What is a Rebound in Basketball?

Last updated on October 25th, 2023 at 07:17 am

Not every shot in a basketball game goes into the hoop, which creates a rebound opportunity. A rebound is when a player gets the ball after it misses the hoop, hits off the backboard, or bounces off the rim. Two types of rebounds can occur in a game, offensive and defensive.

So how do you rebound a ball during a basketball game? Why are rebounds so crucial for the offensive and defense team, and who has the most in history? Here is the complete breakdown of what a rebound is in basketball.

Table of Contents

How Do you Rebound in Basketball?

You need to have good awareness that the ball that someone shot won’t’ be going into the basketball hoop, which means you need to be in an excellent position to get a rebound. Look for the arc of how the ball is traveling to see if it will pass the hoop or bounce off the front of the rim.

Have the mindset that going for a rebound might get a little physical, so you need to prepare for that. There is no foul for some physical play, but there are penalties if people are shoving each other to get the ball themselves.

Boxing out either a defensive or offensive player from trying to get the rebound will be critical.

You need to time your jump to securely get the ball over the other players reaching for the ball.

What is the Purpose of a Rebound?

Basketball rebounding is a second chance to shoot the ball into the basketball hoop. On the flip side, recovering the ball after someone misses the shot can now give your team possession of the ball on offense. Not every shot during a basketball game will go into the hoop, which is where rebound importance comes in for a basketball team. Having one of your players get a rebound can keep or control your team’s possession, which is vital for winning the game.

Does a Basketball Need to Hit the Rim to be a Rebound?

In the NBA / WNBA, any shot that another player recovers is a rebound. That means if the shot is an airball, hits off the backyard, or bounces off the rim, and another player recovers it, they get a rebound. Even an airball shot that bounces a few times on the court that another player scoops up is a rebound.

Can You Rebound Your Own Airball Shot?

A player can’t shoot an airball and catch it in the NBA because that will be a travel violation. However, in NCAA and FIBA basketball, the rules allow players to catch their own airball if the ball was an actual shot. However, the call ultimately comes down to the referee’s interpretation.

What is an Offensive Rebound?

An offensive rebound occurs when the team shoots the ball, and one of their teammates gets the rebound via a missed shot. The player can either perform a layup to score the easy basket, dunk it into the hoop, or pass the ball out to a teammate from the offensive rebound. Once the basketball hits the hoop’s rim, the basketball shot clock resets, which is why some players pass the ball out to take more time off the clock. One thing to note is that the new rule now has the shot clock go to 14 seconds on an offensive rebound.

Getting an offensive rebound is critical during a basketball game when one team is up with little time left on the clock. The team that is up in score wants to take time off the clock, so getting the rebound on a shot that hits the rim resets the shot clock. However, if the ball only hits the backboard or is an airball, the shot clock keeps running and doesn’t reset.

Finally, the offensive rebound is essential when your team is losing during the game. You should see that as a second chance to score if you can get a rebound on offense. A quick layup that scores two points from a rebound helps close the score gap.

What is a Defensive Rebound?

A defensive rebound occurs when the defending team gets the ball from an offenses’ missed shot. Once they get the ball, they are now the team on offense.

Getting defensive rebounds is critical when your team is up in score towards the end of the game. If the offensive team takes a shot and your squad gets the ball from the rebound, you can take time off the clock with dribbling, passing, and overall good ball handling. Usually, towards the end of the game, the defensive team will then foul you to stop the clock if you got a defensive rebound with only a minute or so left in time.

Defensive rebounds can create fast-break opportunities for your team. For example, if your center can get the basketball on a rebound, they might make a quick outlet pass to a point guard with space between them and the defense as they run down the court. That fast break opportunity can turn into an easy field goal opportunity or even a three-point shot since there are no defenders nearby.

Can Rebounds Occur on Free Throw Shots?

During a free throw shot, rebounds can occur for either an offensive or defense team. Players box each other out after the shot to get possession of the ball if it doesn’t go into the basket. The box out is something that offensive and defensive players practice during rebounding drills.

What Makes a Great Rebounder on a Team?

A good rebounder tends to be a tall and strong player with good instincts if the basketball won’t go into the hoop. The best rebounders tend to be centers and power forwards because those positions play the closest to the rim. These players must be comfortable breaking towards the hoop on rebound chances to get the ball against other players.

What Does Over the Back Mean?

An “over the back” means a taller player reaching over a shorter player to get a rebound in basketball. There is no foul with doing that, but you can’t push a player out of your way to get into a better rebounding position. Teams use basketball drills to encourage shorter players to box out bigger players on rebound chances to counter the “over the back” scenario.

What is an Over the Back Foul?

An “over the back foul” occurs when a payer uses illegal contact to get an advantage via a rebound. For example, you can’t push another player out of the way to get a rebound for your team. Getting this penalty adds a personal foul to the player who committed this act, and the player on the team you fouled automatically gets the ball to start the offense.

When Did Rebounds Officially Become Part of the NBA?

The NBA did not record rebounds in games until the 1950-1951 season. The split between offensive and defensive rebounds did not begin until the 1973-1974 season.

Conclusion: What is a Rebound in Basketball?

In summary, rebounds are a critical part of any basketball game. Giving your team a second chance to score after missing a shot or getting the ball to now be on offense is key to winning a game. Fantastic rebounders tend to be tall and strong players who are either centers or power forwards, but any player on the court can get a rebound after someone misses a shot.