Basketball Passing: Passing Basics

26 Winning Basketball Principles
by Alvin Julian

Success in basketball is dependent upon 26 principles. These winning principles are fundamentally sound, simple to teach, easy to remember, and apply to any style of play or age group.
1. Protect the ball. Bad passes and low-percentage shots are the trademarks of a poor team.

2. Be careful on a lay-up. More games are won on lay-up shots than on any other, and more games are lost because of poor lay-up shots than by any other shot.

3. Basketball is a game in motion. Motion on the court is vital. Too many players stand still and beg for the ball. Players should always pass and move. This action will take their defenders away from the ball and open up the court for a teammate.

4. Always fake direction. Faking is important because it tricks opponents into making mistakes.

5. Move to meet the pass. Moving and meeting the pass is the stamp of a good ballplayer. Players who move and meet passes make it easy for teammates to get them the ball.

6. When in trouble, make a V-cut (i.e., “clear out”). A player in the wrong position on the floor should make a V-cut. This will open up the floor.

7. Don’t think for the opponents — be yourself. Play your game and do not spend time trying to figure out what your opponents are thinking.

8. One player cuts at a time. Always remember — only one cutter at a time. Two players cutting at the same time allows the defense to be in a position to either double-team the ball or stop the play.

9. Grab it — don’t tap it. Effective rebounders grab and secure the ball rather than tapping it.

10. Never force a shot. Never shoot a shot if closely defended. Before attempting a shot, make sure that you have teammates in rebounding positions.

11. Dribbling is an emergency measure. Nine out of 10 players dribble or bounce the ball before they do anything else. This is a bad habit because it limits a player’s opportunities.

12. Talk to your teammates. Talking on offense and defense builds team play. Talking encourages teammates. Talking on defense is vital when picking up loose opponents.

13. Never turn your head on defense. Players should never turn their heads to watch the ball when playing man-to-man defense. When players change from offense to defense, they should backpedal so that they can locate their personal opponent or help in case of a fast break.

14. Don’t cross your feet on defense. Successful defensive players move their feet in short steps when playing defense.

15. Hands up on defense. Tight-rope walkers use their hands for defense, and the good defensive player does likewise. Movement of the hands and feet discourages passing and shooting and shows that the defensive player is on the ball.

16. Watch your opponent’s belly-button. We like our defensive players to keep their eyes glued to a part of the offensive ball-player that can’t fool them — the belly-button.

17. Pick up the first man. When you are back or coming down the floor ahead of the rest of your teammates, pick up the first offensive player down the court, whether it’s your assigned player or not.

18. Don’t leave your feet on defense. Good defensive players keep their head up and their feet on the ground.

19. Get position for rebounds. Instinct and sensing the direction of the shot and the angle of the rebound enables players to move into the correct rebounding position.

20. If you can’t rebound, you can’t win. Good rebounding limits the opponents’ shots and this is the key to winning basketball games.

21. The first fast-break pass must be perfect. The fast break must get started with a quick outlet pass. If the first pass is a good one, the fast break is underway. After it’s started, it’s hard to stop.

22. You must make 70 percent of your free throws. There is no excuse for being a poor free-throw shooter. Practice, confidence, and the proper technique are the keys.

23. Keep the defense busy. If all five offensive players keep moving, their opponents cannot afford to sag or float. Moving with or without the ball forces the defense into making mistakes.

24. Don’t cross the backboard to shoot. A player should learn to shoot from both sides of the basket and with both hands.

25. Never underrate an opponent. Be ready to play every game. Overconfidence can affect a team’s play. It is wise to remember that it is only the underdog who can do the upsetting.

26. Practice does not always make perfect — if you practice the wrong thing. Players often work long and hard and make little progress because they are practicing incorrectly.

StreetDaddy

Happy Holidays,
Street

Our goal is to be able to help players and teams that cannot afford equipment such as sneakers, basketballs or tournament expenses. As a start, 100% of profits from our StreetDaddy t-shirt sales will be donated. We are doing our best to build-out the program through additional basketball related products and one or two sponsor/partner relationships.

