How does basketball scoring and the shot clock work?

Points come in three values and the shot clock forces a team to attempt a shot within a fixed time — a rule introduced to solve a specific problem that was destroying the sport.

Scoring:

Three points for a shot made from beyond the three-point arc.

Two points for any other shot from open play.

One point for each successful free throw.

The three-point line is not the same distance everywhere — the NBA arc is further out than the international (FIBA) one, and it is closer to the basket in the corners than at the top, because the court is not wide enough for a uniform radius. That corner three is consequently the most efficient shot in the game and is central to modern tactics.

Free throws are awarded for fouls: typically two for a shooting foul on a two-point attempt, three on a three-point attempt, and one additional if the shot was made anyway. Teams also enter a bonus after a set number of team fouls in a period, awarding free throws for non-shooting fouls.

The shot clock. A team must attempt a shot that hits the rim within a fixed time of gaining possession — 24 seconds in the NBA and FIBA. Failing to do so is a violation and possession passes to the opponent. An offensive rebound resets it to a shorter period, commonly 14 seconds.

Why it exists. Before its introduction in the NBA in 1954, a team that was ahead could simply hold the ball indefinitely. The opposition's only response was to foul, so games degenerated into stalling and repeated free throws. One notoriously low-scoring game in 1950 is generally credited with forcing the issue. The clock transformed the sport into a fast, high-scoring game, and it is one of the clearest cases of a rule change remaking a sport.

Other clock rules: eight seconds to advance the ball past halfway, three seconds in the key on offence, and five seconds to inbound.

Stopping the clock for fouls and out-of-bounds is why the final minute takes far longer than a minute.