Basketball Rules of the Game

Lessons

Senior 6 · Physical Education

Basketball Rules of the Game

5 lessons

Lesson 4 of 5

Scoring system and player positions

25 min

Is a three always worth more than a two?

A 3-point shot scores half as much again as a 2-point shot, yet it is taken from at least 6.75 m and goes in less often. A coach who knows the rules of scoring and the percentages of her players can decide which shots her team should take. This lesson sets out how points are scored under Article 16 of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026, how a game is won, and the five playing positions that turn rules into a team plan.

Definition

Field goal: a goal scored from play (2 or 3 points), as opposed to a free throw (1 point).

Goal: made when a live ball enters the basket from above and stays in it or passes through it.

3-point goal area: the whole court except the area inside and on the opponents' 3-point line.

Positions 1 to 5: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and centre.

How points are scored

Situation	Points
Successful free throw	1
Goal released from the 2-point area (including a foot on the 3-point line)	2
Goal released from the 3-point area	3
Last free throw touches the ring, then a player legally taps it in	2
Accidental goal in a team's own basket	2 to the opponents, entered for the opponents' captain on the court
Deliberate goal in a team's own basket, or the ball passing up through the basket from below	Violation: no points

Where a shot counts from is decided by where the shooter last touched the floor: a player who jumps from behind the 3-point line and lands inside it has made a 3-point attempt.
A shot in the air when the game clock or the shot clock sounds counts if it goes in.
To catch the ball and shoot after a throw-in or a rebound of the last free throw, the clock must show at least 0.3 seconds. With 0.2 or 0.1 s, only a tap or a direct dunk can score.
The team with more points at the end of playing time wins. A team that cannot field 5 players 15 minutes after the start time, or refuses to play, loses by forfeit, 20–0. A team left with fewer than 2 players on the court loses by default: the score stands if the winners lead, otherwise it is 2–0.
In a round-robin league, a win earns 2 classification points, a loss 1, and a loss by forfeit 0.

Worked example

Worked example 1: totalling a score. Team A scores 18 two-point goals, 7 three-point goals and 12 of its 16 free throws.

Points = 18 × 2 + 7 × 3 + 12 × 1 = 36 + 21 + 12 = 69. Missed free throws score nothing, so the 16 attempts do not enter the total. In the same game A6 is fouled while making a 3-point shot: the 3 points count and she gets 1 free throw, a possible 4-point play.

Worked example

Worked example 2: points per shot (illustrative figures). A team makes 50% of its 2-point attempts, 36% of its 3-point attempts and 75% of its free throws.

2-point attempt: 0.50 × 2 = 1.00 point per shot.
3-point attempt: 0.36 × 3 = 1.08 points per shot.
Being fouled while missing a 2-point shot gives 2 free throws: 2 × 0.75 = 1.50 points.
Conclusion: open threes and drives that draw fouls are worth more than contested mid-range twos. But if the team's 3-point accuracy fell to 30%, a three would be worth only 0.90 points, so the plan depends on the players.

The five positions

No.	Position	Main job	Typical qualities
1	Point guard	Brings the ball up, calls the play, starts the offence; first defender on the ball	Ball-handling, passing, vision, leadership
2	Shooting guard	Scores from the perimeter, often from 3; second ball-handler	Shooting range, moving without the ball
3	Small forward	Scores from wing, drive and mid-range; guards the opponents' best wing	All-round skills, athleticism
4	Power forward	Rebounds, screens and scores near the basket or from the elbow	Strength, rebounding, mid-range shot
5	Centre	Scores and defends close to the basket; protects the rim; key rebounder	Height, reach, footwork in the post

The numbers are roles, not fixed places. Modern teams often play "positionless" basketball, where any of the five may handle, shoot or post up. The rules shape every role: the 3-second rule keeps the centre moving in and out of the restricted area; the 8 and 24-second clocks make the point guard push the ball; the no-charge semi-circle tells the centre where to stand to draw a charge.

Team defence

Player-to-player (man-to-man): each defender guards one opponent.
Zone (2-3, 3-2, 1-3-1): each defender guards an area; a 2-3 zone protects the basket but leaves the corners and wings open to 3-point shots.
Press: pressure over the whole court to force an 8-second violation or a turnover.

Video: "Basketball Positions and Roles", SIKANA English. Note what each position does in attack and in defence, then compare with the table above.

Tip

Coaching point. In a school team, rotate young players through all five positions in training before fixing roles: a tall pupil who only learns the centre's job may never learn to dribble or pass, and the modern game needs both.

Warning

Common mistakes. A foot on the 3-point line makes the shot worth 2, not 3. A missed three that a team-mate taps in from near the basket counts 2, because the tap is the scoring shot and it was released from the 2-point area. An accidental goal in the team's own basket is not a violation: it counts 2 for the opponents.

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Practice

How many points does a goal score from (a) a free throw, (b) a jump shot with the heel on the 3-point line, (c) a jump from behind the arc landing inside it?
Team B scores 23 two-point goals, 6 three-point goals and 14 free throws. Find its total.
The game clock shows 0.2 s when Team A throws in under its basket. Can a catch-and-shoot score? What can?
A Team A player accidentally taps the ball into his own basket. What is recorded?
Team C has only 4 players at the venue 15 minutes after the scheduled start. What is the result?
In a league, Team D wins 5 games, loses 3 and loses 1 by forfeit. How many classification points does it have?
Name the five positions and give the main job of each.
A team makes 48% of its twos and 31% of its threes. Should it shoot more threes? Show the points per shot.

Show answersHide answers

(a) 1; (b) 2, the line belongs to the 2-point area; (c) 3, location is where the shooter last touched the floor.
23 × 2 + 6 × 3 + 14 = 46 + 18 + 14 = 78.
No: 0.3 s is needed to catch and shoot. Only a tap or a direct dunk can score.
2 points to the opponents, entered on the scoresheet for the opponents' captain on the court.
Team C loses by forfeit, 0–20, and receives 0 classification points.
5 × 2 + 3 × 1 + 1 × 0 = 13.
Point guard (runs the offence), shooting guard (perimeter scoring), small forward (all-round wing), power forward (rebounds, screens, inside scoring), centre (post play, rim protection, rebounds).
Twos: 0.48 × 2 = 0.96 points per shot. Threes: 0.31 × 3 = 0.93. Slightly less, so not simply more threes; it should look for better (more open) threes and shots near the basket.

Remember

1 for a free throw, 2 inside or on the arc, 3 from beyond it; location = where the shooter last touched the floor.
Accidental own goal = 2 to the opponents; deliberate = violation.
0.3 s to catch and shoot; 0.1 to 0.2 s only a tap or dunk.
Forfeit 20–0; default: score stands or 2–0. League points: win 2, loss 1, forfeit 0.
Positions 1 to 5: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, centre.

Sources and credits

Official Basketball Rules 2026 (version 1.1, July 2026), FIBA: Articles 11, 16, 20 and 21 and Appendix D summarised, not copied.
Basketball positions, Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted by Ganzaa.
Video: "Basketball Positions and Roles", SIKANA English, embedded from YouTube.
Positions diagram, tables, worked examples and practice: written by Ganzaa.

This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1Is a three always worth more than a two?

2How points are scored

3The five positions

4Team defence

Is a three always worth more than a two?

How points are scored

The five positions

Team defence