“Basketball isn’t just a sport. It is an art, one that must be mastered to succeed”
– Stephen Curry, American professional basketball player.
For success in Basketball, you have to put in the effort; not once or twice but as long as you need it. Don’t feel disappointed when the ball ends up in a player’s hand when it was supposed to be in the basket.
Yes, this scenario is known as a rebound and the player who recovers the ball is the rebounder.
In basketball, a rebound happens when there is a missed field goal or free throw attempt and the ball is retrieved by another player – the rebounder.
Not only rebound, but today we will talk about the rebounder in basketball too. Stay with us to learn more.
Rebounding Statistics In Short
Even though, rebounding in basketball doesn’t have high-volume terminologies. Here are some common rebounding statistics for you.
Rebound: In a basketball match, rebound refers to the total number of both offensive and defensive rebounds. Simply put, Basketball Rebound = Offensive Rebound + Defensive Rebound.
Offensive Rebound: It is the total number of offensive rebounds by a player or his team.
Defensive Rebounds: It is the total number of defensive rebounds by a player or a team.
Offensive Rebound Percentage: A statistical measure in basketball. With this, you can measure the rate at which a team or player secures offensive rebounds.
You can calculate offensive rebound percentage with any of the formulas below:
Offensive Rebound Percentage = (Individual Offensive Rebounds / Team Offensive Rebounds Available) * 100
Or,
Offensive Rebound Percentage = (Team Offensive Rebounds / (Team Offensive Rebounds + Opponent Defensive Rebounds)) * 100
Defensive Rebound Percentage: Alternately, with defensive rebound percentage, you can measure the rate at which a team or player secures defensive rebounds. Here is the formula to calculate the defensive rebound percentage.
Defensive Rebound Percentage = (Individual Defensive Rebounds / Team Defensive Rebounds Available) * 100
Or,
Defensive Rebound Percentage = (Team Defensive Rebounds / (Team Defensive Rebounds + Opponent Offensive Rebounds)) * 100
You can see, it’s exactly the opposite of Offensive Rebound Percentage.
Made Shot: In basketball, made shots refer to the successful attempts to secure points by shooting the ball into the opponent’s basket.
Fast Break: In basketball, fast break is an offensive strategy. It is a time-tight strategy when a team moves forward with the ball up the court and gets into the scoring position as fast as possible.
The fast break helps you to outnumber the defense and establish scoring opportunities before they get time to think.
In Detail, What is Rebound in Basketball?
Source: basketballhq.com
For more than a century, basketball has been on the popular sports list of Americans. Different rules and obligations were implied to maintain the thrill of the game.
Basketball Rebounding is one of them. Here, the ball doesn’t get into the net, instead, it bounces off the rim or the backboard.
Meanwhile, another player receives the ball and earns possession for his team. They decide instantly on what to do next and how to lead the ball to score.
There are two types of rebounding in basketball – Offensive and Defensive. In Basketball, each of them is measured as a stat of the total rebound.
You may note them individually from each category. But in the end, both of the rebounds will be added together to complete the stat.
1) Offensive Rebound:
It happens when an offensive player rebounds a missed goal attempt. The rebound can come from the player himself or any of his teammates.
Unlike Defensive Rebounds, an offensive rebound will be hard on offensive players. Because they need to be experienced and strategic for ultimately having a rebound.
You may notice an offensive rebound in the court when a player attempts to goal near the basket. This creates room for a rebound for the offensive team.
After a rebound, the offensive player can dribble, pass or shoot the ball. However, in most cases, he immediately shoots the ball right back in the basket or throws it outside the arc,
2) Defensive Rebound:
With the opposing team missing a field goal, it is the right opportunity for the defense to make a rebound. Generally, the defensive players in basketball are in the ideal position to snatch a rebound.
How? Because they usually stand between the check and the basket; with the privilege to make easy rebounds.
Next, what a defensive player does with the ball depends on how many opposing players he is surrounded with. He can either dribble the ball to the frontcourt or pass it to any of his teammates.
Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for the offensive players. They genuinely have to play it around to get a rebound. And if lucky, the ball bounces off the rim, rebounding over the defender.
To be a good rebounder, it is not necessary to be an extraordinary player. Remember Dennis Rodman, who was efficient at defense and rebounding with n verge of 7 points in his career.
He even created his own lane to the Basketball Hall of Fame. There are many examples of such rebounders in the history of Basketball. We will gradually unfold them in this article.
Why Rebounding Is Important in Basketball?
Source: basketballhq.com
What do you think? What’s the point of rebounding in basketball?
Basketball is based on the concept of possession of the ball. Rebound helps players to get one step closer to securing possession of the ball and possibly getting a goal.
You might already know it after a made shot, the opposing team earns possession of the ball.
But with rebounding, things might change to the opposite. With rebounds, the shooting team can significantly keep the ball in possession with a missed shot.
Mark that, with more rebounds, your team has an increased opportunity on offense; and fewer with second chance points if you are on the defense.
On the other hand, the defending team can also take the ball into their ownership with a rebound while preventing the opponent from scoring.
Rebound is also effective against transition offenses. When you secure a defensive rebound, your team can quickly shift from defense to offense. With the opponent off-guard, there are more opportunities to score.
In addition to that, rebounds potentially help teams to stay out of fouls and maintain the momentum of the match.
What is A Box Out?
Doesn’t ring any bell? Box out, also known as boxing out or blocking out is a strategy for both teams in basketball. The defensive and offensive teams use this strategy to improve the scope of rebounds from a missed ball.
