Possession
The period when one team controls the ball and is trying to score.
Q1 · The basics
Start here: the words
Read this first. These are the words the rest of the page assumes you know.
The court, to scale
NBA RULE 1 · TAP THE LAYERSCore vocabulary21 words used everywhere below
Spacing
How offensive players spread themselves around the court so defenders cannot guard several people or driving lanes at once.
Paint
The rectangular lane area near the basket.
Perimeter
The area away from the basket, especially around the three-point line.
Screen / pick
An offensive player legally stands in a defender’s path to help a teammate get open.
Pick and roll
A ball-handler uses a screen, then the screener moves toward the basket.
Pick and pop
A ball-handler uses a screen, then the screener moves away from the basket for a jump shot instead of rolling inside.
Cut
An offensive player moves sharply into open space, often toward the basket.
Drive
The ball-handler attacks the basket off the dribble.
Help defense
A defender temporarily leaves or shades away from their own assignment to help stop a teammate’s assignment.
Weak side
The side of the floor away from the ball.
Strong side
The side of the floor where the ball is located.
Switch
Two defenders exchange assignments, commonly after a screen.
Drop coverage
The screener’s defender stays back near the paint rather than stepping high toward the ball-handler.
Hedge / show
The screener’s defender briefly steps toward the ball-handler to slow the drive before recovering.
Blitz / trap
Two defenders aggressively attack the ball-handler, trying to force the ball out or create a turnover.
Closeout
A defender runs toward a shooter under control to contest the shot while trying not to give up an easy drive.
Transition
The change from offense to defense or defense to offense immediately after possession changes.
Box out
Using body position to keep an opponent away from the rebound.
Mismatch
A matchup that favors one player because of size, speed, skill, or position.
Rotation
A defensive movement where teammates shift responsibilities to cover space or players after help defense is used.
Q1 · The basics
The game at a glance
Score more than the other team in four 12-minute quarters. Every possession ends in a shot, a turnover or a foul, so efficiency per possession is everything.
Why the three changed everything
POINTS PER SHOTPossession
One team controls the ball and tries to score before losing it by shot, turnover, or period end.
Field goal
A made shot from the floor. Two points inside the three-point arc; three points from beyond it.
Free throw
Uncontested one-point shot awarded after certain fouls/penalties.
Shot clock
Time limit to attempt a shot that hits the rim; NBA uses 24 seconds.
Backcourt / frontcourt
Team’s defensive half vs offensive half after direction is established.
Turnover
Possession lost without a made shot: steal, bad pass, violation, offensive foul, etc.
Rebound
Securing a missed shot. Offensive rebounds extend possessions; defensive rebounds end them.
Transition
Moment immediately after possession changes, before both teams are fully organized.
Half-court offense
Structured offense after defense is set.
Pace
How quickly a team plays / number of possessions over a game.
The clocksNBA timing rules
- NBA regulation uses four 12-minute periods; other levels differ.
- Five players per team are on the court.
- Modern basketball is a continuous battle over spacing, rim pressure, three-point value, and defensive rotation.
- After an offensive rebound that hits the rim, the NBA shot clock resets to 14 seconds, not 24.
- The offense has 8 seconds to get the ball past half court, and cannot return it to the backcourt afterward.
- Each team has 7 timeouts per game. Overtime periods are 5 minutes.
Q2 · The offense
Positions and modern roles
Positions are numbered 1–5, but today’s game thinks in roles: who handles, who shoots, who screens and who protects the rim.
The five spots
TRADITIONAL · MODERN · TAP A PLAYERPoint guard (1)
Primary ball handler / organizer. Initiates actions and manages tempo.
Shooting guard (2)
Perimeter scorer/shooter who may also handle or defend guards.
Small forward (3)
Wing role blending scoring, defense, cutting, and rebounding.
Power forward (4)
Frontcourt player who may screen, rebound, space, defend multiple positions, or operate inside.
Center (5)
Interior anchor, rim protector, rebounder, screener, post player, or stretch big.
Combo guard
Can function as both point and shooting guard.
Wing
Broad term for perimeter forward/guard between primary point and big.
Stretch big
Forward/center who spaces to three-point line.
Rim runner
Big who sprints to rim, rolls hard, catches lobs, and pressures paint.
Point forward
Larger forward who initiates offense like a point guard.
3-and-D
Role player valued for perimeter defense and spot-up three-point shooting.
Connector
Player who quickly passes, screens, cuts, and keeps advantage alive without dominating ball.
