The Game of Basketball - an Introduction

THE GAME OF BASKETBALL - AN INTRODUCTION

Congratulations!  You have taken the first step in improving your basketball game this summer.  Basketball is a team sport.  Two teams of five players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop that is elevated 10 feet above the ground.  The game is played on a rectangular floor called a court and there is a hoop at each end of the court (also called a basket).  The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line.  If the offensive team put the ball into play behind the mid-court line, that team has ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line.  If the team fails to cross th eline before ten seconds, then the defense (other team) gets the ball.  The team with the ball is said to have possession of the ball.Once the offensive team gets the ball over the mid-court line, it can no longer have possession of the ball in the space behind the back of the mid-court line.  If this happens it is call a backcourt violation.  If the offensive team touches the ball before the defensive team in a back court violation, the defense is awarded the ball.

To move the ball down the court and toward tha basket players must pass or dribble.  The team with the ball is called the offense and the team without the ball is called the defense.  

To learn more about the game of basketball, check out this website: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com   Click on the Defense tab and learn about 3 different types of defense.   Think about your favorite kind of defense.

Your task is to become familiar with some of the basic terms in basketball and how the game is played.  You will used the information provided in the introduction and the website provided.  You should be able to name 2 ways to move the ball down the court.  The difference between offense and defense, how to describe a backcourt violation, and define possession.  You should also be able to name 3 different types of defense and explain which type of defense is your favorite and why.

Read the introduction page and view the website provided and answer the following questions:

1) What are two ways you can move the basketball on the court?

2)  Describe how a team has possession of the basketball.

3)  Name 3 kinds of defense in the game of basketball.

4)  What is a backcourt violation?

5)  The team has inbounded the ball and is dribbling toward the basket - is this team the offense or the defense?

6) What is your favorite type of defense and why?

Question 1 will count 4 points.  You can get partial credit for one correct answer.

Question 2 will count 2 points.

Question 3 will count 6 points.  You can get partial credit for each correct answer.

Question 4 will count 2 points.

Question 5 will count 2 points.

Questions 6 will count 4 points.

For a total of 20 available points for this WebQuest.

Congratulations! You have successfully completed your WebQuest.  You are on your way to learning the basics of the game of basketball.