March Madness is obviously a crazy time of the year, hence “Madness.” The odds of filling out the perfect bracket are one in a quintillion! Even if you’re not a big fan of college basketball, the NCAA DI Basketball Tournament is a great opportunity for having a good time with friends and the remorseless consumption of pizza and beer. But perhaps you’re no Dick Vitale and you look like a “b-ball” newbie compared to your friends. Take a look at this glossary to improve your basketball vocabulary and IQ in less than five minutes! This guide will get you through March Madness even if you’re in the company of the most avid college basketball fans!
3-Second Violation: A violation; when an offensive player remains in the paint (the painted region under the basket) for longer than 3 seconds.
Air Ball: An attempted shot that fails to hit any part of the basket—rim, net, backboard. You will know an air ball when you see one.
Alley Oop: An offensive play wherein one player throws the ball into the air close to the basket and another offensive player jumps up to grab the ball and score mid-air.
And One: An expression used to describe the situation in which an offensive player scores a basket while being fouled. As a result, the player tallies 2 points and gets to shoot a free-throw (i.e., his initial basketball “and one”).
Box out: A way to establish good rebounding position—the player widens his/her stance and uses his/her body to create a barrier between the opponent and the basket.
Brick: A bad shot that hits (or slams) off the backboard (or rim) and has no chance of going in.
Charity Stripe: Slang for the free-throw line.
Crossover: An offensive move that involves crossing the ball from one side of the player’s body to the other, and with a single dribble. If you’re confused, Google Allen Iverson.
Dime: Slang for a nice pass that sets up a teammate to score immediately.
Double Dribble: A violation; when a player picks the ball up (stops dribbling) and after this pause continues to dribble.
Downtown: Any spot in the area beyond the 3-point line.
Goaltending: A violation; when a player interferes with the ball (e.g. jumping up to block the shot) after it has passed the height of the rim and is in downward flight to the basket with the possibility of going into the hoop.
Handles: Slang to talk about a player with impressive ball-handling skills. Example: Wow, she has handles!
Lock-up D: Slang for really good, disturbing defense.
Rock: Slang for a basketball. Example: “Pass me the rock.”
Swish: A situation when the ball makes it into the basket without hitting rim or backboard.