Basketball: English Vocabulary List

a variation of basketball adapted for players with disabilities who use wheelchairs, played with similar rules and objectives

"They play wheelchair basketball."

"Wheelchair basketball demands incredible skill and teamwork from its athletes who compete in specialized chairs."

(basketball) a shot taken close to the basket where the player lays the ball into the hoop

"The layup bounces off the backboard."

"The guard drove the baseline and finished with a reverse layup off the glass."

a high-energy shot in basketball where a player jumps and forcefully puts the ball through the basket

"The dunk shakes the rim."

"The forward soared above the rim and threw down a powerful two handed dunk."

(basketball) a shot made from beyond the three-point line, worth three points

"The three-pointer swishes through the net."

"The trailing player caught the pass and swished a three pointer as the shot clock expired."

an offensive play in basketball where one player sets a screen for a teammate with the ball, then moves toward the basket for a potential pass or shot

"The pick and roll creates open shots."

"The guard used a pick and roll to free himself for a mid range jumper."

the act of a player retrieving the ball after a missed shot or free throw in basketball

"The rebound leads to a fast break."

"The center grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up for two points."

(in basketball) to position oneself between an opponent and the basket to secure a rebound

"Box out your opponent for the rebound."

"The basketball player used his body to box out his opponent and secure the important rebound for his team."

a defensive strategy in basketball where each player guards a specific offensive player throughout the game

"Man-to-man defense guards the player"

"The team played man to man defense with each player guarding a specific opponent."

a defensive strategy where two players from the defending team focus their efforts on guarding a single offensive player

"The double team traps the ball handler."

"The defense sent a double team at the star player forcing him to pass."

(basketball) a shot taken from the free-throw line as a penalty for a foul, with no defenders allowed to interfere

"The free throw is taken from the line."

"The forward calmly sank both free throws after being fouled on a drive."

a timer used in sports, particularly basketball, that gives teams a limited time to shoot

"The shot clock resets to 24 seconds."

"The point guard launched a desperation shot as the shot clock expired."

a rule violation in basketball where a player dribbles the ball with both hands simultaneously or stops dribbling and then resumes dribbling again

"Double dribble is a violation."

"The referee called a double dribble when the player stopped dribbling and then started again."

(basketball) a penalty for unsportsmanlike behavior or rule

"The technical foul gives the other team one free throw."

"The coach received a technical foul for arguing with an official about a call."

a pass where the ball is thrown to the floor so that it bounces to a teammate in basketball

"The bounce pass goes under the defender's arms."

"The point guard delivered a bounce pass through traffic to the cutting forward."

(basketball) a throw made by pushing the ball from the chest using both hands directly to a teammate

"The chest pass is quick and accurate."

"The player made a sharp chest pass directly to his teammate's hands."

a deceptive move in basketball where a player pretends to pass the ball to mislead the defender

"The fake pass freezes the defender."

"The guard used a fake pass to make the defender jump before driving past him."

a defensive strategy in basketball where three players form a triangle shape to guard against the offense's scoring opportunities

"The triangle defense rotates to cover the paint."

"The triangle defense positioned three players in a triangular formation around the key."

a defensive strategy in basketball that combines elements of different defensive tactics, such as zone and man-to-man defense

"Combination defense uses man and zone principles."

"The team played a combination defense with man to man on the perimeter and zone inside."

an offensive foul in basketball where an offensive player runs into a stationary defensive player

"Charging is an offensive foul."

"The official called a charging foul when the offensive player ran over a set defender."

a one-handed shot made by swinging the ball in an arc over the player's head toward the basket

"The hook shot arcs over the defender."

"The center scored over his defender with a sweeping hook shot from five feet."