Editing Basketball (section)

===Playing regulations===
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Games are played in four quarters of 10 ([[FIBA]])<ref>[https://archive.fiba.com/asp_scripts/downMana.asp?fileID=1260 FIBA Official Basketball Rules (2010)]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Rule 4, Section 8.1 Retrieved July 26, 2010</ref> or 12 minutes (NBA).<ref>[http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf NBA Official Rules (2009–2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152818/http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf |date=January 11, 2012 }} Rule 5, Section II, a. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref> College men's games use two 20-minute halves,<ref name=college>[http://www.ncaapublications.com/DownloadPublication.aspx?download=BR11.pdf 2009–2011 Men's & Women's Basketball Rules] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806220855/http://www.ncaapublications.com/DownloadPublication.aspx?download=BR11.pdf |date=August 6, 2012 }} Rule 5, Section 6, Article 1. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref> college women's games use 10-minute quarters,<ref name="2015 NCAA women's changes">{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13038918/ncaa-approves-change-four-quarters-women-basketball |title=NCAA panel approves women's basketball rules changes |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN.com |date=June 8, 2015 |access-date=June 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609063239/http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13038918/ncaa-approves-change-four-quarters-women-basketball |archive-date=June 9, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> and most United States high school varsity games use 8-minute quarters; however, this varies from state to state.<ref name=highschool>{{cite book |editor1-first=Mary |editor1-last=Struckhoff |title=2009–2010 NFHS Basketball Rules |year=2009 |publisher=[[National Federation of State High School Associations|National Federation of High Schools]] |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |page=41}} Rule 5, Section 5, Article 1</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Mark |title=Varsity basketball games will have two 18-minute halves next season |url=http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/preps/varsity-basketball-games-will-have-two-18-minute-halves-next-season-b99526786z1-309878981.html |access-date=July 11, 2018 |work=Journal Sentinel |date=June 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711191648/http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/preps/varsity-basketball-games-will-have-two-18-minute-halves-next-season-b99526786z1-309878981.html |archive-date=July 11, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> 15 minutes are allowed for a half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules<ref name=college /><ref>[http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf NBA Official Rules (2009–2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152818/http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf |date=January 11, 2012 }} Rule 5, Section II, c. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref><ref>[https://archive.fiba.com/asp_scripts/downMana.asp?fileID=1260 FIBA Official Basketball Rules (2010)]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Rule 4, Section 8.4 Retrieved July 26, 2010</ref> and 10 minutes in United States high schools.<ref name=highschool /> [[Overtime (sports)#Basketball|Overtime]] periods are five minutes in length<ref name=college /><ref>[http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf NBA Official Rules (2009–2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152818/http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf |date=January 11, 2012 }} Rule 5, Section II, b. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref><ref>[https://archive.fiba.com/asp_scripts/downMana.asp?fileID=1260 FIBA Official Basketball Rules (2010)]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Rule 4, Section 8.7 Retrieved July 26, 2010</ref> except for high school, which is four minutes in length.<ref name=highschool /> Teams exchange baskets for the second half. The time allowed is actual playing time; the clock is stopped while the play is not active. Therefore, games generally take much longer to complete than the allotted game time, typically about two hours.

Five players from each team may be on the court at one time.<ref>[https://archive.fiba.com/asp_scripts/downMana.asp?fileID=1260 FIBA Official Basketball Rules (2010)]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Rule 3, Section 4.2.2 Retrieved July 26, 2010</ref><ref>[http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf NBA Official Rules (2009–2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152818/http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf |date=January 11, 2012 }} Rule 3, Section I, a. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.ncaapublications.com/DownloadPublication.aspx?download=BR11.pdf 2009–2011 Men's & Women's Basketball Rules] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806220855/http://www.ncaapublications.com/DownloadPublication.aspx?download=BR11.pdf |date=August 6, 2012 }} Rule 10, Section 2, Article 6. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-first=Mary |editor1-last=Struckhoff |title=2009–2010 NFHS Basketball Rules |year=2009 |publisher=[[National Federation of State High School Associations|National Federation of High Schools]] |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |page=59}} Rule 10, Section 1, Article 6</ref> [[Substitution (sport)|Substitutions]] are unlimited but can only be done when play is stopped. Teams also have a coach, who oversees the development and strategies of the team, and other team personnel such as assistant coaches, managers, statisticians, doctors and trainers.

For both men's and women's teams, a standard uniform consists of a pair of shorts and a [[jersey (clothing)|jersey]] with a clearly visible number, unique within the team, printed on both the front and back. Players wear [[high-top]] sneakers that provide extra ankle support. Typically, team names, players' names and, outside of North America, sponsors are printed on the uniforms.

A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach (or sometimes mandated in the NBA) for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer than one minute (100 seconds in the NBA) unless, for televised games, a commercial break is needed.

The game is controlled by the [[Official (basketball)|officials]] consisting of the referee (referred to as crew chief in the NBA), one or two umpires (referred to as referees in the NBA) and the table officials. For college, the NBA, and many high schools, there are a total of three referees on the court. The table officials are responsible for keeping track of each team's scoring, timekeeping, individual and team [[Personal foul (basketball)|fouls]], player substitutions, team [[possession arrow]], and the [[shot clock]].