Basketball is a game that\u2019s incredibly simple and infinitely complex at the same time. Unless you can interpret basic jargon, abbreviations, and slang used on the court, it is nearly impossible to understand the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This glossary of basketball terms will help you keep it simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are some of the basic terms that you need to know in order to understand the game of basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 1 and 1<\/strong> is a specific kind of foul shot that happens only in college basketball. For the seventh, eighth and ninth foul of a half the fouled player goes to the line to shoot one foul shot. If they make the first shot then they are awarded a second free throw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One-and-ones<\/strong> are awarded only after non-shooting fouls. Starting with the tenth foul two free throws are awarded regardless of the outcome of the first shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An airball<\/strong> is a missed shot that doesn\u2019t even make contact with the rim, net, or backboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An and 1<\/strong> occurs when a player is fouled while shooting but makes the shot anyway. The basket counts and<\/em> the player shoots one<\/em> free throw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An assist<\/strong> is a pass that results in a score. Assists<\/strong> are one of the most fundamental statistics in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boards<\/strong> are a slang term for rebounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bonus<\/strong> occurs after a team has received a certain amount of fouls, resulting in two free throws, even on non-shooting fouls. Teams enter the bonus<\/strong> after the tenth foul of the half in college basketball or the fifth foul of the quarter in the NBA and WNBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boxing out<\/strong> is the art of a player positioning themselves to get a rebound while simultaneously blocking an opposing player from getting the board<\/strong>. When boxing out<\/strong> a player positions themselves between the basket and their opponent and uses their body to prevent their opponent from getting a good angle on the rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A bucket<\/strong> is another term for a made shot, similar to \u201cscores<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cbaskets<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A player is considered clutch<\/strong> when they perform well under pressure. \u201cThe clutch<\/strong>\u201d is the period of time when the game – or season – is in doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A cutter<\/strong> is a player that makes a move toward the basket without the basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A dime<\/strong> is a slang term for an assist<\/strong> (see above). It comes from the phrase \u201cdropping a dime<\/strong>,\u201d an old euphemism for calling someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A double dribble <\/strong>is a foul that occurs when a player either stops then restarts their dribble or simultaneously uses two hands to dribble the basketball. Palming<\/strong> the basketball is also considered a form of double dribbling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Double Dribble<\/strong> is also an early basketball video game famous for its innovative and realistic (for the time) gameplay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dribbling<\/strong> is the act of bouncing the basketball so as to retain position and avoid traveling<\/strong> and double dribble<\/strong> fouls (see above). It is one of the most fundamental aspects of the game of basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A player that\u2019s ejected<\/strong> from the game is forced to leave the court area entirely and cannot return to the game. Ejections<\/strong> are given whenever a player gets two technical fouls<\/strong> (see below) or for particularly egregious acts of violence and misconduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fantasy Basketball Team Analyzer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A fantasy basketball team analyzer<\/a> is a tool that evaluates a roster, grades it based on the value of the players, and suggests ideas for improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A flop <\/strong>is an attempt by a defender to draw a charging foul by playing up the force of the impact. Flopping<\/strong> is considered a savvy defensive maneuver by some and a distasteful abuse of the rules by others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A foul<\/strong> is a violation of the rules. Fouls<\/strong> can be awarded for a number of reasons including excessive physical contact, improper ball handling, or illegal spacing or movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal<\/strong> is another name for the hoop that a given team is attempting to score on. It can also refer to a score itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Goaltending<\/strong> is a foul that occurs when a player illegally alters the trajectory of a shot, typically when it is on the way down or within the cylinder of the hoop. Offensive goaltending<\/strong> results in the basket being waived off, while defensive goaltending<\/strong> leads to the altered shot being counted as made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guard <\/strong>is one of the primary positions on the basketball court. Guards<\/strong>, also known as backcourt players, are typically smaller, faster players that are positioned further from their own basket so as to protect against the fast break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Technical fouls<\/strong> are fouls that are awarded for bad behavior beyond the simple fouls of the game. Examples of this can be excessive violence or taunting of the other team, as well as disrespectful treatment of the officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Traveling<\/strong> is a foul that occurs when a player moves illegally with the basketball, such as without dribbling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t know you\u2019re abbreviations, you\u2019ll be lost on the court. Mistake your SG for an SF and you\u2019re likely to commit a TO – so best learn these terms, playa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BEEF<\/strong> is an acronym that\u2019s used to teach proper shooting technique. It stands for \u201cbalance, eyes, elbows, follow-through<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n C<\/strong> is the abbreviation for \u201ccenter<\/strong>,\u201d one of the five primary positions on a basketball court. Centers<\/strong> typically play in the middle of a team\u2019s frontcourt and are often the largest, strongest players on the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FG<\/strong> is the abbreviation for a \u201cfield goal<\/strong>,\u201d or any made shot from the floor (excepting free throws).<\/p>\n\n\n\n GB<\/strong> stands for \u201cgames back<\/strong>,\u201d a reference used in the standings to denote how far out of first place (or the playoffs) a team is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PER<\/strong> is short for \u201cplayer efficiency rating<\/strong>,\u201d a metric that is used to account for everything that a player does on the court, both good and bad. It is calculated by combining adjusted values for points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals while subtracting adjusted values for turnovers, fouls, and missed shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PF<\/strong> is an abbreviation for either \u201cpersonal fouls<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cpower forward<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n PG<\/strong> is the abbreviation for \u201cpoint guard<\/strong>,\u201d one of the five traditional positions on the court. PGs<\/strong> are often a team\u2019s primary ballhandler and playcaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RPI<\/strong> is short for \u201cRatings Percentage Index<\/strong>,\u201d a metric used to measure the quality of a team\u2019s wins and losses based on the difficulty of the opponents that they\u2019ve faced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SF<\/strong> is the abbreviation for \u201csmall forward<\/strong>,\u201d one of the five traditional positions on the court. Small forwards<\/strong> can be used both as wing<\/strong> players or in the frontcourt, depending on a team\u2019s offensive or defensive alignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SG<\/strong> is the abbreviation for \u201cshooting guard<\/strong>,\u201d one of the five traditional positions on the court. Shooting guards<\/strong> tend to play on the wing and in the backcourt alongside the point guard<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TO<\/strong> is short for \u201cturnovers<\/strong>,\u201d or the number of times a team loses possession without getting off an official shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n UTIL<\/strong> is an abbreviation for \u201cutility<\/strong>,\u201d a slot on a fantasy basketball<\/a> roster that can be filled by players of any position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Playing basketball isn\u2019t just about working out or getting some burn. It\u2019s about looking cool – or at least faking it \u2018til you make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cookies<\/strong> is a term used after stealing the ball from someone, particularly off the dribble, such as \u201cI stole your cookies<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nAirball<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
And 1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Assist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Boards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bonus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Box Out<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Buckets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Clutch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cutter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dime<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Double Dribble<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dribble<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ejected<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Flop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Foul<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Goal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Goaltending<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Guard<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technical Foul<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Traveling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Basketball Abbreviations & Meanings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
BEEF<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
C<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
GB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
PER<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
PF<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
PG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
RPI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
SF<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
SG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
TO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
UTIL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Basketball Slang<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cookies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Gumping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n