In the NBA, WNBA, and NCAA basketball, each team can play a maximum number of five players on the court. If a team breaks this main rule, they will lose possession of the ball. Sometimes this inadvertently happens, particularly at low levels of the game, when substitute players check into the game and others don’t leave the court in time.

To win the game, a team must score more field goals than the other team. A field goal refers to any basket a player scores during gameplay. Field goals can be worth two or three points. Field goals shot from inside the arc that designates the three-point line on the court are worth two points. Field goals shot from outside the arc are worth three points. Field goals can take the form of jump shots, layups, slam dunks, and tip-ins.

Teams have a limited amount of time to shoot the ball during a given possession. In the NBA and WNBA, teams are allowed 24 seconds of possession before they must shoot, while NCAA teams are allowed 30 seconds. A shot clock mounted above the hoop on each side of the court displays and counts down the time allotted. If the shot clock elapses, the opposing team forfeits the ball and becomes the defensive team.

After the offense scores a basket, the opposing team receives possession of the ball. One of their players has to inbound the ball from a designated spot on the sidelines of the court to resume gameplay. The player has five seconds to pass the ball to another player on his team, or else the team loses possession. The defender cannot contact the ball when the offensive player is trying to inbound it, or the referee can issue a technical foul.

Once an offensive team advances the ball past the half-court line, the ballhandler may not cross that line again, or a referee will award possession of the ball to the opposing team.

During gameplay, the player with possession of the ball must stay within the designated inbounds lines marked on the court. If a player steps out of bounds or touches this line with their foot while holding the ball, the referee will award possession to the opposing team. Additionally, if a player shoots the ball while their foot is touching the line and the shot is successful, it will not count.

The defending team’s goal is to prevent the offensive team from scoring by either stealing the ball, blocking the ball from entering the basket, or using defensive tactics to prevent an offensive player from shooting and scoring.

The area directly in front of the basket is sometimes referred to as “the paint” or “inside the key.” Offensive players may not camp out in this area waiting for the ball or an offensive rebound. Any individual player can spend a maximum of three seconds at a time in the space before they have to move. Once they step out of the paint, they can return. If the referee notices a player hovering in the paint for over three seconds, the team will receive a three-second violation.