What Size Basketball Should I Choose
The official size is 29.5 inches in circumference. This is the ball used in all high school, college and professional men’s games. Intermediate size is 28.5 inches around. Women’s high school, college and professional basketball players use this ball. It’s also a good ball for teenagers not ready for the larger size. Junior size is specially made for children under the age of 10. The ball measures 27.5 inches around and is ideal for smaller hands. Along with the size and materials of your basketball, don’t discount ball handling. Look for channeling on your basketball; it’s the separation between the basketball panels. The wider the panels, the easier to grip. Pebbling refers to the tiny dots on the basketball. Deeper pebbling allows for better handling.
Press: A defensive strategy where the defenders guard the opposing team the full length of the court instead of waiting on the opposite side for the offense to come across.
Post Up: An offensive strategy in which a player gets the ball in the post area with his or her back to the basket.
R
Rebound: When a player from either team retrieves the ball and gains possession after a missed shot.
S
Screen: An offensive strategy in which a player without the ball stands in the way of a defensive player. The offensive player must remain stationary during the process, or a moving screen will be called and the result will be an offensive foul and a turnover.
Swish: A made basket where the ball avoids the rim and touches nothing but the net, creating a "swish" sound.
T
Three in the Key: A penalty, which results in a turnover, where an offensive player stands inside the key or the paint area for three seconds.
Travel: A penalty, which results in a turnover, where an offensive player moves his or her pivot foot illegally or takes three steps without dribbling the ball.
Turnover: When the offensive team loses possession of the ball by way of an offensive foul, steal or out-of-bounds violation.
Z
Zone Defense: A defensive strategy in which players guard a specific zone or area of the court instead of a specific player on the opposing team.
Vocabulary (cont.)