When dribbling a ball a basketball you want to keep the ball below your waist?
Daniel Moore
Published Jan 23, 2026
3. Keep the Ball Low: when you dribble the ball, you want to make sure the ball stays below your waist. The higher you dribble the ball, the easier the opponent guarding you can steal the ball away. The key to successfuly dribble the ball low lies within your body posture.
What part of your hand should touch the ball when dribbling?
The ball should be dribbled no higher than your waist, hitting the floor just in front and to the side of your rear foot. The forefinger of your dribbling hand should be pointing in the direction you are facing. Your entire hand should remain in the top half of the ball at all times.
What important factors are essential for effective dribbling?
It is important for the dribbler to have a low center of gravity with knees bent and chest and head over the ball. This will help players start, stop, accelerate and change direction. Change of pace and direction. The player should be able to cut and turn the ball quickly to avoid tackles or to exploit space.
Is it true that after a player stops dribbling the ball in basketball he or she is allowed 4 steps to pass or shoot?
After a player stops dribbling the ball in basketball, he or she is allowed 4 steps to pass or shoot. A player is allowed to pick up the ball when dribbling, stop, and then continue on dribbling if he or she permits.
When a team gains possession of the ball how many seconds do they have to put up a shot?
Time limits in basketball
After a team gains possession of the ball, they have 24 seconds to shoot.
25 related questions foundWhat does possession mean in basketball?
The possession arrow is one of several rules that differentiates college basketball from professional. Officially know as the alternating-possession procedure, it's defined in the NCAA rulebook as "a method of putting the ball in play with a throw-in rather than a jump ball."
How long can you keep the ball in basketball?
A player shall not hold the ball for 5 seconds or dribble the ball for five seconds while closely guarded. A player is considered to be closely guarded if they have control of the ball in the front court, and is guarded by an opponent who is within 6 feet of the player with possession.
Can I kick a basketball?
A player shall not kick the ball or strike it with the fist. Kicking the ball or striking it with any part of the leg is a violation when it is an intentional act. The ball accidentally striking the foot, the leg or fist is not a violation.
What is it called when a player dribbles picks up the ball and dribbles again?
In basketball, an illegal dribble (colloquially called a double dribble or dribbling violation) occurs when a player ends their dribble by catching or causing the ball to come to rest in one or both hands and then dribbles it again with one hand or when a player touches it before the ball hits the ground.
How important is dribbling in basketball?
In basketball, dribbling is a fundamental skill in which a player uses one hand to continuously bounce the ball on the court. Dribbling helps you control the ball, advance it toward the hoop, and create distance between you and your defender.
How do you dribble successfully?
5 Steps to Learn How to Dribble a Soccer Ball
- Use your arms. When you dribble with speed move your arms as you would when you sprint without the ball. ...
- Stay in an athletic position. ...
- Use the front of your feet. ...
- Use your place foot correctly. ...
- Raise up your knee. ...
- Shield and dribble. ...
- Look at the ball less. ...
- Dribble with a purpose.
Why is dribbling a basketball one of the most important skills?
Dribbling. Dribbling is easily the most important skill for any basketball player to master. Without good dribbling and ball handling skills you won't be able to move down the court with the ball, which could mean you'll end up with moving violations instead of points.
Who changed the game of basketball?
In Elgin Baylor: The Man Who Changed Basketball, Bijan C. Bayne tells the story of how a kid from the streets of segregated Washington, DC, who didn't attend college until he was over twenty, revolutionized basketball and stood up for his rights.
Did the YMCA invent basketball?
James Naismith wrote the sport's original 13 rules as part of a December 1891 class assignment at a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) training school in Springfield, Massachusetts.
What was the first ball used in basketball?
Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball. The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and it was only in the late 1950s that Tony Hinkle, searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike, introduced the orange ball that is now in common use.
Can you head the ball in basketball?
Jordan Mickey, an American basketball player, may have scored the weirdest basket of the year. Unprepared for a fast pass from BC Khimki teammate Stefan Marković, Mickey accidentally headed the ball onto the rim and into the net. The two-point basket extended the Russian team's lead to 36-24.
What is a kickball in basketball?
A kicked ball violation in basketball is the act of striking the ball with a player's leg or foot. If a kicked ball violation is called, the referee will give possession of the ball to the other team. There is always some controversy over what is and what is not a kicked ball violation.
Is it OK when dribbling a basketball to lose control of it?
A player who has already completed their dribble and puts both hands on the ball but doesn't control it, accidentally drops or fumbles the ball, it touches the floor and the player regains control of it again by picking it up. This is perfectly legal and no violation has occurred.
What are rules of basketball?
What Are the Rules of Basketball?
- Only five players per team on the court. ...
- Score more than your opponent to win. ...
- Score within the shot clock. ...
- Dribbling advances the ball. ...
- The offense has five seconds to inbound the ball. ...
- The offense must advance the ball. ...
- Ball and ballhandler must remain inbounds.
What is it called when you hold the ball in basketball?
Carrying, also known as “palming the ball” or “turning the ball over”, is a violation in basketball in which the ball handler allows their hand to scoop underneath the ball or places it on the lower half of the ball while dribbling, allowing the ball to come to a momentary rest.
What are the rules of playing basketball?
When a player has the basketball there are certain rules they must follow:
- The player must bounce, or dribble, the ball with one hand while moving both feet. ...
- The basketball player can only take one turn at dribbling. ...
- The ball must stay in bounds. ...
- The players hand must be on top of the ball while dribbling.
What is it called when you dribble and your hand is underneath the basketball?
Carrying is a violation in the game of basketball. It occurs when the dribbling player continues to dribble after allowing the ball to come to rest in one or both hands and/or places hand underneath basketball.
What is a tie up in basketball?
Over the years, the jump ball rule has been modified and changed to occur at the beginning of the game to determine possession, when players from both teams simultaneously possess the ball (the "tie-up"), when the basketball gets stuck on the rim or a variety of other unique circumstances where possession of the ball ...