NBA Guide: Scoring, rules, season structure and more

Everything you need to know about the NBA and how it works ahead of the upcoming season.

NBA Scoring System

How do teams score points in basketball?

The primary objective in basketball is to score more points than the other team, which can be achieved by shooting the ball through your opponent's basket.

Successful shots taken from inside the area encircled by the three-point arc in the opposition half are worth two points, while successful shots made from beyond the three-point line are - conveniently - worth three points.

Free Throws

A free throw is essentially a penalty awarded to the attacking team where an individual player attempts to score from behind the free-throw line with no one attempting to block the shot.

Free throws are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team. The number of free throws awarded depends on a variety of factors, including if the shot was missed during the foul and whether the shot was taken before or after the free-throw line.

Each successful free throw is worth one point.

NBA Game Structure, Teams & Rules

Game Clock

An NBA match is divided into four quarters of 15 minutes and there is a short break between each quarter, with half-time taking place upon conclusion of the second quarter.

The clock will run whenever the ball is in play and is stopped when the ball goes out of bounds, a foul is called, a timeout is called or during a free throw.

Shot Clock

When in possession of the ball, teams have a limited amount of time in which they must shoot. In the NBA, the shot clock is 24 seconds.

If the shot clock time elapses and no shot is taken, possession is forfeited to the other team.

Buzzer Beater

A buzzer beater is a shot successfully made just before the game clock expires and the buzzer sounds to signal the end of the match.

Tip-off

The tip-off is the start of a basketball game where the ball is thrown into the air and a player from each team attempt to takes possession of the ball.

How many players are in an NBA team?

NBA rosters are limited to 15 players during the regular season, of which 13 are active and two are on the reserve list.

In the postseason, teams are allowed to have up to 20 players on their squad.

On the court, a maximum of five players are permitted on court at a single time. In the event of a team breaking this rule - which can happen when substitutions are made - possession of the ball is given to the opposition.

The five players on court will consistently switch between offense and defense, depending on whether they're in possession.

What positions are in the NBA?

In basketball, there are five positions: center, power forward, small forward, point guard, and shooting guard.

Each role is bespoke and crucial to the outcome of a match. Certain roles accommodate certain players, for example the best shooter in the team will typically operate as the shooting guard.

Center

The center is typically the tallest player on the team as this enables them to operate effectively around the basket.

On offence, the center will look to capitalise on rebounds or pull off shots close to the basket, while on defence their duty is to block shots and rebound misses.

Power forward

The role of the power forward is very similar to that of a center, however they're given greater licence to take shots from a distance.

Small forward

A small forward is an all-action type of player who roams around the court contending against small and large players. Like power forwards, they can score from close-range or from distance.

Point guard

The point guard is essentially the orchestrator of a team's offence.

With a superior ability to pass and dribble, they will initiate attacks but also keep tabs on the opponents point guard, attempting to steal the ball and retrieve possession.

Shooting guard

As mentioned above, the shooting guard is normally the best shooter in the team.

They are able to make successful shots from a variety of angles and distances, while also possessing the ability to dribble like the point guard.

Fouls and violations in the NBA

What does 'goaltending' mean?

Goaltending is a violation in the NBA which involves a defensive player interfering with a shot on a downward trajectory towards the rim.

If a player commits this offence, an automatic field goal is awarded to the attacking team.

What does 'double dribble' mean?

In basketball, players advance the ball to the other end of the court by dribbling or passing.

Should a player stop dribbling, they're not permitted to start dribbling again and must either pass or shoot. If an offensive player continues to dribble after stopping, the referee will call a foul.

This is called a 'double dribble' and will result in the opposition team receiving the ball.

How many fouls are NBA teams allocated?

NBA teams are allotted a maximum of five fouls per quarter.

If they exceed that limit, officials will award the opposing team with free throws for every additional foul committed in that quarter.

NBA court size and layout

A rectangular shape, the dimensions of an NBA court are 94 by 50 feet (28.7 by 15.2m).

The sidelines are the two boundaries that run the length of the court. The baseline/endline are the ends of the court, behind the backboard. The baseline is used for the offensive end of the court, while the endline is the defensive end.

The mid-court line divides the court in half. In the NBA, once the ball advances beyond the mid-court line, offensive teams are not permitted to return back over it.

A crucial feature of a court, the 3-point line in the NBA is 22 feet around the basket, making an arc shape. Shots made from outside this line count as three points.

Inside the 3-point line is the free throw line, which is used as a boundary for when shooting free throws. 15 feet away from the backboard, players must not step on or over this line when shooting. The free throw line is within a free throw circle which has a diameter of 12 feet.

The centre circle also has a diameter of 12 feet and is positioned on the mid-court line. It's where the tip-off is conducted.

NBA Season Structure

What are the NBA divisions and how many are there?

The NBA is composed of 30 teams, of which 29 hail from the United States and one is situated in Canada.

Those teams are divided into two conferences (Eastern and Western) and each conference is divided into three divisions, each of which features five teams.

Eastern Conference Divisions

Who is in the Atlantic division?

• Boston Celtics
• Brooklyn Nets
• New York Knicks
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Toronto Raptors

Who is in the Central division?

• Chicago Bulls
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Detroit Pistons
• Indiana Pacers
• Milwaukee Bucks

Who is in the Southeast division?

• Atlanta Hawks
• Charlotte Hornets
• Miami Heat
• Orlando Magic
• Washington Wizards

Western Conference Divisions

Who is in the Northwest division?

• Denver Nuggets
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Portland Trail Blazers
• Utah Jazz

Who is in the Pacific division?

• Golden State Warriors
• LA Clippers
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Phoenix Suns
• Sacramento Kings

Who is in the Southwest division?

• Dallas Mavericks
• Houston Rockets
• Memphis Grizzlies
• New Orleans Pelicans
• San Antonio Spurs

How many games are played in an NBA season?

During the regular season, each team will play a total of 82 matches.

Every team will face opponents from their own division four times, meaning they will play a total of 16 divisional matches.

Each team will play six of the teams from the other two divisions in their conference four times and the remaining four teams from that conference three times.

Last but by no means least, each team will play all the teams in the other conference twice (one home, one away).