Understanding different basketball terminologies is the first step to understanding the game. Here are the popular terms you often hear during the game. Offense – The team that is in possession of the ball and with a chance to score. Defense – The team without the ball; the team that is guarding another team to prevent them from scoring. Free throw (foul shot) – A shot that is worth 1 point. A shot taken from the foul line after the opponent committed a technical foul or a personal foul. Dunk – A shot where the player aggressively jumps and reaches the rim to score. Alley oop – A play executed by throwing the ball to a player in mid air near the basket to immediately score before touching the ground. Bank shot – A shot where the ball touches the backboard first making an a treadmill desk ngle to drop the ball into the basket. Three-point shot – A shot thrown beyond the arc; a shot that is worth 3 points. Lay-up – A shot taken by driving in to, jumping close to, and putting the ball directly into the basket using one hand. Pass – A ball thrown by a player to a teammate. This is used to start play or help the teammate to make a basket. Assist – A pass given to help a teammate score. Rebound – An action made by a player to grab the ball bouncing off the rim or the backboard. It is usually made after a player made a shot. Offensive rebound – A rebound made from a teammate’s own missed shot. Defensive rebound – A rebound made from the opponent’s missed shot. Man-to-man defense – A defensive technique where each player guards a specific player from the opponent.
