganise their defence.

Zone defence

A defensive system where each player guards an area of the court rather than a specific opponent.

Man-to-man marking

A defensive tactic where each defender is assigned a specific opponent to track and contain.

Pick and roll

A two-player basketball action where one player screens for the ball-handler, then rolls to the basket.

Fast break

Pushing the ball up court at speed after a turnover or rebound to score before the defence sets up.

Full-court press

An aggressive basketball defence that pressures the ball across the whole court to force turnovers.

Quick check: Understand tactics & strategy

1. In sport, what does “Aggregate Score” mean?
The combined total of scores across two or more matches used to decide a multi-leg tie.A supporting match official who patrols a line or touchline to judge offside, out-of-play, and other calls, advising the main referee.Base training is an early-season phase of mostly easy, high-volume aerobic work that builds the endurance foundation for harder training later.In golf, completing a hole in one stroke more than its par.
2. In sport, what does “Kit” mean?
A serve or rally that is replayed without penalty, often because a serve clips the net or a player is obstructed.The set of clothing and equipment a player or team wears and uses; in football it is the shirt, shorts and socks of the strip.A player who operates in the central area of the pitch, linking the defence and the attack.Information passed between teammates or from a coach without words — through body language, positioning, eye contact or gestures.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Learn one simple tactic or pattern
Watch how better players use space and timing
Try the tactic in a low-pressure game

Common mistakes

• Learning tactics before you can execute the skills
• Copying complex strategy without understanding why

Practice goals

◎ Apply one tactic deliberately in a game
◎ Explain why a common tactic works

Find your position or role

Where you fit in — the positions and roles players take on, and what each one does.

Milestone: You know the positions or roles and what each one is responsible for.

Lessons

Point guard

The point guard is basketball’s primary ball-handler and playmaker, running the offence and setting up teammates to score.

Shooting guard

The shooting guard is a perimeter player whose main role is to score, especially from mid-range and beyond the three-point line.

Small forward

The small forward is a versatile wing player in basketball who can score inside and outside while also defending multiple positions.

Power forward

The power forward plays near the basket in basketball, using strength to rebound, score inside, and defend the paint.