Q2 · The offense
Spacing and offensive principles
Spacing is the offense’s most important weapon: spread five threats so one defender can never guard two of them.
Good spacing vs. bad spacing
WATCH THE HELP DEFENDERSSpacing
Positioning players so one defender cannot guard two threats and driving lanes stay open.
Paint touch
Ball enters the lane by drive, post, cut, or pass, forcing defense to collapse.
Drive and kick
Ball handler attacks paint, draws help, then passes to open shooter.
Extra pass
Pass beyond the first open player to create an even better shot after rotation.
0.5 decision
Catch and make a decision (shoot, drive, pass) almost immediately to preserve advantage.
Cut
Off-ball movement toward basket or open area.
Backdoor cut
Cut behind a defender who overplays passing lane.
45 cut
Wing cuts toward rim at roughly diagonal angle when help rotates.
Drift
Weak-side corner moves along baseline to maintain passing window during drive.
Lift
Player moves from corner toward wing as teammate drives to improve angle.
Relocate
Shooter moves after passing/drive to create new catch-and-shoot window.
Short roll
Screener catches around foul-line area rather than rolling all way to rim; becomes playmaker in 4-on-3.
Q2 · The offense
Screens and common actions
A screen is a legal wall: the screener stands still and a teammate uses him to shake a defender. Almost every NBA play is built from a handful of these.
The actions, animated
PICK · POP · HANDOFF · PIN-DOWN · FLARE · SPAINPick and roll
Ball screen: screener blocks defender, then rolls to basket.
Pick and pop
Screener moves to perimeter/midrange space instead of rolling.
Slip
Screener leaves early before contact, exploiting defense preparing for screen.
Ghost screen
Apparent screen by perimeter player who quickly pops/slips away to create confusion.
Dribble handoff (DHO)
Ball handler hands ball to teammate moving close by, functioning like a dynamic screen.
Pin-down
Off-ball screen facing baseline that frees shooter upward toward perimeter.
Flare screen
Screen sends teammate away from ball toward perimeter.
Stagger
Two consecutive off-ball screens for one cutter/shooter.
Spain pick-and-roll
Standard ball screen plus a third offensive player back-screens the roll defender, then often pops out.
Horns
Two bigs begin near elbows; ball handler top. Formation creates many screen, handoff, and high-low options.
Floppy
Shooter starts near baseline and chooses between stagger/single screen exits.
UCLA cut
Guard passes to wing then cuts off high-post screen to basket.
Flex action
Cross-screen / down-screen continuity that creates cuts and post opportunities.
Zipper cut
Player cuts from baseline up middle/side toward top to receive ball.
Elevator doors
Two screeners close together after shooter passes between them.
Split action
After post/elbow entry, two perimeter players screen/cut around each other.
Iverson cut
Player cuts across top using two screeners around elbows.
Chicago action
Pin-down flowing directly into dribble handoff.
Q2 · The offense
Offensive systems and structures
Systems organize spacing and actions into a repeatable plan.
5-out
All five players operate on perimeter/extended spots. Maximizes driving space and cuts.
4-out 1-in
Four perimeter players plus one interior player/post/dunker spot.
Motion offense
Read-and-react system based on cuts, screens, spacing, and continuity rather than one fixed play.
Pace and space
Emphasizes transition, three-point shooting, wide spacing, and rim pressure.
Post-up offense
Creates advantage by feeding a player with size/skill near block or mid-post.
Triangle offense
Historic structure using sideline triangle, spacing, post entries, reads, and weak-side actions.
Princeton concepts
Backdoor cuts, high-post playmaking, split cuts, and read-based movement.
Horns family
Two high bigs with guard at top; can branch into PnR, handoff, high-low, and pindown actions.
Delay action
Center catches near top and acts as hub while guards cut, handoff, and screen.
Early offense
Attack before half-court defense is fully organized without necessarily being a full fast break.
Q3 · The defense
Defense: base concepts
Good defense is five players moving on a string: pressure the ball, help on drives, then rotate back to shooters.
Man-to-man
Each defender has a primary matchup but must still help and rotate.
Gap help
Off-ball defender positions between own matchup and ball to discourage drives.
Nail
Area near center of free-throw line; common help position against drives.
Low man
Weak-side defender near baseline responsible for tagging rollers and protecting rim.
Tag
Briefly bump/occupy rolling big to slow rim run until teammate recovers.
Stunt
Quick fake help toward ball then recover to shooter.
Dig
Help toward post/dribbler with a brief swipe/presence without fully committing.
