Show all 179 words (168 more)
Shots and the Basket
Dribbling and Passing
Basketball Positions
The Basketball Court
Fouls and Violations
Defense and Rebounds
Team and Scoreboard
Shots and the Basket, continued
Finger roll A layup in which the ball slides off the shooter's fingertips and floats high over a defender. Floater A soft try lofted in a very high arc over taller defenders. Also called a tear drop or a runner. Free throw An unguarded try worth 1 point, taken after a foul from a line 15 feet from the backboard. Granny shot An underhand try, sometimes used with both hands at the foul line. Hook shot A one-handed try made side-on to the basket with a sweeping arm that finishes over the head. Jump shot A try released at the top of a leap, from above the head, in a high arc toward the basket. Jumper The short, everyday name for a jump shot. Layup The most basic shot: leap close to the basket and bounce the ball in off the backboard. Prayer A long try with very little chance of going in, often from far behind the arc. Putback Grabbing a missed shot on offense and scoring right away, without a dribble. Rainbow shot A long try that goes in after a perfect, very high arc. Rim The steel ring of the basket, 18 inches across, with the net hanging from it. Set shot An older way to shoot, with both feet staying on the floor. Leaping shooters replaced it. Step back A quick hop away from the defender that makes room to shoot. Swish A basket that drops through the net without touching the rim. Three-pointer A basket made from beyond the big arc painted around each basket. It counts for 3. Tip-in A missed try tapped into the basket by a player who never catches the ball. Trey A nickname for a basket worth 3. Triple is another.
Dribbling and Passing 28
Assist A pass that leads straight to a teammate's basket. Scorers count them for every player. Backdoor A play in which a player without the ball slips behind the defense for a pass and an easy score. Baseball pass A long one-handed overhand throw, like the one a pitcher makes. Blind pass A throw sent one way while the passer looks another. Also called a no-look. Bounce pass A throw to a teammate that hits the floor once on its way. Chest pass A two-handed push of the ball straight from the body to a teammate. Crossover A quick bounce of the ball from one hand across to the other to change direction. Dime Slang for an assist. To drop one is to set up a teammate's score. Dish Another name for an assist. Dribble To bounce the ball on the floor with one hand, over and over, while walking or running. Drive To dribble hard past a defender toward the basket. Euro step After the dribble: a stride in one direction, then a quick second stride in another. Fast break Rushing the ball up the floor before the defense has time to set up. Give and go Pass to a teammate, run to an open spot near the basket and get the ball right back. Hesitation A split-second freeze during the dribble that tricks the defender. Hesi for short. Inbound To throw the ball in from outside the lines and restart play. Isolation A play that clears one side of the floor so the ball handler can go one on one. Iso for short. Jab step A short, sharp poke of the free foot, made before dribbling, to test the defender. Jump stop Landing on both feet at the same moment, so that either foot can become the pivot. Kickout A pass from the paint out to a shooter waiting beyond the arc. Offense The team with the ball, and its plan for scoring. Outlet pass The throw a rebounder makes to a teammate to start a fast break. Pick and roll A teammate blocks the ball handler's defender, then cuts to the basket for a pass. Pivot To spin on one planted foot while holding the ball. Also an old name for the center. Post up To set up near the key with your back to the basket, ready to receive a pass. Pump fake Starting a shooting motion and stopping, so that an eager defender leaps too early. Screen Standing still in a defender's way so that a teammate can get free. Also called a pick. Triple threat The ready position of a player who has just caught a pass and has not dribbled yet.
Basketball Positions 23
Backcourt A team's guards as a group. Also the half of the floor a team is defending. Ball handler The player dribbling the ball, or any player who is skilled at it. Ball hog A player who keeps shooting and rarely passes to teammates. Benchwarmer A player who sits for most or all of a game and rarely gets onto the floor. Center The five: usually the tallest player on the floor, who plays close to the basket. Chucker A player who takes lots of shots, many of them unwise. Cornerman An old name for a forward. Frontcourt A team's center and forwards as a group. Also the half of the floor a team is attacking. Gunner Slang for a player who fires up far more shots than the team would like. Playmaker A name often given to a good point guard, who sets up many baskets for teammates. Point forward A forward who handles and passes well enough to direct the team's offense. Point guard The one: usually the shortest player and the best at handling and passing the ball. Power forward The four: plays a role much like the center and scores close to the basket. Reserve A player who begins the game on the bench. Role player Not a star, but a teammate who helps with one job, such as defense or rebounding. Shooter The player taking a shot. At the foul line, opponents may not interfere with this player. Shooting guard The two: a backcourt player who is often best at scoring from long range. Sixth man Not a starter, but usually the first player to come into the game off the bench. Slasher A player who mostly attacks by driving hard to the basket. Small forward The three: considered the most versatile of the five main positions. Starter One of the five players on the floor when the game begins. Swingman A player who can fill in at either shooting guard or small forward. Tweener A player who can play two positions but is not an ideal fit for either one.