We would like to hear from any coaches or commissioners who might need help with equipment and tournament expenses. We are also interested in hearing from potential partners that value helping youths.
Sincerely,
Marty ‘StreetDaddy’ Fox
Marty@StreetDaddy.tv
516-864-1262

Remember 100% of the profits from t-shirts go to helping less fortunate players and teams play ball! Send me your group or individual photos for inclusion on StreetDaddy.tv

Marty ‘StreetDaddy’ Fox

Become a Good Free Throw Shooter

We all know that good free throw shooting can mean the difference between winning and losing games.  In this article I will describe the fundamentals that go into proper stance, arc, release and the shot. Remember, it is important to understand the fundamentals but it is equally as important to practice, practice and practice some more to become the best free show shooter possible.

A Bit of Background:

A free throw is a shot taken from behind the free throw line as the result of a foul. The player is not guarded during the shot. Players shoot free throws in many different ways with varying degrees of success. Rick Barry shot underhand and was one of the best free throw shooters ever. Hal Greer took a free throw jump shot and hit for a high percentage. Great free throw shooters can hit in the 90% range

Free throw shooting is a combination of focus and technique. The Guinness Book of World Records for consecutive free throws made was set by Ted St. Martin who recorded 5,221 in a row in 1996. Of course, it is harder to hit them in games with pressure, the crowd and the fact that you cannot get into the same type of rhythm as when shooting them in practice or going for a record. Michael Williams holds the NBA record for consecutive free throws – 97.

The Free-throw lane:
Also called the “key” or “lane;” a 12-foot wide area extending from the baseline to the free-throw line. Players may not be in this area during a free-throw attempt.

Fundamentals:

Ok, let’s  get into the basics. Because the basket is not moving and your are not moving your feet during a free throw there are a limited number of variables we have to contend with.  At the beginning, as you learn to shoot, you will have to think about some of the steps below but as you practice more they will become second nature to you through repetition and you will quickly ‘do’ rather than ‘think’. That is the stage you strive to reach and you will! 

Here are the basics many good shooters use to shoot a high percentage:

• Left and right foot should be approximately shoulder width.

• Line the toes of your foot on the shooting side of your body up with the middle of the the free throw line directly in front of the rim. So if you are a righty, your right foot would be in the middle of the free throw line. In gyms with wooden floors there is usually a nail in the middle that you can use to line up the show. Your toes of that foot show be pointed at the basket (or slightly outward).

• Most, but not all, good free throw shooters start with an erect posture. Bill Bradley comes to mind as a very good free throw shooter who started in a crouched position.

• Your shooting hand should be under the ball but not directly behind it.  Rest the ball on the pads of your finger. The ball should not be held with the fingertips. The only part of the hand that should not be touching the ball is the palm. Your index finger and thumb should form a V shape, not an L shape.

• The last finger that should be on the ball when you release a free throw, or a jump shot for that matter, is your index finger. So position your index finger directly behind the ball. That will automatically place the rest of your hand off to the side a bit, which is proper. When you release the ball you will let it roll off your fingers which will give you good rotation and a ‘soft shot’.

Ok, now you are in position to take the shot.

• Relax your body. You do not want to be tense when you ‘play’ basketball. It is a game, have fun and you will get better results. When you take your free throw make believe you are at practice, just you and the basket. No outside distractions o pressures. Flex your knees, do not have them locked. Your legs play a big part in shooting.

• Use your off hand to balance the ball while in the shooting motion. That hand will not be on the ball when you release the ball.

• Fix your line of sight on the target for approximately 1 second. Many shooters fix on the back of the rim as it has been proven that most shots are short. Some shooters fix on the front rim. You will learn with practice what your target should be.

• Bring the ball up smoothly from the shooting pocket, through the line of sight and release above the eyes. The release for a free throw or a jump shot should not be at the shoulders, as I see so many players do, and the motion should be be up – not at the basket. You want to have enough arc and rotation to give you the best chance to make the shot. The angle of arc can increase the likely-hood of the ball going through the hoop and the rotation of the ball will dampen it if it hits the rim so that it will not take a hard bounce. Remember to keep your shooting elbow in – do not let it fly out. See the picture of Lebron in this article, his release point, elbow and line of sight are perfect.

