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Basketball, also called in some cases “basketball”, “basketball” or basketball (the corresponding term in English), is a sport played all over the world and that originated in the United States, specifically in the state of Massachusetts, at the end of the 18th century. Unlike some other sports that became popular all over the world and that today are dominated by countries other than their country of origin, basketball is still a sport mainly dominated by athletes and clubs from the United States, the place where it was born. .
Both the most important basketball league in the world, the NBA, and the best players in the sport (with few exceptions) are resident in the United States, which has meant that the original English terminology still dominates most of the courts. However, since it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, it has not stopped adapting the original Anglo-Saxon terms to Spanish to facilitate the dissemination of the rules of the game in Spain and Latin America.
Despite the above, the development of basketball terms in Spanish has been somewhat disordered, advancing independently in different parts of the Spanish-speaking world, thus giving rise to some ambiguity and confusion in many cases.
Proof of this is the fact that there is not even an agreement on what the sport should be called in Spanish, some opting for the literal translation “basketball” (basketball comes from the union of basket, which means basket or basket, and ball , which means ball or ball); others due to the Spanish phonetization of the pronunciation of the word in English, one with the accent on the first a (basketball) and another with the accent on the o (basketball), the first being the most similar to the original pronunciation. On the other hand, in other places the name in English is used directly.
By virtue of the above, it is important to have a glossary of basketball terms in which the original terms in English are translated into Spanish, in order to eliminate any confusion that may arise.
Glossary of basketball terms in Spanish with their original equivalents in English
1 3-yD or Three-yD
English term: 3-and-D
Meaning of the term: He’s a player who’s good at shooting from the perimeter (making 3-pointers) and good on defense, but he’s not a star.
2 forward
English term: wing
Meaning of the term: Player who can play either position 2 or 3 and therefore switches from one to the other as needed during the match.
3 Alley oop
English term: Alley oop
Meaning of the term: Offensive play in which a player throws a ball into the air near the hoop for himself or another to catch it in the air and score before hitting the ground again.
4 Cheerleaders
English term: Cheer Leaders
Meaning of the term: Entertainment group, usually made up of women, whose job it is to cheer on the players and fans of the team.
5 Setter
English term: Point guard or playmaker
Meaning of the term: Player who organizes the offensive game. He is usually the best dribbler or the one with the best ball handling.
6 Assistance
English term: Assist
Meaning of the term: Pass from one player to another that ends in a field goal score.
7 Lock
English term: Box out
Meaning of the term: Movement in which a player stands in front of an opponent to prevent him from passing, get a rebound, etc.
8 blind lock
English term: Back pick
Meaning of the term: Defensive action of blind blocking of the pivot or post to the forward.
9 box and one
English term: Box and 1
Meaning of the term: Defense strategy in which four players defend the zone and one defends personally.
10 defensive court
English term: Defensive court
Meaning of the term: Half of the court in which the hoop defended by a team is located.
11 offensive court
English term: Offensive court
Meaning of the term: Half of the court in which the hoop is located where a team must score.
12 Matte
English term: Slam Dunk
Meaning of the term: Field basket in which a player jumps and throws the ball with force down and through the hoop.
13 double double
English term: Double-Double
Meaning of the term: Phrase that indicates that a player managed to obtain two-figure values in two statistics during the same match or game, for example 12 assists and 20 points.
14 Double marking
English term: double team
Meaning of the term: Defensive tactic in which two defenders defend the attacker who has the ball.
15 Double, or “doubles”, or “steps”
English term: Double dribble
Meaning of the term: Offensive foul in which a player dribbles the ball after holding it with both hands or takes more than two steps with the ball in his hands without dribbling it.
16 Dribble
English term: dribbling
Meaning of the term: The action of dodging an opponent by dribbling the ball while maintaining possession of the same player.
17 Exercise
English term: Drill
Meaning of the term: Any practice or training exercise.
18 Blocking foul
English term: blocking
Meaning of the term: Defensive foul in which the moving defender positions himself in front of a dribbling attacker in order to collide with him and not let him pass.