Closeout
Sprint-to-chop steps when recovering to shooter, balancing contest and drive prevention.
Top lock
Defender denies shooter’s route by positioning above them, inviting backdoor cut with help waiting.
Switch
Defenders exchange assignments on screen.
Scram switch
Off-ball switch used to remove smaller defender from post mismatch before entry.
X-out
Two defenders rotate in X pattern to cover two weak-side shooters after help.
Peel switch
When defender gets beat on drive, another takes ball while beaten defender rotates to helper’s matchup.
Q3 · The defense
Pick-and-roll coverages
The pick-and-roll is the most common play in the NBA, so every defense needs a plan for it. Each coverage gives something up; the question is what.
Six ways to guard the pick-and-roll
ANIMATED COVERAGESDrop
Big stays back near paint, containing drive/roll while guard fights over/under.
At level
Big comes up near screen level to contain ball more aggressively.
Hedge / show
Big temporarily steps out at ball handler then recovers to screener.
Blitz / trap
Two defenders aggressively trap ball handler to force pass.
Switch
Defenders exchange ball-handler/screener assignments.
ICE / down
Side pick-and-roll defense that forces ball away from middle and often toward baseline.
Weak
Force ball handler toward weak hand / less favorable direction.
Under
On-ball defender goes beneath screen, conceding pull-up jumper to contain drive.
Over
On-ball defender trails over top of screen to take away easy pull-up.
Veer back
Guard switches temporarily onto roller while big recovers to ball handler.
Next coverage
Next defender takes ball handler after screen while original defender rotates elsewhere.
Q3 · The defense
Zone and special defenses
In a zone, defenders guard areas instead of players. NBA rules limit how long a defender can sit in the paint (defensive three seconds), so zones there are rarer than in college.
Zone shapes and their gaps
2-3 · 3-2 · 1-3-1 · BOX-AND-ONE2-3 zone
Two defenders high, three low. Protects paint but can concede high-post, short-corner, and three-point gaps.
3-2 zone
Three across top, two low. More perimeter coverage, different rebounding/short-corner vulnerabilities.
1-3-1 zone
One top, three across middle, one baseline. Creates traps and passing-lane pressure.
Box-and-one
Four play zone box while one shadows star scorer man-to-man.
Triangle-and-two
Three zone defenders plus two man defenders on selected scorers.
Full-court press
Defensive pressure over entire floor to create turnovers and consume clock.
2-2-1 press
Zone press alignment often used to slow advance and trap sidelines.
Run-and-jump
Aggressive man press with surprise switches/traps.
Zone press back to man
Press to delay offense, then match up after crossing half.
Q4 · Clock, rules & stats
Transition, rebounding and situations
The end of each quarter is a math problem with a clock attached.
The two-for-one
SET THE CLOCKFast break
Attack with numbers or space before defense sets.
Primary break
Immediate organized lanes: ball, wings, rim runner.
Secondary break
Early action after initial fast-break chance disappears.
Transition defense
Sprint back, protect rim, stop ball, then match shooters.
Crash glass
Send players to offensive rebound.
Get back
Prioritize transition defense over offensive rebound.
Box out
Make body contact/position to keep opponent from rebound path.
Two-for-one
Late-quarter timing strategy to create two possessions for one opponent possession.
Foul to stop clock
Trailing team intentionally fouls late to preserve time and force free throws.
Advance timeout
NBA late-game rules can allow frontcourt inbound after qualifying timeout situations.
ATO
After-timeout play designed for specific action.
SLOB
Sideline out-of-bounds play.
BLOB
Baseline out-of-bounds play.
Last-shot possession
Team may hold ball to ensure opponent does not get another possession.
Q4 · Clock, rules & stats
Fouls, violations and officiating
Fouls are illegal contact; violations are rule breaks without contact (like traveling). Fouls add up, for players and for teams.
Key numbersNBA rulebook
| Rule | NBA standard | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Personal fouls | <span class="num">6 = OUT</span> | A player’s sixth foul disqualifies him for the rest of the game. |
| Team fouls (bonus) | <span class="num">5TH FOUL / QTR</span> | From a team’s fifth foul in a quarter (second in the last two minutes), common fouls send the opponent to the line. |
| Three seconds | <span class="num">3 SEC</span> | Offensive players can’t stay in the lane more than 3 seconds; defenders can’t either unless actively guarding someone. |
| Backcourt / 8 seconds | <span class="num">8 SEC</span> | Get the ball over half court in 8 seconds and don’t bring it back. |
| Shot clock | <span class="num">24 / 14 SEC</span> | A shot must hit the rim before it expires; offensive rebounds off the rim reset it to 14. |
| Flagrant 1 / 2 | <span class="num">FT + BALL</span> | Unnecessary (1) or unnecessary and excessive (2) contact. A flagrant 2 is an ejection. |
| Coach’s challenge | <span class="num">1 (+1)</span> | One challenge per game; a team that wins its first gets a second. |
Personal foul
Illegal contact against opponent.