Confidence is Key:

When you shoot be confident that you are going to make the shot. Great shooters have short memories; if you miss a shot forget it. You will make the next one. Shooters shoot. If your mechanics are correct and you use the same shot and arc every time you will hit a high percentage of your free throws. Think about it, unlike a jump shot or even a layup where you are moving often at a high rate of speed, when taking free throws your feet are stationary and the basket is stationary. The distance to the basket never changes. So the only variable is the arc. Get the release and the arc right and you will become a great free throw shooter.

I have shot many hundreds of thousands of free throws during the past 4+ decades. Probably the best advice I can give you for you to develop a stroke you can replicate every shot, rather than using a variety of shots. Important, STAY UNDER THE BALL. That is so important. In basketball when your shot gets ‘flat’ you diminish your chances of making the shot. So, stay under the ball, release up (not out) and release the ball with backspin by making your index finger the last finger on the ball.

Good luck and let me know how you make out at the line.

Marty ‘StreetDaddy’ Fox

I located the informative article linked below, ‘A Biomechanical Analysis by Skill Level of Free Throw Shooting in Basketball’,  through much article mining and hunting. The article was written in 1982 but it is timeless. It was presented at The International Symposium of Biomechanics in Sports in 1982. There are references to the examining date using the programming language FORTRAN in the article, which will bring back memories to some of you.  Also, there is reference to triangulation. As we know triangulation plays a part in many technologies such as GPS, which was not even available when the study was performed. I was so impressed by the study that I contacted the author Jackie L. Hudson of California State University for permission to publish it on StreetDaddy.tv. I thank Jackie for providing me with permission to make it available on StreetDaddy.tv.

I have republished it in pdf format, through the link below, as there are excellent illustrations of release-point and angle near the end of the study and I wanted to keep those intact. There is also a detailed listing of references which I am combing through and hopefully will be adding to StreetDaddy in the future after analyzing the content and securing the proper permissions.

The study comes to a number of conclusions which I will leave to you to leverage and to build on to improve your free throw shooting. For a more basic article in which I discuss the fundamental physical and mental approach to shooting free throws please read, ‘Become a Good Free Throw Shooter’ on StreetDaddy.tv.

I hope you enjoy, ‘A Biomechanical Analysis by Skill Level of Free Throw Shooting in Basketball’ , and again I thank Jackie for allowing me to make it available to you on StreetDaddy.tv.

Click here to open the pdf in a new window.

Marty ‘StreetDaddy’ Fox

Click here to open the Xavier Ball Handling Series pdf in a new window.

Marty ‘StreetDaddy’ Fox

Tips to Help You Play Good Defense

Intro to Defense:
Defense is keeping the offensive team from scoring – or even taking a shot. Defense is an art and comes from the heart (hey, I am a rapper so rhyming comes easy to me). While good offense comes and goes – the best shooters only hit 50% of their shots and often have ‘off days’ – good/great defense should be expected to be there every game. The axiom that offense wins games but defense wins championships is very true. Defense is my favorite part of the game and has always been my strongest asset. Playing great defense will make you a valuable asset to any team and will make you stand out during tryouts as most players are offensive oriented and coaches seek those rare great defenders. Best of all – you do not have to be a great athlete to play great ‘D’ – you just have to ‘want it’!

Tip – Proper Stance: Your feet should be shoulder-width and you should try to keep your feet balanced between the  balls of your feet and lightly on your heals as much as possible. It is often taught to put all of your weight on the balls of your feet but I believe that is a fallacy that will cut on your ability to react. You should be in a crouched position low to the ground which will allow you to react quickly and in a balanced manner to any move your offensive opponent might make. Keep your hands up and do not reach for the ball.
Tip – Play defense with your feet / slide your feet: When moving from side-to-side slide your feet without crossing them. This will enable you to maintain balance and react quickly to offensive changes in direction. Try to beat your opponent to the spot they are trying to go to. Remember, don’t reach!

