40 Basketball Trivia Questions for Kids
Play basketball trivia for kids about clever passes, court markings, game moments, and the sport’s beginnings. Gather your team of friends and play free to find out who knows the game.
Here are all 40 questions from the 40 Basketball Trivia Questions for Kids pack. Quiz yourself, or start a free room: PartyRoomGames deals the questions, collects everyone's answers on their phones and runs the reveal. Guests join with a room code, no signup.
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Questions (40)
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1. Who invented basketball while teaching a gym class?
easy- Alexander Graham Bell
- James Naismith
- Louis Braille
- Thomas Edison
2. In which year was basketball invented?
medium- 1791
- 1841
- 1891
- 1941
3. What kind of baskets were used as basketball's first goals?
easy- Bicycle baskets
- Laundry baskets
- Peach baskets
- Picnic baskets
4. In which Massachusetts city was basketball invented?
medium- Boston
- Salem
- Springfield
- Worcester
5. What kind of ball was used in the first basketball game?
easy- Baseball
- Golf ball
- Soccer ball
- Tennis ball
6. How many rules were in James Naismith's original written basketball rules?
hard- 13
- 20
- 30
- 7
7. What is bouncing the basketball repeatedly while moving with it called?
easy- Dribbling
- Passing
- Rebounding
- Shooting
8. What move lets a player holding the ball turn while keeping one foot in place?
easy- Dribble
- Pivot
- Rebound
- Screen
9. In basketball, what is the usual name for a running shot in which a player jumps beside the hoop and gently lays the ball upward off the backboard with one hand?
easy- Free throw
- Layup
- Long-range jump shot
- Three-point shot
10. Which two-handed pass goes straight from the passer's chest toward a teammate's chest without bouncing?
easy- Behind-the-back pass
- Bounce pass
- Chest pass
- Overhead pass
11. Which pass hits the floor before reaching a teammate?
easy- Baseball pass
- Bounce pass
- Chest pass
- Overhead pass
12. Which pass is thrown with both hands from above the head?
easy- Behind-the-back pass
- Bounce pass
- Chest pass
- Overhead pass
13. What shot is released while the player is in the air after jumping?
easy- Bounce pass
- Chest pass
- Jump shot
- Set shot
14. What dribbling move quickly switches the ball from one hand to the other in front of the body?
medium- Box out
- Crossover
- Jump stop
- Screen
15. What shape is a standard basketball court?
easy- Circle
- Pentagon
- Rectangle
- Triangle
16. How many baskets are there on a standard basketball court?
easy- Four
- One
- Three
- Two
17. What flat board stands behind a basketball hoop?
easy- Backboard
- Bench
- Center circle
- Scoreboard
18. What hangs below the ring to make the ball's path through it easier to see?
easy- Flag
- Net
- Pennant
- Ribbon
19. What is the circle in the middle of the basketball court called?
easy- Center circle
- Corner arc
- Free-throw lane
- Team bench area
20. What are the two long boundary lines along the sides of the court called?
easy- Center lines
- Endlines
- Free-throw lines
- Sidelines
21. What are the boundary lines at the basket ends of the court called?
easy- Center lines
- Endlines
- Free-throw lines
- Sidelines
22. Which display shows the teams' scores during a game?
easy- Backboard
- Scoreboard
- Seating chart
- Shot diagram
23. What violation involves taking too many steps while holding the ball without a legal dribble?
easy- Passing
- Rebounding
- Screening
- Traveling
24. What violation occurs when a player stops dribbling, holds the ball, then starts dribbling again without an allowed exception?
medium- Double dribble
- Jump ball
- Substitution
- Timeout
25. A player holding the ball steps on a boundary line. Where is that player under basketball rules?
medium- In a timeout
- In the center circle
- On the team bench
- Out of bounds
26. What restart has a player outside the court pass the ball onto it?
easy- Crossover
- Jump shot
- Rebound
- Throw-in
27. What starts a standard basketball game when a referee tosses the ball between two opponents?
easy- Bounce pass
- Free throw
- Jump ball
- Layup
28. What is the break between the first and second halves called?
easy- Halftime
- Overtime
- Timeout
- Warm-up
29. What is a short break in play requested by a team under the rules called?
easy- Fast break
- Overtime
- Rebound
- Timeout
30. What extra playing time is used when a game is tied at the end of regular time?
easy- Halftime
- Overtime
- Timeout
- Warm-up
31. What is replacing a player on the court with an eligible teammate from the bench called?
easy- Dribbling
- Pivoting
- Rebounding
- Substitution
32. Who uses a whistle to help enforce the rules during a basketball game?
easy- Equipment manager
- Photographer
- Referee
- Spectator
33. What is gaining the ball after a missed shot called?
easy- Dribbling
- Passing
- Rebounding
- Screening
34. What is a pass credited with directly setting up a teammate's made basket called?
medium- Assist
- Rebound
- Screen
- Turnover
35. What do we call the team with the ball as it tries to score?
easy- Bench
- Defense
- Offense
- Officials
36. What do we call the team trying to stop the other team from scoring?
easy- Bench
- Defense
- Offense
- Scorers' table
37. What is losing possession of the ball to the other team through an error or violation called?
medium- Assist
- Rebound
- Timeout
- Turnover
38. What quick attack tries to reach the basket before the defense gets set?
medium- Box out
- Fast break
- Timeout
- Zone defense
39. What legal play uses a player's position to block a defender's path and free a teammate?
medium- Dribble
- Layup
- Rebound
- Screen
40. Which defense has players guard assigned areas of the court rather than specific opponents?
hard- Full-court man defense
- Man-to-man defense
- Switching man defense
- Zone defense
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