What Is Basketball?

Basketball is a game between two teams of five players each. The goal is simple: score more points than the other team by putting the ball through the opponent's hoop, a rim 10 feet off the ground.

Your team has the ball on offense and tries to score. When the other team has the ball, you play defense and try to stop them. Possession flips back and forth all game — after made baskets, steals, rebounds, and violations.

You can't run while holding the ball. To move it, you must either dribble (bounce the ball on the floor as you move) or pass it to a teammate. This single constraint creates almost everything interesting in basketball: footwork, spacing, teamwork, and skill.

A possession usually ends in one of three ways: a shot attempt, a turnover (losing the ball to the other team), or a violation (breaking a rule).

Basketball is easy to start and endless to master. A kid can learn to make a layup in an afternoon — and a college coach can spend 30 years studying the same pick-and-roll. This course takes you on that whole journey: rules, skills, team play, strategy, and finally coaching others.

Every topic in this academy unlocks the next. Master the fundamentals and the advanced stuff will feel natural.