Tip – take away the offensive players strength(s): Defenders should try to quickly learn the tendencies of the player they are guarding and take away their opponents strength(s). Do not allow the offensive play to ‘do what they want to do’. You as the defender should dictate the flow of play.

Play intelligently – if you see the player you are guarding favors his/her right hand then overplay them and force them left. If they favor their left hand force them right. In youth ball this is one of the most effective defensive techniques you can teach. Even at the pro level many players favor one hand over the other so ‘take away’ their dominant hand.

To overplay, position yourself nearer to your opponents ball hand rather than staying squarely in front of them. Do not let them go around you with their dominant hand.

If you determine your opponent has a great outside shot but cannot drive then play up close with a hand in their face and take away their outside shot. You would be surprised how many great shooters ‘crumble’ in the face of aggressive defense.

If you determine your opponent is a great penetrater/driver and very quick you can defend them by creating space on defense and forcing them into taking outside shots. Often they will ‘take the bait’ and put up bricks.

Tip – Jamming your Opponent:: When your opponent ‘gives up their dribble’ by stopping in no mans land jam them. As soon as they stop dribbling move close in front of them (get in their face) and place your arms in the passing lanes. If they expose the ball take it away. I often see offensive players expose the ball and timid defensive players do not take it away. Go for the ball and at least create a jump ball out of the situation.

Tip – Defending you opponent ‘off the ball’: All too often I see defenders getting  beat over-and-over again after their opponent has given up the ball. They will get ‘back doored’ or leveled with a hard pick due to ‘lazy’ non-focused defense.
The trick to ‘off the ball’ defense is to stay between you man/woman and the basket and keeping your arm in the passing lane to prevent a direct pass from the ball handler. Use your peripheral vision to keep your opponent and the ball in your visionary queue. This will come with practice. You do not want to put your back to the ball as it will enable your opponent to beat you with a sharp v-cut or great back-door (as I say in the StreetDaddy Rap Video or you may get leveled by a back-pick. With experience you will begin to ‘feel’ where the ball is and anticipate what your opponent will do in relation to the ball handler. For me, this is the fun part of playing ‘D’.

Tip – Defending offensive ‘fakes’:
A fake is when an offensive player using any part of their body including head and eyes to mislead a defender into thinking they are going to do something and then breaking down the defender by doing something unexpected. Effective faking is as much an art as a skill. If you have a little bit of an actor in you it can go a long way in helping you ‘sell’ the fake. Exaggerating a movement with your head or body helps ‘sell’ the fake and will put the defender at a disadvantage. We devote ample space on StreetDaddy.TV to help you improve your ‘faking’ skills.
On the defensive side I teach players to reduce the possibility of getting faked by watching the body/chest of the offensive player as you cannot get faked by the chest/mid-section – but you can when watching the head. As you become more experienced it is valuable to be able to read the offensive players eyes and body language, which will often tip off what they plan to do next.

Tip – Talk on defense: it is critical that you communicate with your teammates on defense. Often you will be faced with offensive teams that will try to pick you off the ball to free up the offensive player. In that type of situation you can either fight through the pick, go over or under it, or often it will be best to switch with the defender covering the player that is setting the pick. In essence, when the player you are covering goes around the pick you will switch assignments with your teammate. You will cover their opponent (the player picking you off the ball) and they will pick up your opponent. In situations like this it is important to communicate.

Man to man defense (woman to woman defense):
A very effective defense (if played correctly) in which each defensive player is responsible for an offensive player. This type of defense is usually the first type of defense taught to young players. After they learn to play it properly they can transfer many of the same skills to proper zone defense. Man to man defense takes a lot of practice and communication with teammates. A smart offense will try to set a lot of picks on the ball and off the ball to create mismatches. Defenders should try to quickly learn the tendencies of the player they are guarding and take away their strength(s). Do not allow the offensive play to ‘do what they want to do’. The defender wants to dictate the flow. On StreetDaddy.TV we have many resources to make you a better defender. It is StreetDaddy’s favorite aspect of the game.

