New to the sport? This guide covers everything you need to know.
Objective: Score more points than the opponent. A field goal inside the arc = 2 points. Beyond the arc (23'9") = 3 points. Free throw = 1 point.
Teams: 5 players per side on the court. Up to 13 players on the roster. Unlimited substitutions during stoppages.
Duration: Four quarters of 12 minutes each (48 minutes total). No ties — overtime periods of 5 minutes until there's a winner. Clock stops on every whistle.
Teams have 24 seconds to attempt a shot that hits the rim. Resets to 14 seconds on an offensive rebound. Violation = turnover.
Personal foul: Illegal physical contact (pushing, holding, hitting). After 5 team fouls per quarter, every foul results in free throws.
6 personal fouls = fouled out (disqualified for the rest of the game).
Flagrant foul: Unnecessary or excessive contact. Free throws + possession for the other team. Flagrant 2 = ejection.
Traveling: Moving without dribbling the ball (more than 2 steps without a dribble).
Double dribble: Picking up your dribble and dribbling again.
3-second violation: An offensive player can't stand in the paint (key) for more than 3 consecutive seconds.
Backcourt violation: Once the ball crosses halfcourt, it can't go back.
Regular season: 82 games (October to April). 30 teams, 15 per conference.
Playoffs: Top 6 seeds + 2 play-in winners per conference. Best-of-7 series. 4 rounds to the championship.
Play-In Tournament: Seeds 7-10 compete for the final 2 playoff spots. Single elimination format.
NBA Finals: Best-of-7 between the Eastern and Western Conference champions. Usually in June.