Air Ball

• Outline
  • Gameplay
  • Positions
  • Equipment
  • Official
  • Violations
  • Fouls
  • Strategy
• Techniques and Practices
  • Basketball Moves
  • Shooting
  • Layups
  • Slam Dunks
  • Posting Up
  • Rebounding
  • Passing
  • Dribbling
  • Blocking
  • Triple Threat Position
• Positions
  • Point Guard (PG)
  • Shooting Guard (SG)
  • Small Forward (SF)
  • Power Forward (PF)
  • Center (C)

In basketball, an air ball is a shot that misses both the rim and the backboard.

The Oxford English Dictionary cites earliest printed use of "air ball" in a 29 January 1967 article from the (Hayward, Calif.) Daily Review, which reads: "Cal State, four times lofting air balls at an orange basket that may as well have been painted invisible."

An air ball by an opposing player during a competitive game will usually prompt fans (primarily in the college game) present to chant “Aiiiir ball! Aiir ball!” repeatedly in a continuous drone to humiliate the shooter. Since the 1980s, it has become common to restart the chant the next time the shooter touches the ball. It has become one of the most iconic chants in college basketball.

Nevertheless, while the 1979 UNC-Duke game may have popularized the chant, the term does not originate from that date. American television announcer Keith Jackson can clearly be heard using the term "airball" in game five, during the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks 1972 National Basketball Association (NBA)The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world. The NBA was created on August 3, 1949, with the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). The league later adopted the BAA's history and considers its founding on June 6, 1946, as its own.National Basketball Association (NBA) championship series. With the score 69-65, Jackson's call is as follows: "Goodrich almost lost it to Monroe. Shoots. Short. Airball. Frazier rebounds. Bad shot by Goodrich."

• Outline
  

  SPORTS WORLD

  Basketball

  The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the opponents' basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An attempt to score in this way is called a shot. A successful shot is worth two points, or three points if it is taken from beyond the three-point arc 6.75 metres (22 ft 2 in) from the basket in international games and 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m) in NBA games. A one-point shot can be earned when shooting from the foul line after a foul is made.

  Rules and Regulations

  Gameplay: A jump ball is a method used to begin or resume play in basketball. Two opposing players attempt to gain control of the ball after it is tossed up into the air in between them by an official.

  Positions: During the early years of basketball's evolution, two guards, two forwards, and one center were used.

  Equipment: The only essential equipment in a basketball game is the ball and the court: a flat, rectangular surface with baskets at opposite ends.

  Official: Basketball is regarded as among the most difficult sports to officiate due to the fast speed of play, the complexity of rules that must be followed, the unique case-specific interpretations of rules, and the instantaneous judgement required.

  Violations: The ball must stay within the court; the last team to touch the ball before it travels out of bounds forfeits possession. The ball is out of bounds if it touches a boundary line, or touches any player or object that is out of bounds.

  Fouls: An attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through certain types of physical contact is illegal and is called a personal foul.

  Strategy: The playbook starts as a canvas picture of the basketball court with all its boundaries and lines. On top of that, the playmaker can draw O's for players on offense, and X's for players on defense.

• Techniques and Practices
  

  SPORTS WORLD

  Techniques and Practices

  Basketball moves are generally individual actions used by players in basketball to pass by defenders to gain access to the basket or to get a clean pass to a teammate to score a two pointer or three pointer. Basketball Moves »

  Shooting: Shooting is the act of attempting to score points by throwing the ball through the basket, methods varying with players and situations.

  Slam dunks: A slam dunk, also dunk or dunk shot, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball(s) above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by putting the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands.

  Rebounding: Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made, or the rebound allows the defensive team to take possession.

  Passing: A pass is a method of moving the ball between players. Most passes are accompanied by a step forward to increase power and are followed through with the hands to ensure accuracy.

  Dribbling: Dribbling is the act of bouncing the ball continuously with one hand, and is a requirement for a player to take steps with the ball.

  Blocking: In basketball, a block or blocked shot occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player.

RESOURCES
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles "Basketball", "Air Ball", "National Basketball Association" which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.