Zone defense:
A defensive strategy in which each defender covers an assigned portion of the court. Playing great zone defense entails having the skills of a great man-to-man defender. It also entails knowing when to slide to a different portion of the zone to help out. For example, in a 2-3 defense when the ball goes to the corner the defender in that corner will converge on the ball, man in the middle will slide to the block on the strong side and the defender on the weak side will slide toward the middle to ‘help out’.

Pressing:
Defensive strategy whereby the defense picks up the offensive player/players from beyond the top-of-the-key. A press is typically employed full court / three quarters court / or half court. It can be extremely effective if the defense is quick and the offense does not have good ball handlers. The most effective way to ‘break a press’ is by spreading the court and passing out of the press. Often offensive teams will panic and try to ‘dribble through the press’. This can lead to turnovers. Often in youth basketball defensive teams are not allowed to press in the backcourt until 7th grade or beyond.

Trapping:
Two or more defenders converging on (double teaming) the ball handler. Trapping can be very effective at all levels. If you trap along the sideline you can use the line as a ‘third defender’ as Walt Frazier is fond of saying. When you trap the defenders should try to touch their inside feet to prevent the ball-handler from splitting them and breaking the trap. Hands should be kept up and arms out to block the passing lanes out of the trap.

Ok, apply the above and I am confident you will quickly improve your defense. In the near future I will get into some advanced defensive techniques and tips and tricks that will take your defense to a whole new level – even if you are an experienced baby boomer like me.

See you on the court,
Marty ‘StreetDaddy’ Fox

Have fun with these games – Marty ‘StreetDaddy’ Fox

H-O-R-S-E:

One of my favorite shooting games growing up and now (watch my Ultimate Skills Video and you will see why I rarely lose – if you want to play me let me know). H-O-R-S-E is a shooting game played with two or more players. The first player takes a shot and if the shot is made the other player(s) have to duplicate the shot. If a player misses the shot he is given a letter. The goal is to not get the five letters that spell HORSE. P-I-G is a variation of H-O-R-S-E with only three letters. In either game players employ imaginative shots that are difficult to duplicate. Take a look at the StreetDaddy.TV Ultimate HORSE Skills Video for some really tough to duplicate shots. I demonstrate behind the back shots, shots facing away from the basket, ball spinning shots, ball bouncing shots, even a 35 foot bank shot lifted from his foot…and Sharp Shooting Joe hits a corner shot from ‘another zip code’ with my hand in his face.

5-3-1

Every kid that grew up in New York knows this one well. Player takes a free throw for 5 points. Player next rebounds the ball (whether a make or miss) and must take the next shot from the spot of the rebound for 3 points. Player next rebounds the ball and must take the shot from that spot for one point. If all three shots are made the players goes back to the free throw line and continues. It is possible to got all the way to the winning score of 21 without missing. If at any time you miss the free throw and next two shots you lose all your points and go back to zero. Also, if you go over 21 you lose all your points. So if you hit free throw, second shot and last shot for a total of 9 points in two consecutive sets for 18 points you have to miss your free throw (or you go over and lose all your points) and then make the next shot for 3 points to arrive at 21.

If you practice 5-3-1 for a while you should have no trouble -running-the-table on your opponents. Generally if Sharp Shooting Joe or I went first in a game our opponents did not get the opportunity to shoot.

Around the world
Around the world is a basketball variant played by two or more players. In this game, a series of shots must be made in and around the key, allowing a player to advance to the next position. The first player to make a shot at each position advances until he reaches the end where he wins the match.

Play typically starts at the edge of the key on one side of the basket. If the shot is made, the player advances to the next position mark on the key. When a player has made shots on every position mark, they then advance to the corner of the free throw line. When a free throw is made, the player then advances down the other side of the key back toward the basket.

After the player has moved around the key, a shot must be made from directly under the basket. After that the player must make a shot from the center of the three point line.

If at any point a shot is missed, a player may ‘chance’, meaning he gets to take a second shot. If the second shot is made, the player advances as normal. If the player misses the second shot, then the player must go back to the start. The player has only one chance the whole game.

At any point a player may decide not to take the next option, and cease play. If a player exhausts his options or chooses to stop, play proceeds to the next player. The sequence of positions and shot options (chance) vary drastically between players and regions.

