All About Olympic Basketball - What is the Golden Box?

Game length: Olympics: 20-minute halves; NBA: four 12-minute quarters

Time allowed to cross half-court: Olympics:10 seconds; NBA: 8 seconds

Number of fouls allowed per player: Olympic: five; NBA: six

Shape of the key: Olympic: trapezoidal; NBA: rectangular

Number of referees: Olympic: two; NBA: three

In international competition, an offensive player is allowed to clear out space for a shot with his free arm. This is a major no-no in the NBA and usually results in an offensive foul. As Hamilton attests from his years of playing in Europe, it's the hardest change to make.

"It's a big adjustment, because not only is it not a foul when they clear out space with their arm, it's a foul on the defender if they touch the offensive player's arm," he says.

If the United States gets into early foul trouble, this rule could be a big reason.

In the NBA, a ball cannot be touched by either team if it is still within the cylinder outlined by the basket- if it is touched, it is called goaltending, and can lead to a basket being awarded or disallowed, depending on whether the offending player is on the offensive or defensive side.

But in international competition, a ball that has hit the rim is fair game, no matter where it bounces. In their loss to Argentina, the U.S. players were dumbfounded as Argentinean big men Luis Scola and Fabricio Oberto flicked many of their shots- and free throws- off the rim.

"It's tough for North Americans to figure it out first time around," says Hamilton. "You kind of freeze as if expecting the ref to make the call."

The U.S. has long-armed athletes who might be able to take advantage of this rule, but it's a hard habit to learn after a lifetime of avoiding the ball when it's on the rim, says Hamilton.

Basketball has a long and rich history in the Olympics. It was first played as a demonstration game in 1904, and men's basketball became a legitimate Olympic event from 1936.

The United States have won it on each occasion from 1936 to 2004, when Argentina won the gold. The only other times when USA did not go on to win the gold, were the three occasions when USA decided to boycott the Games.

The Women's basketball got introduced in 1976, with Soviet Union defeating USA for the first gold medal. However, USA has dominated in the women circuit as well from 1984 onwards.

A view of the exterior of the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium in Beijing, China. It has three floors underground and four floors aboveground, with capacity for 18,000 spectators. (Feng Li/Getty Images)

Airball: A shot that misses the rim, net and backboard.

Alley oop: A ball thrown towards the basket, which a teammate grabs in mid-air and puts through the hoop, usually with a dunk.

Bank shot: A shot that bounces off the backboard before going through the hoop.

Boards: A term used for rebounds.

Box out: A rebounding tactic in which a player positions himself or herself between the basket and an opposing player in an attempt to get the rebound.

Brick: Slang for a hard shot that bounces off the rim or backboard without going through the hoop.

Centre: The position usually played by the tallest player.

Dead ball: The ball is considered dead when out of play.

Double dribble: A violation called when a player dribbles the ball after stopping the original dribble or dribbles the ball with both hands simultaneously; results in loss of possession.

Dunk: A basket scored by a leaping player who forces the ball into the basket from above with one or two hands. Includes such stylistic variations as the windmill, the 360 and the reverse. Also called a slam or jam.

Fast break: Quick movement of the ball up the court by the offensive team, often after a turnover.

Free throw: A shot worth one point taken from the free throw line, usually by a player who has been fouled. Also called a foul shot.

Free throw line: The line at the top of the key from which the player shoots free throws.

Full-court press: An aggressive defensive formation with the defence stretched the length of the court to put pressure on the offensive team.

Goaltending: Called when a defending player touches the ball on its downward flight to the basket or a ball directly above the basket. Touching a ball while it is on the rim is also goaltending in the NBA and WNBA, but not in international competition.

High post: An offensive position near the top of the key.

Hook shot: A one-handed shot in which the shooting hand is stretched above the head and the player is turned sideways from the basket.

Jump shot: A shot released by the shooter at the height of his or her jump.

Key: The area bordered by two angled lines between the free throw and end lines, indicated by a colour distinct from the rest of the floor. The international key widens at the bottom. Also known as the "lane" or the "paint."

Lay-up: A shot made by a player who is driving towards the basket and released while in the air close to the hoop.

Low post: An offensive position at the bottom of the key underneath the basket.

Personal foul: A violation called when a player makes illegal contact with an opposing player, such as hitting the player's arms or bumping the player.

Pick: A play in which a player impedes a teammate's defender from behind while standing still, allowing the teammate to run past the defender.

Pick-and-roll: A play in which an offensive player sets a pick and then goes towards the basket looking for a pass. In a pick-and-fade or pick-and-pop play, the player who set the pick floats towards the perimeter instead, looking for an open outside shot.

Point guard: Usually the smallest player on the team or the player with the best passing and ball-handling skills.

Power forward: Similar to the centre: tall and usually the strongest player.

Rejection: Slang for a blocked shot.

Screen/screen-and-roll: Similar to a pick, except in a screen, the player blocking attempts to stand in between a teammate and the teammate's defender, rather than between the defender and the basket. Rather than allowing the teammate to run or dribble past the defender, the screen allows the teammate to shoot an outside shot. Also has a roll variation.

Shooting guard: A skilled offensive player who is usually taller than a point guard.

Shot clock: The clock that counts down from 30 seconds, the amount of time that the offence can maintain possession before shooting the ball. In international play, a shot clock violation has occurred if the clock expires before the ball touches the rim, regardless of when the shot left a player's hand. If the ball goes through the hoop, however, there is no violation.

Small forward: Usually not as tall as the power forward or centre, but able to shoot, pass, rebound and defend. Small forwards who can also play shooting guard are often called "swing men."

Ten-second violation: A violation called when the offensive team fails to cross the centre line within 10 seconds of taking possession of the ball. The violation results in loss of possession.

Three-point line: Arc-shaped line that extends 6.25 metres from the end line. Shots behind this line are worth three points.

Three-second violation: A violation called when an offensive player stands in the key for more than three seconds; results in loss of possession.

Travelling: A violation called when a player takes more than two steps without dribbling the ball or moves his or her pivot foot when holding the ball; results in loss of possession.

Trey: Slang for a three-point shot.

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