I need to be decent at basketball a little over a month from now?

Points in standard b ball is 2 inside the big arch, 3 on the outside, and 1 for free throws. But some tournament/pickup style games replaces 2 with 1 points, and 3 with 2, while free throws are mostly non present. Practice shooting and dribbling everyday. A month is good enough time to see improvement. If it's on a single hoop, make sure to clear the ball before taking a shot. To do that, either pass to someone on the outside of the 3 point line, or run it back to it. Remember to keep dribbling if you want to keep moving, because once you stop dribbling and run, that's traveling, and you have to turn over the ball. Same goes for if you stop and resume dribbling. Use only one had to dribble, and make sure not to bring your palm up. Make sure if you see a team mate whose open, to get them the ball. Now, defense is a little harder to practice. Make sure not to slap the person when you try to steal or block the ball, that would be a foul. Work on jumping, the higher you can jump, the better chance of you being able to block your opponent. Get together with your team and do some scrimmaging. Switch partners after every game to keep thing fresh. Scrimmaging can help you improve offense as well as defense. If you can, go to a gym or park with your whole tam and play other people. Pick up games and practice for a month should get you to be a better player. Watch other people play as well. When you go play other people (before the tourney) make sure to observe what other players are doing, and practice what you see. I don't expect you to be dunking on people or anything, but you will see ho to handle the ball when running, and when and where to shoot. I forgot to work on your fake. Pretend to shoot the ball, and when your opponent goes for the block, move around them, and take the shot. Make sure not to travel. I hope I helped.

There are many rules to basketball but they all come together to have one basic theme. In the beginning two people jump for the ball, these people are usually the tallest on the team, if they make a basket then yu must "check" the ball in which someone stands facing the hoop and another stands faceing the opposer then the ball is bounced back and forth which is a check, and then they can try to score again. If the ball is thrown out by team A then a player from team B must throw the ball into one of their team mates. If there is a foul, like someone gets pushed, travels (walks more then two steps without dribbling) or doubledribbles (stops with the ball and then keeps going) then yu get a foulshot in which one player gets two free shots from the foul line without interference from any other players. Well that is pretty much the core of the game. Before the tournament yu should definatly find a way to take some free shots at a gym or park or something to learn and brush up on yur shooting which will help yu extremely in the real game. Heres a tip: teh key to this game is smart passes and blocking, block whenever someone is close to the net and they will either not get an accurate shot or not even be able to take the shot at all, and passing is always important because yu dont want to come off as a ball hog and it helps yu get cross court faster and without having to focus on yur dribbling the entire time, well i wrote enough :P, have fun and good luck!, basketball is an amazing sport :)

In almost any sport, basketball especially, what you lack in talent you can make up for in HUSTLE. Don't give up on any play and play HARD DEFENSE. You all have to learn a couple of basic plays to run. (Screen and Roll, Give and Go, Low Post). Setting screens is important and when used effectively it will give someone an open shot or open path to the basket. If you know nothing of basketball, practice lay up drills first. Then work on some passing and moving without the ball. Have fun and good luck.

I won't help you learn the rules if you're really as lost as you say you are. There are videos to learn the game on Youtube.

I've learned from teaching friends how to play basketball . . . The first rule is based on defense.

Your team will play "man-to-man" defense. Your only concern as a novice is to stay in between the person you're responsible for and the basket. Whenever your person doesn't have the ball ask yourself "Am I standing in a place where I can stop them from getting to the basket if they catch the ball?" If the answer is yes then you're doing well.

On offense . . . you want to learn to catch the ball and not get it taken from you before you pass it since you won't have the skills to dribble with a person who is guarding you in man to man. Keep your body between the ball and the defender. Youtube has videos on this.

Your best move is to keep your player from scoring and to not give the ball back to the defense when you have it (a turnover).

Hope that's not too basic. Shooting and dribbling will best be left to your teammates in a co-ed tournament like you describe.

Basketball is a hard game to explain. Most shots are 2 points but it depends on the distance you are from the net.. If your feet are moving you have to be dribbling the ball.. You can not hold the ball and walk..

If you get interuppted or someone interupts you while trying to steal the basketball then they will get a foul..

this means 2 free shots from the free throw line and each basket made is worth two points..

Grab a ball (regulation size!) and find a hoop (ditto)

Just keep aiming for the square on the board, and shoot through your knees, not with your arms

Every shot = 2 points, except for 3-pointers (from behind the 3 point line), and free-throws (free-throw line, about 15 feet from the net) You get a free throw if you are fouled by the other team

Just practice dribbling around your driveway

Good luck!

Well, if you want to just be functional then I just suggest you learn the fundamental rules of basketball. The basic rules are traveling, double dribble, up and down, and foul. Traveling is when you take more than two steps without dribbling meaning if you dribble and you grab the ball, you can take 2 steps and shoot, shoot on the spot, or pass. Double dribbling is when you dribble, pick up the ball, and dribble again. Up and down is jumping while you're holding the ball without releasing it. And fouling is when you hit your opponents wrists. If you actually want to take it to the next level, then just keep on practicing. Watch some videos on how to shoot or dribble. Just do some basketball warm ups and exercises and you should be fine as long as you practice.

Don't try to be decent. Try your best as possible. If you aim for the moon and fail, you will still be amongst the stars. What I would recommend is do a lot, I mean A LOT of cardio. Then practices your shots and ball handling skills for maybe 1-3 hours a day (if you have a time).

I would say "ball control" is the best thing to practice. When I was in high school, I dribbled a ball around the house (which my parents hated), so they'd kick e out into the back yard. I practiced dribbling and moving around with the ball until i felt confortable. You can practice free throws and variations of shots all you want, but the key to real success is knowing how to handle the ball and feeling comfortable with it.

k so here's how it works theres five people on the court one point two wings and ur tallest and strongest on the bottom called posts...anything on the inside of the three point line is 2 points and anything outside of it is 3..free throws like when you get fouled..is 1 point..ball handling would probably be the best thing to do just go online on youtube or something for videos..and shooting is another big thing so basically you just have to shoot around a lot at different angles...