Basketball: Rules and how it works
Browse SportsMonkie's rules and how it works about basketball, organized in one crawlable topic hub.
9 articles in this topic.
What Is a Charge in Basketball? Charge vs. Block
A charge is an offensive foul called when a ball handler runs into a defender who has established legal guarding position. Here's the charge vs. block rule.
How Do the NBA Playoffs Work? Format Explained
The NBA playoffs are a 16-team, best-of-seven bracket: eight teams per conference, four rounds, ending in the NBA Finals. Seeds 7–10 reach it via the play-in.
How Does the NBA Draft Lottery Work?
The NBA draft lottery is a weighted random draw among the 14 non-playoff teams for the top four picks. The worst teams share the best odds, but nothing is guaranteed.
NBA Play-In Tournament Explained
The NBA play-in tournament decides the 7 and 8 seeds in each conference. Teams that finish 7th–10th play a short knockout for the last two playoff spots.
What Is a Flagrant Foul in Basketball?
A flagrant foul is unnecessary or excessive contact against an opponent. Flagrant 1 gives free throws and possession; Flagrant 2 adds an automatic ejection.
What Is a Technical Foul in Basketball?
A technical foul penalizes unsportsmanlike conduct or rule breaches, not contact, and gives the other team a free throw. Rules, examples and ejections.
Goaltending in Basketball: The Rule Explained
Goaltending in basketball is touching a shot on its way down above the rim. What separates a legal block from a goaltend, plus basket interference.
What Is the Shot Clock in Basketball?
The shot clock forces a team to attempt a shot within a set time, 24 seconds in the NBA. Learn how it works, the reset rules, and why it changed the game.
What Is a Double Dribble in Basketball?
A double dribble is a violation: dribbling with two hands at once, or picking the ball up and then dribbling again. It costs your team possession. Here's exactly what counts.