Basketball is a team sport, played by five players at a time from each team. Teams can score by shooting the ball into their hoop, which is ten feet off the ground. Hoops are placed at both ends of the court. The court is divided by a line in the middle, called the mid-court line. The ball is moved dow the court by dribbling or passing, the team that is in possession of the ball is the offense and the team trying to keep the offense from scoring in their hoop is the defense. The offense tries to score and the defense tries to block shots, steal passes, and get rebounds.
There are three different point levels a team can get if they score, they can either score two, anywhere inside the three point arc; three points are scored anywhere outside the three-point arc, an one point is scored for baskets at the free-throw line. Free throws are awarded to a team if their opponents either, illegally contest the shot, or have over a certain number of fouls. Free throws can either be 2, 1, or 1-and-1. Two shots are awarded if the shot the player got fouled on does not go in, or if the other team has over 10 fouls. One shot is awarded if the fouled shot goes in. 1-and-1 shots are awarded if the other team has over 6 fouls, and means that if the first shot goes in then the player gets another shot, but if the free throw is missed the ball is live on the rim.
Games are divided into sections. All levels have two halves. In college, each half is twenty minutes long. In high school and below, the halves are divided into eight (and sometimes, six) minute quarters. In the pros, quarters are twelve minutes long. If the score is tied at the end of the regular game, then overtime commences. Overtime can be various lengths until a winner 
emerges. The game starts with a tip-off where a ball is tossed between a single member of each team, the players attempt to tip the ball before the other player and give possession of the other team.
Personal fouls include any type of illegal physical contact.
- Hitting
- Pushing
- Slapping
- Holding
- Illegal pick/screen
Basketball 