Basketball Backcourt

Basketball courts are divided into two halves, each containing a basket that teams try to score on. These two halves have names that are relative to which team is on offense, called the “frontcourt” and “backcourt.” Read on to learn more about the backcourt in basketball, including its different meanings and rules associated with the backcourt.

Basketball Backcourt

The backcourt in basketball is a team’s defensive half of the basketball court, which extends from the baseline to the midcourt line. The backcourt is relative to each team, whichever side of the court a team is defending is their backcourt and the opponent’s frontcourt, as well as the same team’s frontcourt, is the opponent’s backcoutt.

Backcourt Players

The term “backcourt” can also refer to the players who are located at the rear of a basketball formation. For a five-player team, the term backcourt refers to the shooting guards and point guards. The shooting guard-point guard combo is described as the backcourt in the media very often, as specialists debate which is “the best backcourt in the NBA,” as well as in the NBA All-Star Weekend voting, where fans choose the backcourt players.

Backcourt Violations

There are several violations in the game of basketball that are related to the backcourt. One example is the backcourt violation, where when crossing the midcourt line into the frontcourt, the attacking team cannot take the ball back into the backcourt unless it was deflected by the opponent.

Also, when inbounding the ball from the defensive baseline, a team has an allotted span of time to cross the backcourt into the frontcourt. Whenever this violation is committed, it results in a turnover. The allotted time allowed in the backcourt varies between leagues and countries around the world. The NBA allows teams eight seconds to move the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt.

FAQ