Some games require you to start with a layup, then once you go “around the world” you end with a layup on the opposite side that you started on, instead of having you shoot a three pointer.

Another game similar to this is called School. There are three different “layers” around the hoop similar to around the world. The first shot, which is the easiest, is called “Preschool” and it goes up to the hardest and farther away, which is called “College Senior” (unless you choose to go higher or lower). After the first six shots (which is close and the first layer) they move back to the second layer, and after those six shots, they move back to the final layer.

Another game which is similar is played exactly like Around the World, except you start directly in front of the hoop and move a step backwards after each shot, usually ending at half court. You can not give a letter if you take two shots.

Twenty-one
“Twenty-one” is a game that can be played with two or more players. Each player has his own score, with the winner being the first to reach 21 points. The game begins with one of the players “breaking”, which is to shoot one free throw  to determine if he of she starts the game. All other players attempt to stop the score; no player has any teammates at any time in the game. The player with the ball may shoot at any time, and may collect his own rebound and shoot again. On a defensive rebound, the rebounder takes possession and must clear the ball by dribbling it beyond the three-point line before taking a shot. Whenever a basket is scored, that player receives two points and goes to the free throw line, where each made free throw tacks on another one point to their score. The player is allowed to shoot free throws until he misses, at which point another player must rebound the ball, and the sequence starts again. This game can be played with the concept of tipped shots, where a player tips the ball in the basket off of a rebound of an opposing player’s missed shot, the original shooter’s score is reset back to zero. The game can also be played with deductions, such as minus one point when a player air-balls a shot or commits a traveling violation. Twenty-one is nearly always played in a half court game.

“The One”
“The One” is a variation designed specifically for five players, providing a solution for an otherwise inconvenient number. “The One” shares similarities with “Twenty-One,” but was invented to allow for a greater variety of offense and gameplay, rather than just repeated sessions of “one-against-all.”

One player is chosen to start as “The One,” and the remaining four players pair off into two teams of two. It is important to note that despite the teams, each individual keeps track of their own score. Whoever reaches a designated total first (usually 21) is deemed the winner.

To start the game, The One checks the ball with any opponent at the top of the key and tries to score against all four opponents. If successful, he takes the ball back to the top of the key, checks the ball, and tries to score again. While a player holds the title of “The One” his baskets count double: 2 points for a field goal and 4 points behind the arc.

If The One misses a shot, whichever team controls the rebound clears to the three-point line, and tries to score as a team. At this point, the game is effectively 2-on-3, with the teammates trying to score against the other pair of teammates, while The One provides an extra roaming defender. This is the key variation from “Twenty-One,” allowing for picks, passing, and other team-related play. When either teammate scores, both teammates receive equal credit for the basket- 1 point for a field goal and 2 points from behind the arc.

When a basket is scored, whichever teammate scored swaps positions with “The One”, himself becoming “The One” for the next round, while the previous One takes the vacated spot on the scorer’s old team. The new One checks the ball, and play continues as before. Play continues in this manner, with the most recent scorer becoming (or continuing as) The One, until one player has accumulated enough points to reach the designated total. The one exception is that you may not win the game as a result of a teammate’s basket. In other words, you must score your final point yourself.

War
Basketball “war” allows three or more teams to compete in the same game. Two teams will begin playing a standard basketball game. When a team scores, that team will stay on the court, while the losing team is replaced by the next team in rotation. The game is common in Physical Education
Physical education

In most educational systems, physical education class,Phys Ed, is a course that utilizes learning in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains in a play or movement exploration setting….
classes as an instructor needs to get a large number of people to play a game without crowding the court excessively. It is also sometimes used by high school coaches for practices to give one third of the team a quick break while the other two thirds are playing.

King of the Court
King of the Court is played with a group of people, usually 10 or more, but with a one on one occurring on a half-court at any time. The one on one plays out until one person scores from 1-3 point(s). Then, the winner stays, and the next person can ask to play next, and if nobody else opts to play, then that match occurs until all the players except the winner is left, and he is deemed King of the Court.

