The Rules of Basketball

Home » Web Guides » Sports » Basketball

In This Guide

More Guides Under The Rules of Basketball

March Madness

Most Popular

Basketball: Nothing but the Net

Fans, players, coaches, and parents will find the Web to be an excellent source of basketball information. It has sites covering introductory topics, sites providing exhaustive statistics, resources for keeping on top of the latest scores from the league, and others offering advice on how you can improve your game. The Web will act as not only your personal coach, but as your statistician and commentator as well.

Expand All Guide Sections

The History of Basketball

The origins of basketball can be traced to 1891 when Springfield, Massachusetts P.E. teacher James ... read more »

The Rules of Basketball

Since James Naismith introduced his original 13 rules, the game of basketball has been evolving, with rules constantly being tweaked to adjust to changing times. The Web will help you learn the game's central tenets and help you keep up with the latest changes for all levels of play.

Dulcinea's Insight

You'll find the rules of basketball in two primary forms: brief summaries of the central rules of play, and detailed breakdowns of the official rules. If you're unfamiliar with basketball, start by looking at a summary. If you're a veteran looking for clarification on some nuance, or just plain curious to see the official rules, use one of the detailed breakdowns.

Basketball.com may present the best overview of the NBA's rules but if you're looking for specific information on associations beyond the NBA, check out USbasketball.com, which digs a bit deeper.

Dulcinea's Picks

For introductory information on the game of basketball ...

TopEndSports has a concise overview of basketball that's a good starting point for readers with little knowledge of how the sport is played. There's a significant amount of advertising in the margins, so be sure not to confuse it with the genuine content.

go to site »

Basketball.com has an in-depth rules area with subsections for the particular types of rules, including scoring and timing, the play clock, fouls and penalties, and more.

go to site »

The Basketball Hall of Fame has the original 13 rules of the game, as outlined by Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.

go to site »

For official rules ...

NBA.com has the National Basketball Association's official rules. You'll also find the official referee hand signals.

go to site »

WNBA.com has its 2007 official rulebook available in PDF form.

go to site »

The NCAA has a 184-page PDF file containing the official rules and interpretations for both men's and women's college basketball.

go to site »

FIBA.com is the online home of the International Basketball Federation; it has PDF versions of its official rules available for download.

go to site »

USA Basketball provides a thorough breakdown and comparison of basketball's rules across three different leagues: FIBA, NBA, and NCAA. It also has a detailed, 79-page summary of international basketball rules.

go to site »