Basic positions in basketball

1. Roles & Positions

2. DID YOU KNOW…

3. About teams
• First game ever had 18 players
• 9 in each team
• There were games with 100 players
• 50 in each team
• No upper limit
• 5-player limit introduced in 1897.

4. Early teams

5. About players
• Players couldn’t re-enter the game
• 1920, they could re-enter one time
• 1934, they could re-enter two times
• 1945, they could re-enter unlimited number of
times

6. About coaches
• No coaching during the game
• No coaching during timeouts
• Yes during halftime
• 1949, coaching was allowed
• Playmakers are called “coaches on the floor”

7. BASIC POSITIONS

8. 5 traditional positions
Point Guard
Power
Forward Small
Forward
Shooting Guard
Center

9. Point Guard (PG), aka playmaker
is usually the shortest player on
the team. He must possess good
passing and dribbling skills.

10. Can you recognize them all?

11. Shooting Guard (SG)
Is the team’s best outside shooter, and
is hard to guard.

12. Can you recognize them all?

13. Small Forward (SF)
is the team’s best all purpose player
who can play inside and outside. He’s
the second best shooter.

14. Can you recognize them all?

15. Power Forward (PF)
is the team’s second biggest and
strongest player.

16. Can you recognize them all?

17. Post / Center
is the team’s biggest, strongest player.
Mainly plays in low post area near
basket.

18. Can you recognize them all?

19. BUT, WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

20. Starting Lineup / Line-up

21. Substitution
Starters + Substitutes = Roster

22. Sixth Man
• The first player to enter the play off the bench
• Usually plays multiple positions

24. Defensive Stopper
• Best defensive player
• Master of one-on-one defense
• King of shot-blocking

26. Make your dream team
• Groups of 5
• Choose the team captain
• Only active players