19 Final to four
English term: Final Four
Meaning of the term: Designation of the final round of matches between four finalist teams to define the champion of a tournament.
20 Feint and cross lead
English term: Fake crossover
Meaning of the term: Offensive maneuver to confuse the defender into thinking that a direct exit will be made.
21 Float the dribble
English term: Float dribble
Meaning of the term: Action to momentarily suspend the dribbling to be able to change direction suddenly, that is, make a feint.
22 hook
English term: Hook shot
Meaning of the term: Lateral throw towards the hoop using the arm farthest from it.
23 Brick or “stone”
English term: Brick
Meaning of the term: Shot that bounces off the backboard or hoop without going in.
24 Free Throw Line
English term: Free throw line
Meaning of the term: Line that delimits the area from where free kicks are taken.
25 Ball handling
English term: Ball handling
Meaning of the term: Set of skills to legally handle the ball with the hands and without losing possession. Also, exercises to become familiar with handling the ball.
26 pass
English term: pass
Meaning of the term: Throw the ball to a teammate.
27 Jump pass
English term: Jump pass
Meaning of the term: Pass made after a jump, while still in the air.
28 Four Corner Passes
English term: Four corners passing
Meaning of the term: It is a passing training exercise that begins with a corner of the pitch. It is also used when a team wants to keep the ball to run out of possession time without the opponent stealing the ball.
29 Ball in the air
English term: air ball
Meaning of the term: Shot for a basket that ends in a score or field goal without touching the board or the hoop.
30 center
English term: Pivot
Meaning of the term: Position usually played by the taller player, who tends to score points near the rim and fight for rebounds.
31 back door
English term: Back door
Meaning of the term: Offensive maneuver in which a player quickly evades the marking near the rim to receive a quick pass from a teammate, usually under the basket, and shoot for the rim.
32 Quick break, break or quick attack
English term: Fast break
Meaning of the term: Offensive maneuver in which you quickly go from defense to attack by passing the ball to a player in midfield or even further forward. If the player is alone near the opponent’s basket, in Spain and other areas it is called “palomero”.
33 bounce
English term: Rebound
Meaning of the term: Taking the ball after a player misses a shot at the hoop.
34 Cross output
English term: Crossover
Meaning of the term: A maneuver during dribbling in which the ball is quickly crossed from one hand to the other to change the direction of movement and attract defenders.
35 Board Shot
Term in English: Bank shot
Meaning of the term: Shot that bounces off the backboard before entering the basket.
36 Shot blocked or “block”
English term: Contest shot
Meaning of the term: Known colloquially as a “block” in some countries, it is the blocking of a shot with one or both hands, before the attacker can throw the ball or when he has thrown it and has not yet started his fall or not it has touched the dash on the downward trajectory.
37 Field Shot
English term: Field Goal
Meaning of the term: Any shot or pitch made that is not a free throw.
38 Jump Shot
English term: Jump shot
Meaning of the term: Throw or throw made after a jump while still in the air.
39 Free Kick
English term: Free throw or foul shot
Meaning of the term: Free throw from the throwing line with a value of 1 point, as a consequence of receiving a foul.
40 triple double
English term: Triple-Double
Meaning of the term: Phrase that indicates that a player managed to obtain double-digit values in three statistics during the same game, for example 12 assists, 20 points and 15 rebounds.
References
Burgos, E. (2007, July 17). GLOSSARY OF BASKETBALL TERMS . Live Basketball with Eduardo Burgos. https://viveelbasket.blogspot.com/2007/07/glosario-de-terminos-balonceststicos-en.html
Basketball planet. (nd). Basketball Glossary . https://www.planetabasketball.com/basketball-glossary.htm
SportsEngine. (nd). Basketball Terms Explained . https://www.sportsengine.com/basketball/basketball-terms-explained
Villa, J. (2016, December 2). In details! Experience basketball with this glossary of terms . News Now. https://www.noticias-ahora.com/glosario-terminos-baloncesto/
World Association of Basketball Coaches. (nd). 3.2 Glossary of common basketball terms . https://wabc.fiba.com/es/introduction/glossary-of-terms/3-2-glossary-of-common-basketball-terms/
