Basketball Glossary for New Parents and Players

York Eagles • September 29, 2024

Basketball Glossary for New Parents and Players

As with any new sport, basketball has its own unique set of terms and acronyms that may be unfamiliar to both new parents and players. Below is an ever-expanding list of terms that could be beneficial for York Eagles parents and players. What word and acronyms are we missing?

BE - Basketball England. The governing organization for basketball for the York Eagles.
Jump Ball - At the beginning of the game the referee will throw the ball into the air and the players must jump and tip the ball to their own team. During the rest of the game the jump balls are determined by the possession arrow.
Meet Time - This is the time that all players and coaches should be at the game venue in advance of the game. For the York Eagles this is a minimum of one hour in advance of tip time to avoid and issues with traffic delays or issues finding the correct venue.
Possession Arrow - The red arrow on the table officials' table that determines the direction of possession during the next jump ball.
Table Official - The group of people that sit at the table at the side of the court that are responsible for the scoresheet, timer, shot-clock and Third Eye.
Third Eye - The person sitting near the table officials to help with identifying the player that scored a point if the scorekeeper is busy writing in the scoresheet.
Tip - To hit or push the basketball with your hand while the player is in the air.
Tip-Off Time / Tip Time - The scheduled time for the jump ball at the start of the game.
TO - Table Official.

For more terms, please refer to the Glossary of basketball terms - Wikipedia.

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Introduction from our CWO and EDI Officer

By York Eagles • September 29, 2025

Club Welfare Officer (CWO) and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Officer Dear Coaches, Parents and Players, We hope this message finds you well. We have recently joined the York Eagles Basketball Club committee, and wanted to introduce ourselves and our roles. Mark Tucker is the new Club Welfare Officer. Mark’s role is to ensure that all our young players are supported in a safe, inclusive, and positive environment, both on and off the court. He is here to listen, offer guidance, and work with coaches, parents, and players to uphold the club’s commitment to safeguarding and well-being. Paul Foulkes is the new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Officer. His role is to ensure that all club members are treated with fairness, dignity and respect, that our members treat others in the same way, and that we all promote a culture that eliminates discrimination in any form. If you ever have any concerns or simply want to have a chat about a welfare or EDI matter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re looking forward to getting to know you all and supporting the great work happening across the club. Warm regards, Mark Tucker Club Welfare Officer (CWO) safeguardingtheyorkeagles@gmail.com Paul Foulkes Club Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Officer YorkEaglesEDI@gmail.com

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Basketball Glossary for New Parents and Players