Glossary

An unblocked shot that fails to hit the rim or backboard.

An offensive play in which a player throws the ball up near the basket to a teammate (or, more rarely, to him or herself) who then jumps, catches the ball in mid-air, and immediately scores a basket, often with a slam dunk.

A pass to a teammate who scores a basket immediately or after one dribble.

An offensive tactic whereby a player breaks away from a defender to receive a pass near the baseline in order to make a quick layup.

The baseline in basketball is the boundary line running along the edges of the court on the sides behind the baskets.

Block or blocked shot occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player

A pass to a teammate that is made by bouncing the ball once.

A basketball move in which one player passes the ball from one side of the court to the other width-wise.

A Crossover dribble is a basketball maneuver in which a player dribbling the ball switches the ball rapidly from one hand to the other, to make a change in direction. ... If the defender is deceived, the player can then switch to dribbling with the right hand and surpass the defender.

A double team play happens when two defensive players choose to guard a single offensive player.

Fast break is an offensive strategy in basketball and handball. In a fast break, a team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible, so that the defense is outnumbered and does not have time to set up.

A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in basketball.

The paint is an area on the basketball court that is referred to as the key. The paint is located under each basket and begins at the endline and ends at the top of the key, with the side boundaries being the free throw lane.

To "post up" is to establish a position in the low post, the area near the basket below the foul line, usually in order to take advantage of a smaller defender. The offensive player usually faces away from the basket, so that his body can protect the ball from the defender.

A screen is a blocking move by an offensive player in which they stand beside or behind a defender in order to free a teammate to either shoot a pass or drive in to score.

Switch defense is a basketball defense technique in which two defenders will change (or switch) defensive assignments in an effort to disrupt the flow of the offense.

An offensive player who trails on a fast break but often is in good position to score after the first wave of defenders goes by.

In basketball, offensive action initially taken by a team when it switches from defense to offense as it moves the ball up the court. This is most commonly represented by the fast break.

A travel occurs when the player lifts the pivot foot and then returns it to the floor before releasing the ball on a pass or a shot.

The "weak" side is the side of the court opposite the strong side (away from the ball). Imagine that there is a line that extends from the basket to midcourt, dividing the court into two equal parts. If a team starts their offense with the ball on the right side of the court, this is the strong side.

Involves one player at the front defending the inbounds pass, two players across the free-throw line, one player just above the three-point line, and another player down back as safety.