Basketball Basics: Scoring, Positions & the Shot Clock

New to the game? The scoring, the five positions, and the clocks that keep it moving — all explained simply.

Torch Editorial · 4 min read · Updated July 2026

Basketball is fast, but its rules are refreshingly simple once you know the essentials. Here’s everything you need to follow a game.

How points are scored

• Two points — any made basket from inside the three-point arc.
• Three points — a made shot from behind the arc. The modern game is built around it.
• One point — a free throw, awarded after certain fouls, taken unguarded from the line.

The five positions

Traditionally: point guard (the floor general who runs the offense), shooting guard (a perimeter scorer), small forward (a versatile wing), power forward (a bigger, stronger scorer and rebounder), and center (usually the tallest, anchoring the paint on both ends). Modern basketball blurs these — many stars play several roles — but the labels still help you read the floor.

The clocks

A game is played in four quarters. Two clocks govern the action: the game clock counts down each quarter, and the shot clock gives a team a fixed number of seconds to attempt a shot that hits the rim — in the NBA that’s 24 seconds. The shot clock is why basketball never stalls: you can’t just hold the ball and run out time.