Basketball originated in North America and has grown into one of the most popular global team sports, featured in the Olympic Games since 1936. A basketball game is played on a court between two teams of five players each who score points by shooting the ball through the opponent's basket from inside or outside the three-point arc. Basketball is a fast-paced game requiring skills like dribbling, passing, shooting, along with speed, strength, stamina and teamwork.

1. From humble beginnings in North America, Basketball
has grown into one of the most popular team sports in
the world. It's a truly global game: the National
Basketball Association (NBA) in the UK, the world's
leading professional league, features players from
more than 30 countries.

2. Number of competitions
• 144 men and 144 women
• Twelve teams compete in both the men’s and
women’s competitions, with 12 athletes (five
players and seven substitutes) on each team.
• Each country is limited to one men’s and one
women’s team.

3. Field of play
• The basketball court is 28m long and 15m
wide. The baskets at either end are 3.05m
above the ground. The court is divided into
two halves, with a free-throw line 5.8m inside
either end, and the three-point line a 6.75m
radius from each basket.

4. History of Basketball at the Olympic
Games
• Men’s Basketball first appeared on the
Olympic programme at the Berlin 1936
Games, with the women’s event introduced at
Montreal 1976. Professional players first
competed at the Barcelona 1992
Games, when the famous US 'Dream Team'
won gold in the men’s event.

5. The basics
• In Basketball points are scored by shooting the ball into your
opponents’ net (or basket). The ball is moved up the court either by
dribbling (bouncing) or passing to another team member. A player
may not take more than two steps with the ball without dribbling.
• Two points are awarded for a regular shot from open play, with one
point for each successful free throw (following an opposition
infringement) and three points for a shot from distance (beyond the
three-point line).
• Once in possession of the ball, a team has only 24 seconds to make
an attempt on goal or they lose possession.
• Games last for 40 minutes, split into four 10-minute quarters. The
clock stops for every break in play and teams can call time-
outs, which last one minute.

6. Competition format
• At London 2012, both the men’s and women’s Basketball
competitions will begin with a preliminary stage. The 12
teams will be divided into two groups of six and each team
will play every other in their group. Teams receive two
points for a win, and one for a loss (although they receive
no points for losing by forfeiting the game.
• The best four teams from each group during the
preliminaries will qualify for the knockout stage, with the
winners of the semi-finals going head-to-head in the gold
medal game.
• In the event of a tie at the end of any game, teams play
extra periods of five minutes until the tie is broken.

7. Officials
• A referee oversees each game, assisted by two
umpires. There are also table officials who are
timers and scorers, and statisticians who
record all the action. A game commissioner
also sits with the table officials next to the
court.

8. Keys to success
• Basketball is a fast and physically demanding
game. Height is a distinct advantage, but
players also need to have speed, strength and
stamina. They need excellent ball skills and
the ability to think on their feet and play
tactically as a team.

9. Breaking the rules
• Referees will be looking out for rule infringements including
violations and fouls. Violations are not committed against another
player, but include offences such as taking more than two steps
with the ball, having a hand underneath the ball (carrying) or
bouncing the ball with both hands. Violations result in the ball
being awarded to the opposition.
• Fouls are offences that are committed against an opposition player.
These include more contact than is reasonable, blocking, pushing or
striking another player. In the case of fouls the opposition team is
awarded a throw-in close to where the infringement took place. If
the player who was fouled was trying to shoot a basket at the
time, then one or more free throws will be awarded, depending on
where the foul took place.

10. Jargon buster
• Assist – a pass that leads directly to a basket scored by
a teammate
• Downtown – the area outside the three-point line
• Dunk – a one- or two-handed slam directly into the net
• Lay-up – a one-handed shot from close range off the
backboard
• Shot clock – a timer measuring the length of time since
the last shot. If the ball doesn’t touch the rim or pass
through the net within 24 seconds, possession passes
to the opposition.