Shooting foul
Foul on player in act of shooting, typically resulting in free throws depending on shot/result.
Offensive foul
Illegal contact by offensive player, often a charge or illegal screen.
Charge
Ball handler runs into legally positioned defender under applicable rules.
Blocking foul
Defender illegally impedes offensive player without legal guarding position.
Technical foul
Penalty for conduct or administrative violations.
Flagrant foul
Severe unnecessary/excessive contact under league definitions.
Travel
Illegal movement of pivot/steps without dribble.
Double dribble
Dribble stops and is restarted illegally, or simultaneous-hand violations.
Carry / palming
Illegal hand position/control that effectively stops dribble.
Three seconds
Offensive or defensive lane restrictions under NBA rules; details differ by league.
Backcourt violation
Offense returns ball illegally to backcourt after establishing frontcourt control.
Shot-clock violation
No qualifying shot attempt before clock expires.
Goaltending
Illegal contact with shot under basket/flight rules.
Basket interference
Illegal contact with ball/basket while ball has specified relation to rim/cylinder.
2025–26 point of emphasis, the “high-five” rule: contact with a shooter’s hand, wrist or arm on the follow-through, after the ball is released, is now called a foul.
Q4 · Clock, rules & stats
Basketball analytics and stats
Points per game depends on pace. Modern stats measure efficiency per possession and per shot.
Shooting-efficiency calculator
FG% · eFG% · TS%FG%
Field goals made / attempted.
3P%
Three-pointers made / attempted.
FT%
Free throws made / attempted.
eFG%
Effective field-goal percentage: (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) ÷ FGA. Gives threes their extra value.
TS%
True shooting: points ÷ (2 × (FGA + 0.44 × FTA)). Folds threes and free throws into one efficiency number.
Usage rate
Estimate of share of team possessions a player finishes with shot, turnover, or free throws while on floor.
Assist rate
Estimate of teammate field goals assisted while player is on floor.
Turnover rate
Turnovers relative to possessions used.
Rebound rate
Share of available rebounds secured.
Offensive rating
Points scored per 100 possessions (team/player-context formulas vary).
Defensive rating
Points allowed per 100 possessions or model estimate depending source.
Net rating
Offensive rating minus defensive rating.
Pace
Possessions per game / normalized time.
Points per possession
Simple efficiency measure for a play type or offense.
Shot profile
Distribution of rim, midrange, and three-point attempts.
Corner three
Shorter three-point distance in NBA corners than above break.
Paint points
Points scored in lane area.
OT · Game mode
NBA 2K and basketball-game mode
The same spacing and pick-and-roll reads win in video games.
Play smarterTransferable habits
- Understand spacing before playbooks. If three teammates stand in the same area, the defense can guard everyone cheaply.
- Use pick-and-roll reads: defender under = pull-up; big steps up = hit roller/short roll; corner helps = kick out.
- Don’t hold turbo constantly. Changing pace and using angles often creates more separation than pure speed.
- On defense, learn one coverage at a time. Drop is simplest; switch is intuitive but creates mismatches.
- Protect the rim first, then recover to shooters. Giving up a layup to avoid a difficult closeout is usually bad math.
- Use help settings with intent. Over-helping gives up open threes; no help gives up rim pressure.
- Late game: know when to foul, when to use timeout, and whether you can hold for the final shot.
Game controls and meta strategies change by edition. These principles are basketball concepts rather than exploit guides.
Rulebook watch
New for 2026
The NBA adjusts its rules a little every year. These are the changes in force for the 2025–26 season and approved for 2026–27.
The “heave rule”
A shot from 36 feet or more in the last three seconds of the first, second or third quarter now counts as a team shot attempt, not the player’s, so players stop avoiding end-of-quarter heaves to protect their percentages.
Faster coach’s challenges
After a challenged out-of-bounds call, the Replay Center official (not the on-court crew chief) decides whether a nearby foul should have been called.
“High-five” fouls
Officials are calling follow-through contact on a shooter’s hand, wrist or arm after release as a foul.
