After watching my grandma move in, I’ve seen more basketball games than I can count. He looks at almost everyone, it seems, and while I’ve never played before, I played in high school. I realized that basketball lingo doesn’t make any sense if you don’t know anything about it, and I decided to explain it.
Glass – This is the back behind the hoop.
Paint (or key – This rectangular area, which is usually painted, not always under the hoop and inside the bow
Bucket – Getting a bucket is a shot; the bucket is a hoop.
Slam – This is another way of saying ‘Slam’; sometimes even furniture.
Tip – When a player jumps to shoot the basketball in such a way that it falls into the hoop after the shot is off, it is called a tip.
Kiss the glass – A phrase commentators refer to when a shooter uses the back of a shot to put it on the layman.
Field Goal – This is any shot from the floor, either two points or three.
Free Throws – Shots are given a decent chance to score.
Go to the line – This is what the commentators say the player will score a foul or a free throw.
Arch – A line in the shape of an arch around each hoop and which represents the space of three points.
Hook Shot – A shot that is made by hooking the ball over the head and the defenders with one arm is often the most difficult type of shot.
Sale Shots – A shot is very common, when the shooter drops off the floor in a shot usually with both hands on the ball. See more three-point shots for an example.
Air Ball/Brick – Terms used to describe bad shots. The ball of air does not strike anything, although it may skirt the skin. Both are used for offense especially against opposing teams.
Zone – This type of defense means that the defending team puts them in the paint and near the hoop to try and prevent the other team from getting to the hoop.
Man-to-man – Another method of defense, this type involves assigning each player to the other team, whom they will follow in any way on the court. This is where it says “take your husband” from.
Half-court/Pull-court pressure – The first means that is actively defended. /a> once they cross the middle of the court they attack the court, and the second time they attack across the whole court.
DROP PASS – When a player bounces the ball down the court to another teammate, it is a running pass.
Big Dance – The single biggest term in basketball right now is the big dance of the games, and every team wants to be “called to the big dance”!
March Madness – Another account of the Nederlands tournament.]
Sources:
Personal Use
