Basketball Positions

Learning about all the basketball positions is a great way to understand the different roles of the players on the court. As you know there are 5 players on each team and each one are positioned according to their role. They are divided into two sections; the backcourt and the frontcourt.

(This page offers a brief explanation of the individual positions but a good explanation of the team as a whole. To see more on the individual position click on the links provided with the explanation.)

The Backcourt

The two players that make up the backcourt are called the guards. There are actually two types of guards; the point guard and the shooting guard. These players are usually great ball handlers and great shooters. Let’s see the difference between the two.

Point Guard

The point guard (aka position 1) is one of the main basketball positions and is the leader on offense. They must have great ball handling skills, pretty good shooting skills, and should be able to hand out assists (which is their main job). Point guards are typically one of the smallest players on the court. Read more on the point guard.

Shooting Guard

The shooting guard (aka position 2) is the team’s best shooter. They should have quality, consistent shots from 20 feet out or more (that also means good three point shots). Along with great jump shots, shooting guard should have good ball handling and passing skills. Read more on the shooting guard.

You can see why we divide the positions into two sections. The backcourt is reffering to the fact that position 1 and 2 are further from the basket while the frontcourt (position 3,4,5) are closer to the basket.

The Frontcourt

There are three players and two main basketball positions in the frontcourt. There are two forwards and one center. The two forwards are; the small forward and the power forward.

Small Forward

Small forwards (aka position 3) are smaller than the other frontcourt positions and often play different roles. They usually use quickness and strength to drive in for the basket and are often fouled. That’s why they need to develop good shooting skills, especially at the free throw line. Read more on the position.

Power Forward

The power forward (aka position 4) has a similar position to a center. He’s position is down low on the blocks and can post up or can take the mid-range jump-shot. They’re often big and aggressive being on average the second biggest player. Read more on the power forward.

Center

Centers (aka position 5) are usually the tallest people on the floor. They are skilled at scoring at the bottom of the key, very close to the basket by using their size. They also have many other important roles like gathering most of the rebounds. Read more on the center.

Those are your five main positions. I hope you’re curious to learn more by clicking on the links near each paragraph to get a better description of each of those basketball positions.   

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