NBA Cup semifinals go home
The Emirates NBA Cup semifinals move to the higher seed’s arena; only the championship stays at a neutral site.
The “3-2-1” lottery
Approved in 2026 to discourage tanking: the lottery expands from 14 to 16 teams and flattens the odds among non-playoff teams.
Reference
Basketball glossary
Every term from this page in plain English. Dotted-underlined words anywhere above also explain themselves when you hover or tap them.
- Alley-oop
- Lob finished before landing.
- And-one
- Made basket plus free throw after shooting foul.
- Baseline
- End line under basket.
- Blitz
- Trap ball screen.
- Blow-by
- Attacker beats defender off dribble.
- Bonus
- After a team’s fifth foul in a quarter (second in the last two minutes), the opponent shoots free throws on common fouls.
- Box out
- Seal rebounder.
- Cherry pick
- Remain near offensive basket rather than participating normally in defense.
- Closeout
- Recovery to shooter.
- Contest
- Challenge shot without necessarily blocking.
- Corner
- Deep sideline/baseline intersection.
- Corner three
- The three-pointer from the corner, only 22 feet from the rim: the shortest three on the floor.
- Drop coverage
- Big protects paint below screen level.
- Dunker spot
- Short-baseline area near rim where non-shooter big waits for drop-off.
- Elbow
- Area where free-throw line meets lane edge.
- Eurostep
- Two-step change-of-direction finish.
- Face-up
- Attack defender while facing basket from post/midrange.
- Floater
- Soft short runner over rim protector.
- Gap
- Help position between own matchup and ball.
- Heave rule
- Since 2025–26, shots from 36+ feet in the last 3 seconds of the first three quarters count as team attempts.
- Hedge
- Big steps out then recovers.
- ICE
- Force side PnR away from middle.
- Isolation
- One-on-one attack with cleared spacing.
- Kick-out
- Pass from paint to perimeter.
- Leak out
- Leave rebound battle early to run ahead.
- Lob
- High pass near rim to cutter/roller.
- Low man
- Weak-side low defender.
- Mismatch
- Offensive advantage from size/speed/skill pairing.
- Nail
- Center of free-throw line help point.
- Paint
- Lane area.
- Pocket pass
- Pass through narrow lane to roller.
- Points per shot
- Make rate × point value. A 36% three and a 54% two are both worth 1.08.
- Post-up
- Attack from back-to-basket/inside position.
- Press
- Full/three-quarter court pressure.
- Putback
- Score immediately after offensive rebound.
- Re-screen
- Screen again, often changing angle.
- Reject screen
- Ball handler drives away from offered screen.
- Restricted area
- Semicircle under basket with special charge/block rules.
- Rip-through
- Sweep ball through defender’s reach to drive.
- Second-chance points
- Points after offensive rebound.
- Short roll
- Screener catches before rim.
- Skip pass
- Pass across court over help defense.
- Slot
- Area above wing, inside from traditional wing.
- Snake dribble
- Ball handler crosses back in front of retreating screener defender.
- Strong side
- Side of floor with ball.
- Stunt
- Fake help and recover.
- Swing
- Move ball side-to-side around perimeter.
- Switch
- Exchange assignments.
- Tag
- Bump roller.
- Top of key
- Central perimeter area.
- Touch pass
- Immediate pass without holding.
- Transition
- Change-of-possession phase.
- Two-for-one
- Shooting early late in a quarter so your team gets two possessions to the opponent’s one.
- Weak side
- Side away from ball.
- Wing
- Perimeter area between corner and top.
- Zone
- Defenders guard areas/rules rather than one matchup.
No glossary term matches. Try the ⌘K search for concepts.
Reference
Official sources
Rules and dimensions on this page follow these documents. Video-game notes teach transferable logic rather than edition-specific tricks. Page stats: 13 sections · 162 explained concepts · 9 interactive visuals · 56 glossary terms.
NBA Official Rulebookofficial.nba.com/rulebook/NBA Rule 1: Court dimensions & equipmentofficial.nba.com/rule-no-1-court-dimensions-equipment/NBA Rule 12: Fouls and penaltiesofficial.nba.com/rule-no-12-fouls-and-penalties/NBA: Rule changes for 2025–26www.nba.com/news/NBA: Board of Governors approves new Draft Lottery systemwww.nba.com/news/nba-board-governors-approve-new-draft-lottery-systemNBA Stats: Shot zone league averageswww.nba.com/stats/players/shooting
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