Alphabetical List of Basketball Terms

1-3-1 Zone : a type of zone defense that cuts off normal passing lanes and forces the offensive team to throw lob passes over the defense, pass slow bounce passes around the defense or attack off the dribble.

2-3 Zone : a type of zone defense that prioritizes taking away easy baskets; opting to allow more outside perimeter jumpers

4 Out, 1 In (41) : a modern basketball concept where four players start outside the three-point line and one player starts in the post

 5-Out (50) : a positionless offensive strategy where all five offensive players begin outside the three-point line

Assist : A pass that sets up a score.

Back Court : Area of the court farthest from the offensive team's goal.

Back Door Cut : A player approaches quickly from behind a defender toward the basket.

Back Screen: An offensive player moves away from the basket to set a screen for teammate.

Ball Reversal : Moving the ball quickly from side to side along the perimeter

Baselines: Also known as "end lines", the boundary lines extending across both ends of the court behind the baskets.

BLOB : Baseline Out of Bounds play

Blocking: Using the body to block an opponent.

Bonus Free-throw: Also called "one-on-one"; a free-throw awarded a team whose opponent exceeds the number of fouls allowed in a half.

Box Out: In an attempt to block an opponent and set up rebound opportunities, a defense player gets between a teammate and the basket.

Bumping The Cutter : defensive move where a player gets in the way of an offensive player who is trying to cut to the ball altering their movement

Change of Pace Dribble: Slowing down and speeding up dribble to get past an opponent.

Charging: An offensive player fouls by illegally contacting a stationary defense player.

Clear Out: To make room for the ball handler.

Control Dribble: A closely guarded low dribble.

Corner : the area of the court where the sidelines and baselines meet; shooters often occupy this space to encourage spacing

Cross Screen: A lateral advance to set up a screen.

Curl Cut: Used when the defender is behind the cutter, an offensive player cuts off a screen and heads toward the basket.

Cut: A quick advance by the offense toward a position to shoot or receive the ball.

Dead Ball: A ball that is not "alive" or in play.

DHO (Dribble Hand Off): the player with the ball moves towards another offensive player and hands the ball to them, similar to a QB to a RB

Down Screen: An offensive player moves toward the baseline to set a screen.

Drive: A brisk advance toward the basket with the aim of shooting.

Drop Coverage: A pick-and-roll defense in which the defender guarding the screener greets the ball-handler at or below the level of the screen until the ball-handler’s defender gets back in front of his original man.

Dunkers Spot: a location on the court outside the lane, but not quite to the short corner.

Elbow: The top corners of the free throw lane

Eurostep: a basketball move in which an offensive player picks up their dribble, takes a step in one direction, and then quickly takes a second step in another direction

Fast Break: A rush down court to beat the opponent to the basket.

Field Goal: A basket made while the ball is in play.

Field Goal Percentage: The number of field goals attempted.

Five-second Violation: Taking longer than five seconds to pass the ball inbounds to a teammate.

Flagrant Foul: Excessive or aggressive contact with an opponent.

Flare: offensive player sets a screen for a teammate who is moving away from the basket; used commonly in college/NBA to generate open perimeter jumper opportunities

Floor: The court area bordered by end-lines and sidelines.

Foul Line: The line 15 feet in front of the backboard paralleling the end-line from which free-throws are shot.

Free-throw: A free shot taken from the foul line awarded a player whose opponent committed a foul.

Free-throw Lane: Also called "the key", the area designated for free-throws 12 feet wide and running from the baseline to the free-throw line.

Free-throw Line: The foul line.

Front Court: The offensive area running from mid-court to the end-line.

Full-court Press: Opponents are guarded over the full range of the court.

Ghost Screen: a fake screen in basketball where the screener sprints away from the ball instead of screening for the ball handler

Goal-tending: Intercepting a shot that is either in the basket, or directly above it.

Half Court Press: Defense pressure placed on the opponent in the front court area.

Hash Mark: The mid-court mark.

Hand Check: A defender fouls by touching the opposing ball handler with one or both hands too many times.

Hedge: A defensive technique used to counter a screen in which the defender’s teammate sees the screen coming and steps up to prevent the offensive player from advancing, giving the original defender time to return to their match-up.

Help Side: Otherwise known as "weak side"; the half of the court absent the ball.

High Post: The area near the free-throw line.

Ice: A side pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender forces the ball-handler toward the sideline.

Inside Cut: An offensive player passes the ball to a teammate and then quickly advances toward the basket in order to receive a return

Intentional Foul: A defense player fouls in order to stop the clock.

In the Paint: Refers to the area within the free-throw lane that is painted a different color than the rest of the court.