Knock Out

Knock Out (Sometimes referred to as “Bump” or “Lightning”) is played with at least two players although as many players as possible is suggested. Two basketballs are used. After order is established by forming a line from anywhere on the court (usually the top of the Key or the free throw line), all players must attempt their first shot from this point. The first and second players in the line get a basketball. Play begins with Player #1’s first shot, after that shot player #2 may shoot. If the first shot by a player is missed they must follow thier rebound and try to make a basket from anywhere on the court. The game at this point is between player #1 and #2 if player #2 makes a shot first player #1 is “knocked out” (eliminated from the game). If a Player #1 makes a shot first he passes the ball to player #3 (or if only 2 player are left, or it is a 2 man game they must return to the starting point and attempt to “knock out” player #2) The object of the game is to “knock out” the other players. Players may only touch their own ball.

Variations of the game include the ability to knock or bump the other players ball with your ball, the point of this is to put a player far away from the basket in a vulnerable position to be “knocked out” or to prevent being “knocked out” usually by standing under the basket and prevent the other ball from going in the basket by throwing your ball the wrong way through the basket. Because this rule can sometimes make the game unfair, another variation is that when knocking or bumping another players ball the ball must leave the players hands to make bumping more difficult.

Tip-it
Establish a set order of player rotation that never alters during the game. Allow the first person to shoot a free throw to start the game. This is called “breaking the ice”. The first successful free throw of the game counts as two points no matter who makes it. All subsequent free throws are worth one point. Let the second player rebound the ball and shoot it if the first player misses the free throw. The ball can’t bounce more than three times before being retrieved and shot. If the ball bounces more than three times and the player doesn’t get it, the player’s turn is forfeited. The ball is bounced by another participant for the next player. Make sure you jump every time before you handle the ball, you must be in the air when retrieving and shooting. Unless you’re shooting the free throw, you’re never allowed to touch the ball while your feet are on the ground this is called “grounding” and causes you to forfeit your turn. Play continues in this manner, rotating in the set order until a player makes a basket. Any shot made during this part of the game counts as two points. Shoot free throws after making a basket. Each free throw is worth one point. Continue to shoot free throws until you miss one. After three consecutive free throws the shooter then moves to the 3-point line (shots are still worth 1 point). There is no set limit to the amount of shots taken. Play continues after a missed free throw in the same manner as before. The game goes to 21 points. Although if a player misses the free throw with 20 points on the board they then drop to 15 points.

One-shot conquer
The game of “one-shot conquer” begins at the starting line, which is usually the foul line (though it is occasionally moved to around the three point perimeter). The first player takes a shot from the starting line. If he makes it in, he gets one point. If he misses, he runs after the rebound. He then must shoot the ball from where he picked it up. However many shots it takes him to make the ball in, that is how many points he gets. If it takes him 4 shots, he gets four points, etc. Some games set a limit as the maximum number of points you can get in a round, so it doesn’t get too out of control.

If the ball bounces far away from the rim where it is impossible to make it in or goes far behind the hoop, he can choose to take the shot from where he stands, or take that shot from the starting line, with a one shot penalty added to his score.

Also if you are playing this outside, the court may be on a slant, and the shooter may let the ball roll closer to the hoop before picking it up. To prevent this type of cheating, some games feature a set limit on when the ball must be picked up.

In terms of rebounding the ball, the player must take the shot from where his feet were when he picked up the ball. He cannot knock the ball forwards closer to the hoop in an attempt to pick it up. If this is done, he has to take the shot from where he first touched it. Also, the player can jump in the air and catch the ball, and then shoot from where he landed.

Once the first person finishes, the next person goes. Once everybody goes one time, the first round is complete, and the game proceeds for another four rounds. At the beginning of the fifth round, whoever has the most points goes first, second most goes second, etc. and it goes in order from highest to lowest in points.

If there is a tie after the final round, those people go into overtime (aka extra rounds), one round at a time, to see the final outcome.

After five rounds (or overtime), whoever has the most points is eliminated. Then you play another set, with everyone’s scores reset to 0, etc. You keep doing this until there is only two people remaining, and then you ultimately get the winner.

