Some Simple NBA Terms Defined

Ethan Melwani
4 days ago
2 min read

This site is called NBA For Dummies, after all. So here are some simple terms that all NBA fans should know:

Traveling:

Traveling is when a player moves their feet illegally while holding the ball.

If they catch the ball while moving, they can take up to two steps without dribbling before passing or shooting. More than two steps is a travel.

If they're holding the ball while standing still, they don't get those two steps. One foot has to stay planted as their pivot foot, and moving it before they start dribbling is a travel.

If a player travels, the other team gets the ball.

Goaltending:

Goaltending is when a player illegally touches a shot that still has a chance to go in while it’s on the way down, directly above the rim, or after it hits the backboard.

You also can’t reach through the rim or shake/move the rim, net, or backboard to affect the shot.

If a defender goaltends, the basket counts.

24-Second Violation:

A 24-second violation happens when a team doesn’t take a shot that hits the rim (or goes in) within 24 seconds of gaining possession.

The time remaining is shown on the shot clock above the basket.

If a 24-second violation is committed, the other team gets the ball.

Challenge:

A Coach’s Challenge lets a coach ask the referees to review certain calls using replay, such as fouls, out-of-bounds calls, and goaltending.

A team must have a timeout to use a challenge. Each team gets one challenge per game. If the challenge is successful, the call may be changed, and the team gets a second challenge.