So you are telling me that there are actually different positions on the basketball court? For the average basketball fan this may seem like a silly statement, but for the novice or the mom just starting out watching her kids play sports this is a legit question. It’s helpful to know what position your son and daughter may be playing when they are starting out and this may save you from getting the “duh mom” look when you ask.
So, let’s start out with the five basic positions on the basketball court. They are as follows Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Power Forward, and Center. Simple rule of thumb (although rules are made to be broken) the guards are typically the shortest, forwards medium height, and centers tall. The point guard and shooting guard play most of the game in what is called the backcourt. For you the backcourt basically means behind the three point line. If you don’t know what the three point line is keep coming back to this site :). A point guard, like other player positions in basketball, specializes in certain skills. A point guard’s job is to create scoring opportunities for his team, or sometimes attack the basket. A point guard needs always to have in mind the times on the shot clock and the game clock, the score, the numbers of remaining timeouts for both teams. A point guard is often called the floor general and throughout the game is an extension of the Coach. Some of the more famous point guards that you may recognize are Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, Isaiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, and an oldie but good Bob Cousey.
If you have son or daughter who is short in stature, is playing near the three point line, seems to be dribbling a lot and directing traffic then you most likely have a point guard on your hands. Go ahead and impress them and let them know they looked like Magic out there tonight.