Basketball is a team sport where two teams, usually of five people each, play against each other on a flat rectangular court, with the objective of scoring points by making baskets with their basketball through the opponent’s hoop and preventing the other team from making baskets with their basketball through their hoop. Basketball is played between teams that are separated by a solid wall, floor, or even a series of ladders. Each team member receives two basketballs, each bearing a number that represents the same number of points his team has scored during the match. There are three different types of basketballs used in basketball; pocket, basketballs, and juggling balls. The number of pockets or balls used in a given game of basketball may differ depending on the rules of the game and the amount of fouls or time left on the clock before the match starts.
A typical basketball court contains a foul line, which marks the maximum allowed number of points that may be scored during an allotted period of time. There are two foul points in each half of the playing time, also known as the half-court mark, which means that a team must first get to the free-throw line before being able to shoot any free throws. In overtime, if the team does not have enough fouls or time on the clock to attempt a free throw, then the game is considered to have gone into a foul trouble scenario, in which the result is then immediately decided upon and play stopped. Overtime is typically the longest play in basketball, and overtime sessions are generally five minutes long unless called for by either team.
Basketball is played internationally, and teams frequently play up to five games a week, every week for about a month. Basketball can be played by as many as ten people, although a maximum of five per team is commonly accepted. It is played mostly in indoor arenas that do not offer a lot of space, and thus the players need to find some way to get the ball over the net and onto the other side for a score.