We are well aware that, to play any game one has to learn some skills. Similarly to play basketball game a player should learn the following fundamental skills.
Dribbling
Dribbling It is important to penetrate to score a basket, move the ball across the court, get away from the defenders, and find a good passing lane.
There are different types of dribbling —
- basic dribble
- low dribbling
- high dribble
- behind the back
- crossover dribble
- change-of-pace
- between the legs dribble
Passing
A good offensive attack requires accurate passing from players. It helps find an open man, to find a good shooter or to get away from a defender.
There are several types of passes used in basketball, either one hand or both hand pass —
- Overhead
- Chest
- Push
- Baseball
- Off-the-dribble
- Bounce
- Shoulder
- Hook
Shooting
The objective of the game is to win by scoring maximum points. Therefore, improving the team’s shooting is important to win a game.
Shooting with either one hand or both hands is done in the following ways —
- Jump shot
- Dunk shot
- Free throw
- Layup
- Three-point shot
- Hook shot
Defence
The game of basketball allows a variety of defences to be deployed in an effort to disrupt and combat offensive plays. Here are examples of the three basic categories of team defences. In addition, each category comprises of an assortment of different variations.
Man to man defence: Man-to-man defences match up the defenders against specific offensive players. Defenders are usually assigned to be matched up with offensive players by size and ability.
Zone Defence: In Zone defence, defenders are assigned to guard specific areas on the court. Zones are named or designated by their player alignments.
Combined Defence: A third type of defence that can be deployed is the combination defence. With combination defences, some of the players are assigned to play man-to-man while the rest of the defenders play zone. Combination defences are usually deployed in an effort to stop or neutralise great individual offensive players.
Rebounding
The objective of rebounding is to successfully gain possession of the basketball after a missed field point or free throw, as it rebounds from the ring or backboard. This plays a major role in the game, as most possessions end when a team misses a shot. There are two categories of rebounds: offensive rebounds, in which the ball is recovered by the offensive side and does not change possession, and defensive rebounds, in which the defending team gains possession of the loose ball. The majority of rebounds are defensive, as the team on defence tends to be in better position to recover missed shots.
