There are quite a few terms that people use when discussing basketball, such as terms about basketball positions. Some of these terms are more common than others. Without further ado, here is an explanation of 10 common basketball terms that people use when discussing the sport.

Basketball Terms Explained: 10. Motion Offense

There are many offensive systems that a coach can run. One of them is the motion offense. The motion offense is fairly straightforward and refers to an offensive system that involves players moving and cutting constantly in order to create opportunities to score. The Golden State Warriors use the motion offense and this helped them achieve great success in the NBA.

9. Man-to-Man Defense

In addition to the many offensive systems, coaches can run a variety of defensive systems, as well. One of the most common defensive systems is known as man-to-man defense. This defense is pretty self-explanatory.

Man-to-man defense means that each defensive player is responsible for guarding a certain offensive player. This system can work well if the team has plenty of good defensive players. Man-to-man defense is also usually fairly simple, meaning that the team can run it without too much instruction from the coach.

8. Assist

This term is a return to a discussion about offense in basketball. The term ‘assist’ is widely used when discussing all levels of basketball, from high school basketball all the way up to NBA basketball. An assist refers to a pass that leads to someone scoring on the offensive end.

However, an assist has to mean that the pass directly leads to the other player scoring. That is the main difference between the term ‘assist’ and ‘hockey assist’. A hockey assist means that a player passes to another player and the other player then gets an assist. This is not the same thing.

Basketball Terms Explained: 7. Bonus Free-Throw

Free-throws are quite a simple concept in basketball. A player receives free throws if they are fouled while shooting. The number of free-throws depends on where the player took the shot. However, bonus free-throws also exist.

A team being ‘in the bonus’ means the other team has fouled them more times than they are allowed to in a single half. As a result, any foul against a team in the bonus leads to free throws. This is essentially a punishment for excessive fouling in a single half and can benefit the team in the bonus greatly.

6. Screen

This is another term that anyone who has watched basketball for a while has definitely hard. It is also a pretty simple concept. In a basketball context, a screen refers to an offensive player moving into a defensive player’s way and standing still to help another offensive player become open. Players have to stay still after they set the screen, since a moving screen is illegal in basketball. Typically, larger players set screens, although modern basketball has seen smaller players set screens more often.

5. Zone Defense

Man-to-man defense is one common defensive system, as discussed. The other common defensive system is zone defense. Zone defense is the opposite of man-to-man defense and doesn’t involve defensive players guarding certain offensive players. Instead, defensive players defend a particular area of the basketball court in zone defense.

This means there is less of a focus on individual matchups. Zone defense is a good option for teams with less skilled defenders, since it limits the reliance on one-on-one defense. Of course, many coaches, especially in the NBA, switch between zone defense and man-to-man defense in a single game depending on the game’s circumstances.

Basketball Terms Explained: 4. Sixth Man

This is one more term that anyone who watches basketball for any decent amount of time is sure to hear. As is well-known to anyone who follows basketball, each team starts with five players on the court. However, naturally, these five players can’t play the entire game.

The term ‘sixth man’ refers to the first player who enters the game after coming off the team’s bench. Typically, the sixth man is the team’s best player outside of the five players who typically start games for the team. The sixth man role is crucial and there is even an NBA award for ‘Sixth Man of the Year’.

3. Rebound

This is the first term on this list that applies to both offense and defense. Naturally, players sometimes miss shots in basketball and other players will try to retrieve the ball as a result. A rebound means a player retrieves the ball after someone misses a shot.

Offensive rebounds refer to a player grabbing the ball after another player on their team misses a shot. Defensive rebounds refer to a player getting the ball after a player on the opposing team misses a shot. Rebounds often prove pivotal to a game’s outcome, especially in close games.

Basketball Terms Explained: 2. Point Guard

There are five main positions in basketball: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The point guard, also known as the ‘one’, is the player who runs the offense and passes the ball to try to create scoring opportunities. Point guards are often the smallest players on the team. However, in recent years, there has been a trend toward larger point guards, especially in the NBA. Point guards are usually the best passers and dribblers on the team, allowing them to set up the offensive effectively.

1. Pick and Roll

Many categories of plays exist and this is one of the most common categories. The pick and roll is a tried and true offensive play in basketball. It involves one offensive player setting a screen and moving toward the basket while the other player drives forward and then passes.

Typically, the player setting the screen is a larger player, such as a small forward, power forward, or center. The player who drives and passes is usually a smaller and quicker player, such as a point guard or shooting guard. This speed helps them get past their initial defender and force a double-team, leaving the player rolling to the basket open.

That concludes the explanation of these 10 common basketball terms.