Shot: a toss of the basketball (aimed at the basket) by a player on the offense, with the intention of scoring (putting the ball through the basket from above).

Rebound: the recovery, of a shot that didn't score.

Free throw line: a line that's painted 15 feet (4-1/2 meters) outwards from either basket. It runs parallel to the backboard and forms the top of the rectangular area known as the key.

Free throws: after a foul, the fouled player will step up to the freethrow line for two freethrows. (Each shot is worth one point.) Free throws are uncontested shots--the fouled player shoots without any defenders guarding them. The rest of the players line up on the side of the key and can only move after the shooter releases the shot.

Slam dunk: perhaps the most dynamic play in basketball. It occurs when a player jumps high enough to get one or both hands (depending on how they hold the ball) above the basket. Then they'll thrust the ball through the basket. Also known as a slam, a dunk, a jam, and a cram.

Fast break: a quick transition from offense to defense, usually after a steal or rebound. The offense usually has an extra player advantage (because the defense is caught by surprise), and as a result, the offense gets an unguarded shot.

Key: a 10- by 15-foot area (roughly 3 by 5 meters) painted on the court in front of both baskets. An offensive player can occupy that area only for a certain length of time, and then must move out of it. If the player remains beyond the certain length of time, the referee calls a penalty on that player. Also known as the paint, since it's an area painted on the floor.

Jump ball or Tip off: every game begins with a jump ball at mid-court (the center of the court), where two concentric circles are painted on the floor. One player from each team faces his opponent in the smaller of the two circles. These two players will often be tallest players on the court. The players who are not jumping must remain outside the perimeter of the larger circle until the ball is tossed in the air by a referee. When the referee tosses the ball in the air, the two players will leap as high as they can and try to tip the ball to a teammate.

2torial #0543: Learn2 Understand Basketball (Continued) Grasp the history and primary objective In 1891, Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball and defined its primary goal--he nailed a vegetable basket (most people think it was a peach basket) to the wall of an indoor track and directed his students to "put the ball in the basket." And not too much has changed. Today, Dr. Naismith's vegetable basket has been replaced by a circular metal rim with a nylon net hanging from it. There are two of these in today's game, one placed on either end of a regulation-sized court. But the object of the game remains the same: "put the ball in the basket." Nowadays the game is played on regulation-sized court, with baskets at each end. Different shots are rewarded by one, two or three points. The team that gets the most points wins. Step 2