The Basketball Court 22
Arc The curved 3-point line around each basket. Backboard The flat board behind the basket, 6 feet wide and 3.5 feet tall in regulation play. Baseline The boundary line at each end of the floor, behind the basket. Also called the end line. Center circle The ring in the middle of the floor where the game starts with a jump ball. Charity stripe A joking nickname for the foul line. Court The playing floor: a rectangle with a basket at each end. Downtown Slang for far from the basket, well beyond the 3-point arc. Elbow The spot where the foul line meets the side of the lane. Free-throw line The mark 15 feet from the backboard where a fouled player shoots unguarded. Gymnasium The kind of indoor hall the game was invented for in 1891, for exercise during long winters. High post The part of the floor beside the foul line, where the key is farthest from the hoop. Hoop Another name for the basket. Its top sits 10 feet above the floor. Key The marked area in front of each basket: the free throw lane plus the circle at its top. Lane The painted strip from the end line to the foul line. Attackers may stay in it only 3 seconds. Low post The part of the floor nearest the hoop, just outside the key on the left or the right. Maple The wood that most polished indoor floors are made of. Net The open mesh that hangs from the rim. A swish touches nothing else. Paint A nickname for the key, often meaning just the colored part below the foul line. Peach basket The first goal, nailed up in 1891 with its bottom intact, so the ball had to be fetched out. Perimeter The floor beyond the key but inside the big arc. Restricted area A half circle under the basket where a standing defender cannot draw a charge. Wing The area on either side of the floor, outside the lane and level with the foul line.
Fouls and Violations 25
And-one The free throw given to a shooter who was fouled while scoring. Bonus Once the other team passes a set number of fouls, new ones send your team to the line. Carrying Letting the ball come to rest in the hand in the middle of a dribble. It counts as a turnover. Charge An offensive foul: the player with the ball runs into a defender who is not moving. Double dribble Bouncing the ball, holding it, and then bouncing it again. The other team gets the ball. Flagrant The kind of foul called for excessive contact that could injure an opponent. Flop A fake or exaggerated fall meant to draw a foul call against an opponent. Foul Breaking a rule, most often through illegal contact. It can cost the ball or give up free throws. Goaltending Illegally touching a shot that is on its way down toward the basket. Held ball Players from both teams have a grip on the basketball at once, with no foul by either. Jump ball An official tosses the basketball up between two opponents, who try to tap it to a teammate. Kicking Striking the ball with a foot or leg on purpose. Play stops and the other team inbounds. Over the back A foul for pushing or climbing on an opponent who already has rebounding position. Over-and-back A violation: the offense brings the ball past midcourt, then touches it behind that line again. Palming Gripping the ball at the top of its bounce, a habit that gets whistled as a carry. Referee The official who enforces the rules and keeps order, with a whistle and hand signals. Signal A hand sign an official makes to show which foul or violation was called. Technical The kind of foul given for unsporting behavior without contact. People on the bench can get one. Three seconds The longest an attacker may stay in the lane while the team has the ball. A rule since 1936. Travel To take too many steps without dribbling, or to move the pivot foot illegally. Turnover Losing the ball to the other team before getting a shot off. Up and down A kind of travel: leaping with the ball and landing without letting go of it. Violation Breaking a rule in a way that is not a foul, such as traveling. The other team gets the ball. Walk A plain word for traveling: moving with the ball without bouncing it. Whistle What every official wears, and blows to stop play for a foul or a violation.
Defense and Rebounds 24
Block To tip a shooter's try on its way up so that it misses. Board A short nickname for a rebound. Box out To keep an opponent behind you with a wide stance and arms, so you reach the miss first. Box-and-one Four defenders cover areas in a square while the fifth shadows one opponent. Cherry picking Skipping defense to wait near the other basket for a long pass and easy points. Defender A player on the team without the ball, trying to stop a score. Defense The team without the ball, and the work of stopping the other side from scoring. Double team Two players covering the ball handler at once. Also called a trap. Full-court press Defensive pressure over the whole length of the floor, starting at the inbound pass. Get back A shout that tells a team to hurry across half court and set up to stop the other side. Guard To cover an opponent closely. Also either of the two backcourt positions. Hang time How long a leaping player stays in the air, from liftoff to landing. Intercept To catch a pass that was meant for an opponent. Loose ball A basketball that neither team controls, such as one bouncing away after a miss. Man-to-man A defense where every player covers one particular opponent. Pack Slang for swatting a shot hard to the floor the moment it leaves the shooter's hand. Rebound To grab the ball after a missed shot bounces off the rim or the backboard. Rejected What a shot has been when a defender blocks it. Steal To take the ball from an opponent by catching a pass or knocking away a dribble. Swat To knock an opponent's shot well off course. Switch When defenders trade the players they are covering, often to get around a screen. Transition The moments just after the ball changes sides, before either team is set up. Vertical jump How high an athlete can rise off the floor from a standstill. Zone A defense in which each player covers an area of the floor, not one opponent.
