Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, typically consisting of five players each, compete to score points by shooting a ball through the opposing team’s hoop, which is elevated 10 feet off the ground. The game is played on a rectangular court, with a hoop at each end. Players can move the ball by dribbling (bouncing the ball while walking or running) or passing it to teammates. Points are scored by making field goals from within the three-point line (worth two points) or from beyond the three-point line (worth three points). Free throws, awarded after certain fouls, are worth one point each. The objective of the game is to accumulate more points than the opposing team by the end of the designated game time, which is typically divided into quarters or halves. Basketball emphasizes skill, strategy, and teamwork, and is played professionally, at amateur levels, and in recreational settings around the world.