Iso (Isolation): an offensive strategy to take advantage of a mismatch; moving other players away from the ball handler and allowing them to isolate the defender and create a play

Iverson Cut/Screen: consists of action that occurs when an offensive player who is initially on one side of the court, usually near a wing area, cuts through to the other side, which is typically the opposite wing area, ultimately to get open and receive the basketball.

Jab Step: Small sharp step with the non-pivot foot toward the defense player.

Jump Shot: A shot in which an offensive player's feet leave the floor.

Jump Stop: Jumping off of one foot, and returning on both feet at the same time in a parallel or staggered position.

Key: The free-throw and foul lane area of the court.

"L" Cut: An L-shaped cut sometimes used when a defender is in the passing lane.

Lane: Also called the "paint"; area extending from the end line to the free-throw line and 12 feet across.

Low Post: The area close to the basket.

Man-to-man Defense: One-on-one guarding of opponents.

Motion Offense: a free flowing basketball offense predicated on movement, screens, passing, spacing and recognition by the offensive players

Nail: the spot in the middle of the free throw line

Off the Dribble: Shooting the ball while advancing toward the basket.

One-and-one: A bonus free-throw is awarded when the opponent accumulates too many fouls in a half; the free-thrower takes a shot and if a basket is made, gets a second free- throw.

Out-of-Bounds: Outside the end lines and sidelines.

Outlet Pass: A rebounder passes the ball to an offensive teammate.

Over-and-back Violation: An offensive teammate returns a ball from the front court to the back court.

Paint: The free-throw lane area.

Perimeter: The part of the court that extends beyond the foul circle.

Personal Foul: Contacting a player in a way that may injure him.

Pick: An offensive player sets up a screen.

Pin down Screen: a perimeter player sets a down screen on an interior player allowing them to pop out to for a pass

Pivot: The center position; also the foot that remains stationary until a dribbler passes the ball.

Pocket Pass: a pass thrown from the hip or side of the body to a teammate through a gap between defenders

Post: The space on both sides of the free-throw lane.

Post Up: To be in a position near, but facing away from, the basket in order to receive a pass.

Press: Defense strategy with intent to force opponents into erring by guarding them closely for the entirety of the court

Pull-back Dribble: Pulling dribble away from the defense as a way to avert pressure.

On Ball Screen: an offensive player sets a screen for the player with the ball; the action following can include a roll to the basket, a flare or pop to the perimeter or a re-screen.

Rebound: Gaining possession of the ball after it bounces off the backboard or rim on a missed shot.

Reverse Pivot: Turning on the pivot foot while taking a step back.

Rocker Step: A jab step followed by a step back in preparation for shooting or driving the ball.

Screen: A offense player is positioned between a teammate and the opponent to clear the way for the teammate's shot at the basket.

Short Corner: a place on the court, near the baseline, roughly halfway between the lane and the three point line

Short Roll: a basketball play where the screener in a pick-and-roll cuts off their roll and stops near the free throw line instead of going all the way to the rim

Sidelines: The boundary lines that run the length of the court on either side.

Slip: consists of action that occurs when a certain offensive player initially begins to set a screen on a particular defender but then, that same offensive player swiftly cuts to the basket, typically before the screen is completely set.

SLOB: Sidelines Out of Bounds play

Spacing: The space between offensive players, generally 15-18 feet.

Stagger Screen: a play where two offensive players set off-ball screens for a cutter in a staggered formation

Strong Side: The side of the court containing the live ball.

Stunt: a defensive technique where a player quickly lunges at an offensive player, then retreats back to their assigned player

Stunt to a Touch: a defensive technique where a defender lunges at and makes contact with an offensive player who is not their assignment, then jumps back to their man.

Switch: a defensive tactic where two defenders switch the players they are guarding to disrupt the offense

Team Fouls: The number of fouls that a team has against it before going over the limit and its opponent is awarded a free-throw.

Three-second Violation: An offensive player is in the free-throw lane for longer than three seconds.

Top-of-the-key: The arc that runs beyond the free-throw lane.

Transition: A team switches from offense to defense, and visa versa.

Trap: Two defense players team up on the ball handler.

Triple-double: A player achieves double figures in three out of five offensive categories.

Turnover: The offensive team gives the ball up to defense.

UCLA Screen: a basketball offensive play that involves a high-post backscreen for the point guard after the point guard passes to the wing: 

"V"-cut: the act of a player on offense moving toward the basket and then away at a different angle to create space between that player and a defender

Weak Side: The side of the court absent the live ball.

Zone Defense: A defender carefully guards an area.