To save time and have more games be played, some people play with out elimination, meaning that whoever has the least points after five rounds (or overtime) wins, regardless of how many players.

Fives
This game of “fives” is played by 2 or more players. The shooting line is typically the top of the key, but can be moved to the foul line for younger players.

Before the game starts, select an order of play. All players (except the one shooting) should remain behind the shooting line, out of the line of play.

The first player shoots from the shooting line. If the shot is missed, the player must retrieve the rebound, and shoot from the spot that the rebound was retrieved. The other players are not permitted to interfere with either the ball or the player. The player continues to shoot until a basket is made, to a maximum of 5 shots. When the first player has made the shot, the next player begins shooting, again from the shooting line. This player must make the basket in the same number, or fewer shots than the preceding shooter. The next player then shoots, again from the shooting line and must make the basket in the same number, or fewer shots than the player that immediately preceded incoming player in shooting.

If a player takes more shots than the player that immediately preceded the incoming player, a point is added to that player’s score. Additionally, if a player is unable to make a basket in 5 shots or less, another point is added to that player’s score.

A player is eliminated from the game upon reaching 5 points. When a player is eliminated from the game, the player immediately following that player has up to 5 shots on the incoming turn.

The game continues until all but one player have been eliminated.

Tips
“Tips” is played with three or more players. The game starts with one of the players shooting a foul shot. Foul shots are worth 2 points and any other shot is worth 1 point. Once a player gets to 11 points they must give another player a strike; after 3 strikes the player are out. After a player shoots, the other players may try to tip (a tip is when a player is in the air and catches and shoots the ball before hitting the ground). A two hand tip takes away all of the shooter’s points, taking them back to zero. A one hand tip gives the shooter a strike, but they keep their points. All rules may be modified suit the players.

Some players become quite creative with the “shoot from where the ball was retrieved” rule, using one foot as a pivot foot, allowing them to adjust their shot.

If the ball is retrieved quite far from the basket, a player may play a “lob shot”, advancing the ball closer to the basket, but this counts as a shot taken.

Bounce
Play begins with the first player taking a free throw. If the player makes the free throw, they receive two points. They receive one point for each consecutive free throw. If a free throw is missed, the next designated player (maximum of 5 players) must let the ball bounce once of the playing surface, and attempt to make a basket, grabbing the ball while the player is in the air before the ball hits the playing surface a second time The shot must be released before either the player or the ball touch the playing surface again. This continues until a player makes a basket. If the player to make a basket is not the player who took the free throw, the cycle repeats. If the ball bounces twice or lands out of bounds, the player who took the free throw resumes taking free throws, but each freethrow is worth one point.

Before a game starts, players must decide on two point values that will takes a players point value down to zero. Bounce is generally played to twenty-one points, so players usually choose seven and thirteen.

42
Forty-two is a four player game with two players on each team. Both players shoot three-pointers from the corners, the wings and facing the basket. If someone makes the shot on a bank, it’s worth 4 points and if he or she makes the shot without banking it, they get three points. The other two players are at the basket and if they tip the ball in without their feet touching the floor with the ball in their hands, they get one point. An air ball is minus one and whoever gets to 42 first without going over, that team wins. But if a team gets 42 and they shot first, the other team still has to shoot because both teams must take the same number of shots. If one team goes around the world without either player making one shot, they go back to zero.

Firing Squad
Firing Squad is a variation of “Around the World”. The game is for 2 or more players and there are no teams. Each player has their own ball and must be the first to complete a series of predesignated shots(in terms of location and order) around the key, the foul line, and generally 3 shots behind the 3 point line(the corners and dead center). There is no predetermined order for the players to shoot in, nor do the players have to take turns. Players must retrieve their own rebounds after a missed shot and return to the spot they just missed from. Players can only advance after successfully making a shot. The game is completed when a player makes the final shot, but play can resume to determine a second place or more if necessary. The game’s necessary skills are shooting accuracy and speed, as a missed shot from longer range may lead to the need to track down a long rebound.

Partial source of this article is Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia plus original modifications and insight from StreetDaddy.tv. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

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