Amateur Basketball Rules

The rules of basketball are similar no matter if it is amateur or professional. Depending on the level of amateur basketball the rules will change as well. The principles of scoring and teams are universal throughout the various leagues. Also, the object of the game remains the same.

  1. Object

    • The object of the game of basketball is to score the most points. There is one way to get points and that is to shoot the ball through the hoop. Each team has a designated hoop and any time a ball goes through it that team will receive points, even if it is tipped in by a member of the other team. Amateur and professional basketball both have the same objectives.

    Time

    • The time varies depending on the league. For example, amateur children's leagues may have shorter times than adult amateur leagues. The Amateur Athletic Union, or AAU, is a nationwide league that children play in. There are different rules for quarter lengths depending on the age group. The youngest group is 8 year olds and they play 6-minute quarters. Some older players go on to play at the college level, 14 to 18 years olds play two 18 minute halves and 19 year olds play 20-minute halves--the same as the NCAA does. Overtime, if needed, is five minutes.

    Teams

    • Each team has five players at a time on the floor. The size of the team will vary depending on the amateur league. They will normally be at least ten players so that every player has a substitute. Five players must remain on the court at all times. In the AAU, there are allowed to be up to 15 players on the active roster. In professional basketball the active roster is limited to 12 players.

    Scoring

    • There are two ways to score. One is to shoot a field goal from out on the court. If the ball is shot and made from beyond the three point line, then the team will receive three points. If it is shot and made within the three point line then it will be worth two points to the team. The other way to score is off of penalties. If a person is fouled while shooting, he has either one or two free throws, depending on where the foul was committed. Each team has a designated amount of time to score which differs between leagues. This is called the shot clock and it resets every time the ball hits the rim. If a team does not shoot the ball within the shot clock time, they will lose the ball. In NCAA basketball, the shot clock runs down for 35 seconds; in the AAU, the shot clock is 30 seconds long.

    Fouls and Violations

    • There are various fouls that can result in shooting or the other team getting the ball. If a shooter is hit while shooting, then he will get to shoot free throws. A defender can not block the ball when it is on the way down after being shot; this is called goal tending and can result in the other teams getting shots. Once a player has dribbled a ball and picked it up, he can not start dribbling it again. That is called a double dribble. Also, a player can not take more than one step while holding the ball. Both of these will result in the other team getting the ball.

    Time Outs

    • The people who call timeouts vary between leagues as well. In professional basketball, only a player who is in the game can call a timeout. In the NCAA, a coach or a player in the game can call a time out. In the AAU a coach must call timeouts.