How do you play basketball?

There are two teams of five players and each team tries to get more points than the other by throwing a ball through a hoop (the basket).

You get more points for scoring depending on where you shoot from - the further away, the more you get.

The ball is moved around the court by bouncing it - called dribbling - or passing it between teammates.

Tackling rules

There are rules on how you tackle the other team to get the ball and also on how the ball can be handled.

Games are played in four quarters of 10 or 12 minutes with 15 minutes for a half-time break, and two minutes are allowed at the other breaks.

A limited number of stops are allowed - called time-outs- so the coach can advise the players. These usually last about a minute.