It is when a player tactically establishes a position between the basket and the scoring player to get a rebound; while preventing the opponent from doing the same.
A box-out player stands near the circular hoop while facing it with their knees bent. They block the opponent player while in preparation to jump up and grab the ball mid-air.
Keep in mind that, boxing out is about securing a rebound when the ball bounces back from the rim.
To do this, the player in his strength does everything in his legal action to block the player’s way. One of the common tricks is to lean his body weight on the player on his backside.
But Why Boxing Out?
Imagine having a strong player on the opponent team who can always jump higher to secure a goal. In this case, rebounding is out of your league.
Boxing out is important to prevent such scenarios. Furthermore, boxing out is essential to break apart the combined team effort of the opposing team to rebound. Remember, the right position is more important than height or strength in basketball.
And players who box out utilize this opportunity by using their position against the player set to rebound.
A common foul occurs when an offensive player jumps over the back of the player who is boxing out. This happens when the scoring player establishes contact with the rebounder and interferes with his space.
Boxing out is set by the rules of basketball. Thus, this kind of activity is strictly discouraged and prohibited in court.
What Happens if The Rebound Goes Out of Bounds?
Not common but not rare also – a rebound can get out of bounds after a shot. When this happens, the ball will be awarded to the team who did not touch the ball last before it left the bounds.
However, when someone touches the ball after a rebound but before the ball crosses the bounds, the opposite team who touched it last will receive the ball.
To deal with out-of-bound situations, rules may vary depending on the league or level of play. But, the general principles remain the same.
Who Is A Rebounder in Basketball?
As Rebounding is a key factor in basketball, it is important to become one or build one powerful rebounder in your team.
A rebounder must excel in securing rebounds and contribute to team success. By using the proper position, utilizing their physical strength, and with high efforts, rebounders can easily retrieve missed shots.
Here is what Pete Carril, an American Basketball Coach has to say about a rebounder in basketball:
“A player’s ability to rebound is inversely proportional to the distance between where he was born and the nearest railroad tracks. The greater distance you live from the poor side of the railroad tracks, the less likely that you will be a good rebounder.” – Pete Carril.
Even though it is a metaphor. Pete mainly focused on the amplitude of practice and hard work a player has to go through to become a good rebounder.
Tips to Become a Great Rebounder
A player who is not born a rebounder can also hone this skill by applying the tricks below. Give it a read.
1) Box Out Your Opponent
We already talked about this. Boxing out is essential to become a good rebounder. The trick is simple, stay low, lean on your weight, and use your body to build a defensive wall between the player and the net.
Box out can be your trump card to get the ball in hand. You can effortlessly prevent any offensive player from scoring when the ball is in mid-air.
2) Extend Your Arm
Stalk like a shark! You heard right.
Lock your opponent and observe them. Start moving as soon as the offensive player attempts a field goal.
After a rebound, jump high and extend your arm while the ball is in motion. With an opening to take back the ball, don’t lose it.
Grab the ball, bring it closer to you and away from your opponent. Spread your elbow and move away from your opponent. Learn to handle the ball tactically and secure an easy win.
3) What About An Outlet Pass?
If you are not familiar with the outlet pass in basketball, let us enlighten you.
An outlet pass is a long pass in basketball. Any player, particularly a rebounder strikes the ball up after a rebound to introduce a fast break or transition offense in the game.
An outlet pass can be a game-changer introducing advanced thrills to the game. With this pass, your team has a better opportunity to score before the defensive team can plan and orient.
This pass requires a preset strategy, and here is how you can do it,
Go to the opposite side of the court and pick up a player to start an offensive play. And then, immediately pass the ball to one of your teammates to push it up the court.
With this series of actions, you can easily initiate a fast break and more likely get the ball fast to the basket.
You should also practice a few drills to become a pro in rebounding. Such as
1) Layup Drill
In Basketball, a layup is a two-point shot attempt anywhere in the three-point arc. Apply it right, and you can score two points at once.
The layup drill in basketball is a fundamental exercise designed to develop and improve the player’s ability to perform layups. For this layup, you will need two balls and one chair.
Place the chair on the right end of the free-throw line with the ball on it. Take the other ball to the net. Repeat it three times and in each turn, hit it on the board.
Score on your fourth turn and deliberately have the first ball go out of bounds. Then, pass the lane and have the other ball from the chair.
The drill begins here. Move towards the hoop for a one-dribble layup and repeat the drill again; this time with the chair on the left side of the free-throw line.
2) Zone Defense Drill
This is basically a drill to teach players the principles of zone defense; a basic defensive strategy in basketball.
In this drill, not the entire court but players shield only a specific part of the basketball court.
It is team works and hence you will need seven players. Five of them will stand accordingly surrounding the arc of the restricted zone. Meanwhile, the other two players will take their position under the basket.
The coach then initiates the drill by throwing the ball. He also calls for two other players to proceed to the hoop with the ball. The players around the zone then box them out. It is a common defense drill. But proven highly effective both for zone defense and boxing out.
Other drills you should also try are, box out drill and outlet pass drill.
If rebounding thrills you and you want to become a powerful rebounder, these basic tips and drills will help you get along the way.
Wrapping Up
Basketball is a sport full of thrills and excitement. There is no scope for our audience to face boredom.
Rebounding is such a smart move in basketball. It seamlessly maintains the fun and joy of the sport. So, thinking about becoming a good rebounder in basketball? This is your time.
Follow our tips here and one day you can break the records of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russel, Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley, and others.
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