Basketball
Basketball is a team game in which players score by putting the ball through the other side's basket. In the five-a-side game a basket is worth 2 points, 3 from behind the three-point line and 1 for a free throw. A game is four quarters of 10 minutes, and a team must shoot within 24 seconds of gaining the ball. In 3x3, three players a side play at one basket; the first team to 21 points wins, or the team ahead after 10 minutes.
New to basketball? Start here
Which to watch first, and how long
Start with 5x5. The full game, five a side, with the scoreboard always showing who leads.
- 5x5
- Four quarters of 10 minutes on a stopping clock, with a 15-minute half-time
- 3x3
- One period of 10 minutes, or the first to 21 points
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Olympic Games (basketball)The title basketball is measured by, for both 5x5 and 3x3.Every 4 years · Holder: the United States won both 5x5 tournaments
- 2FIBA Basketball World CupThe 5x5 world title.Every 4 years · Holder: Men: Philippines
- 3Asian Games (basketball)Asia's multi-sport title.Every 4 years · Holder: South Korea won the men's and women's 5x5 and…
India
- Basketball at the Olympic Games: No medal; men 12th at Moscow 1980, their one Olympic tournament in the articles
- FIBA Basketball World Cup (men and women): No medal
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- United StatesBasketball at the Olympic Games: 28 golds, 2 silvers, 4 bronzes (latest 2024); FIBA Basketball World Cup (men and women): 17 golds, 4 silvers, 6 bronzes (latest 2026)
- Soviet UnionBasketball at the Olympic Games: 4 golds, 4 silvers, 4 bronzes (latest 1988); FIBA Basketball World Cup (men and women): 9 golds, 5 silvers, 2 bronzes (latest 1990)
- ChinaBasketball at the Olympic Games: 1 silver, 2 bronzes (latest 2020); Basketball at the Asian Games: 18 golds, 6 silvers, 5 bronzes (latest 2026)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | FIBA, Official Basketball Rules 2026 (valid from 1 October 2026) and Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 |
| International federation | FIBA (International Basketball Federation) |
| In India | Basket Ball Federation of India: recognised, on the MYAS list for 2026 under that name |
Where and when it is played
On a court with a basket at each end; 3x3 uses one basket on a court 15 metres wide and 11 long. The big events: the Olympic Games every four years (five-a-side and 3x3) and the FIBA Basketball World Cup every four years.