The Game of Basketball Basketball, fast-paced game played on a rectangular court, generally indoors, by two teams of five players each. The primary objective of the game is to score more points than the opposition by putting a round ball through a circular band, called a rim. The two rims are at each end of the court, placed 10 ft (3.1 m) above the ground and connected to a backboard, a rectangular board generally 4 by 6 ft (1.2 by 1.8 m) that hangs from the ceiling or is otherwise supported in the air. One of the most popular sports in the world, basketball is played by men and women of all ages and ability levels in more than 200 countries. S