HHoops Central

What to watch for in a single game

Start with one rule: the team in possession has a fixed number of seconds to get a shot up that hits the rim, and almost everything else on the floor is shaped by that countdown.

Browse the explainers

Court markings, positions, rules and competition formats, written out step by step.

Questions

How long is a game in real time?Forty minutes of playing time under international rules, split into four ten minute quarters, but expect around two hours from tip-off to the final buzzer. The clock stops on every whistle and every free throw, and the final two minutes of a close game can take fifteen or twenty minutes on their own.
What is the shot clock for?It forces a team to attempt a shot within 24 seconds of gaining possession, and the shot must hit the rim to count as an attempt. Without it a team could hold the ball and protect a lead indefinitely. After an offensive rebound the clock resets to 14 seconds rather than the full 24, which is why second chance possessions look so rushed.
How does a playoff format work?The regular season produces a table, the table produces seeds, and the seeds are paired so that the best-placed team meets the worst-placed qualifier. Ties are usually best of five or best of seven, with the higher seed hosting the extra home game. Losing one game does not end anything, which is why playoff series look tactically different from single knockout matches.
Which stats actually tell you something about one game?Shooting splits, turnovers, offensive rebounds and free throw attempts. Points scored tells you who took the shots. Field goals made over attempted tells you whether taking them was a good idea. Turnovers cost a full possession each, and offensive rebounds buy one back, so those two columns often explain a result that the points column does not.
Why do players foul on purpose at the end?Because a foul stops the clock. A team trailing by five with forty seconds left cannot afford to let the opposition run twenty four seconds off the shot clock, so it fouls immediately, concedes two free throws and takes the ball back with time still on the clock. It only works if the opposition misses, which is why the fouled player is usually the weakest free throw shooter on the floor.