basketball

Everyday

1. Basketball is a team game where players bounce the ball and try to throw it through a high hoop with a net. tree →
2. A basketball is the large orange ball used in the game. tree →

In the lessons

In PE lessons pupils learn to dribble, pass and shoot. A team has five players on court. Scoring: a basket inside the line is 2 points, from far outside the arc 3 points, a free throw 1 point. Basketball was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian teacher working in the USA. Phrases: play basketball, basketball court, basketball hoop, shoot hoops.

Examples

• We play basketball in PE. tree →
• He bounced the basketball down the court. tree →
• Each team has five players on the court. tree →
• She scored a basket from far away for three points. tree →
• The basketball hoop is very high. tree →
• Can I borrow your basketball? tree →
• Our team won the basketball match. tree →
• Tall players are good at basketball. tree →

Note

One word. The game is uncountable (play basketball, no «a»); the ball is countable (a basketball). Maths: count points — 2 for a normal basket, 3 from beyond the three-point line, 1 for each free throw. You must bounce (dribble) the ball while you walk; running with it is not allowed.