Team and Scoreboard 28
Basketball The sport itself, and its ball, which was brown until an orange one arrived in the late 1950s. Bench The seats at the side of the floor, and the substitutes who sit there. Buzzer The horn that sounds whenever the game clock runs out. Coach The person whose game plan the players carry out, and who asks for time-outs. Double-double Ten or more in two categories in one game, such as 12 points and 14 rebounds. Forward A position. The usual five are two guards, a center and two of these. Halftime The long rest at the midpoint of a game. Headband A sweatband worn around the forehead, popular with players since the 1970s. Heating up What a player is doing when most of his or her shots start to drop. High-tops Shoes that rise over the ankle, a favorite style in the 1970s and 1980s. Jersey The team shirt, with a number on the front and back that no teammate shares. One-on-one An informal game with a single player on each side. Overtime Added play that settles a game still tied after the last regular period. Quarter One of the four periods that many games are split into. Two of them make a half. Rock A slang name for the ball. Run A spell in which one side piles up points while the other barely scores. Scoreboard The display of points and time. Many light up the word Bonus when a team is over the foul limit. Scorer A table official who keeps track of each team's points and every player's fouls. Shorts The lower half of the uniform, which took over from long pants in the 1920s. Shot clock A countdown timer. The team with the ball must shoot before it reaches zero. Statistician A member of the team staff who keeps the numbers, such as rebounds and assists. Substitute A player who comes into the game in place of a teammate. Three-on-three An informal game with a trio of players on each side. Timekeeper A table official who looks after the game clock. Timeout A short clock stoppage that a coach asks for in order to meet with the players. Tipoff The start of the game, when an official tosses the ball up in the center circle. Triple-double Ten or more in three categories in one game, such as points, rebounds and assists. Uniform The matching jersey and shorts. The home team usually wears the lighter color.
How this list was compiled: 179 basketball words chosen and defined for this site, in seven themed lists (shots and the basket; dribbling and passing; positions; the court; fouls and violations; defense and rebounds; team and scoreboard) plus three cross-cutting lists: the 24 single-word favorites that open the page, 35 short words of 3 to 5 letters and 21 long words of 9 to 12 letters. 70 entries have a space or a hyphen (Jump shot, Hook shot, Bank shot, Set shot, Finger roll, Free throw, Three-pointer, Air ball, Buzzer beater, Alley-oop, Rainbow shot, Granny shot, Step back, Tip-in, Circus shot, Bounce pass, Chest pass, Outlet pass, Baseball pass, Blind pass, Pump fake, Euro step, Jab step, Jump stop, Pick and roll, Fast break, Post up, Give and go, Triple threat, Point guard, Shooting guard, Small forward, Power forward, Sixth man, Role player, Ball hog, Point forward, Ball handler, Peach basket, Center circle, Free-throw line, Charity stripe, High post, Low post, Restricted area, Double dribble, Three seconds, Over-and-back, Over the back, Up and down, Held ball, Jump ball, And-one, Box out, Man-to-man, Full-court press, Double team, Get back, Cherry picking, Box-and-one, Loose ball, Vertical jump, Hang time, Shot clock, Double-double, Triple-double, High-tops, Heating up, One-on-one, Three-on-three); the grid hides each as one run of letters and the list shows it as typed. Inside any one list no word contains another, forwards or backwards, which is why Guard sits with the defense and Forward with the team, away from Point guard and Small forward, why Rim and Basket sit with the shots, away from Perimeter and Peach basket, and why Pass, Pick, Post and Ball are not entries of their own. No clue contains its own word, because the clue replaces the word in clue mode. The words are generic names of shots, moves, positions, places, calls and equipment: no league, team, tournament, trophy, arena, player, product or brand name is included. Figures that change with the level of play were left out (quarter and half lengths, shot clock seconds, the distance of the 3-point arc, court length and width, ball size, foul limits); the figures kept are the ones the cited articles give for regulation play at nearly every level: a rim 18 inches across and 10 feet up, a backboard 6 feet by 3.5 feet, a foul line 15 feet from the backboard, 1, 2 and 3 points, five players a side, the 3-second lane rule of 1936. Definitions are our own wording; on 2026-09-20 the clues that ran close to a cited article were rewritten. Facts were checked on 2026-09-19 against these English Wikipedia articles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_basketball_terms , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_court , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_moves , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_positions , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_basketball , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_uniform , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backboard_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_(ball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_throw , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-point_field_goal , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_goal_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slam_dunk , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layup , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_shot , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_shot_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_roll , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossover_dribble , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_step , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assist_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alley-oop , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_break , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick_and_roll , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebound_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steal_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_defense , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-to-man_defense , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full-court_press , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveling_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_dribble , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrying_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_seconds_rule , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goaltending , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_foul_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_foul , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagrant_foul , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnover_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_ball , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_clock , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_ball , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzzer_beater , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_guard , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_(basketball) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_man , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-double . Spellings follow those articles, in their American forms. Licence: own work