Have you been wanting to play or just wondering what are the basic skills in basketball?
As a former basketball player and coach, there are many skills players can develop and get better at over time. That being said, there are some basic skills every player should first try to learn to help set the foundation of a good basketball player.
In no particular order, the basic skills in basketball are:
- Shooting
- Dribbling
- Passing
- Defensive Slide
- Stealing
- Blocking
- Rebounding
Some of the skills mentioned above are exclusively for offense and others for defense. Rebounding is the only basic skill that can be done on either offense or defense.
The basic basketball skills on offense include shooting, dribbling, passing, and rebounding.
The basic skills on defense include blocking, stealing, and rebounding.
Now that we know what the basic skills in basketball are, we will dig deeper into each individual skill to give us a better understanding of what they are and when they are used during the game.
Shooting
Shooting is exclusively for offensive possessions. It is when a player shoots the basketball to the basket and if it goes in would count as points for the team total. Players can shoot two-point baskets or three-point shots.
Free throws are shots that are rewarded to players and they are fouled, and those are worth one point. Layups and dunks are worth two points as well. Shooting is a critical component of basketball and would be beneficial to learn how to get better at shooting.
Dribbling
Dribbling can only be done on offense as well. It is when a player has the basketball and bounces it on the ground to move with the ball. If a player has the ball and wants to move, they must dribble the ball.
Moving without bouncing the ball will be called travel by the referees, and give possession to the other team. It is also important to note you can only dribble with one hand at a time. Dribbling with both hands at the same time is against the rules. This is known as a double dribble and will give possession to the other team as well.
Passing
Passing is the last exclusive basic skill for the offense. There are two main pass types in basketball, the bounce pass and the chess pass. The bounce pass is when a player bounces the ball off the ground to reach the other player.
A chess pass is the most common pass in basketball and the ball does not touch the ground. Passing is a great skill to have as it can help set players up to get a good shot and minimize turnovers.
Defensive Slide
A defensive slide is the most basic basketball skill a player should learn on defense. This is how a player learns to stay in front of the offense and move their feet to not get off balance. Having a great defensive slide collectively is the foundation to great team defense.
Stealing
Stealing is exclusively for defense and it is when a defensive player steals the ball from the offensive player. This is a basic skill in basketball since defense is a big part of winning the game as well.
Players should try to steal cautiously though, as constantly reaching and going for steals may cause them to foul. Stealing can happen face to face or from players coming to help from the opposite side
Blocking
Blocking is also for defensive passions only. A block is when the offensive player attempts a shot, but the defense essentially blocks the ball preventing it from going in.
Players should attempt to block with caution though. Similar to stealing, players may get called for a foul if they cause illegal contact. A good rule of thumb for defense is to always keep your hands up to prevent a foul call.
Rebounding
Rebounding can be done on offense or defense. Oftentimes they are referred to as offensive and defensive rebounds to help differentiate the two types. This is another reason why people in basketball tend to be tall. Having height does give a slight advantage in grabbing rebounds as their reach will be longer than most.
There is a lot of technique that goes into grabbing a rebound correctly, so it would be wise to develop a good understanding of how to properly rebound as a basic skill in basketball.
