1. INTRODUCTION
Below you can find a small compilation of basketball vocabulary in Spanish (name of the positions of the players, actions, fouls, parts of the court and others).
I hope you find it useful. 💪🏀
2. BASKETBALL VOCABULARY IN SPANISH
2.1. Positions
- Point Guard / playmaker: base.
- Shooting Guard / Small forward: escolta.
- Forward: alero.
- Power foward: ala pívot.
- Center / Pivot: pívot.
2.2. Actions
- Shoot: tiro o lanzamiento (noun) / tirar o lanzar (verb).
- Dribble: bote (noun) / botar (verb).
- Pass: pase (noun) / pasar (verb).
- Assist / dime: asistencia (noun) / asistir (verb).
- Layup: entrada a canasta.
- Dunk: mate (noun) / matar o machacar (verb).
- Rebound: rebote (noun) / rebotear (verb).
- Pick / screen: bloqueo (noun) / bloquear (verb).
- Fake: finta (noun) / fintar (verb).
- Cut: corte (noun) / cortar (verb).
- Steal: robo (noun) / robar (verb).
- Block: bloqueo (noun) / bloquear (verb).
- Free throw: tiro libre.
- Field shot: tiro de campo.
- Three-point field goal / 3-pointer: triple.
- Air ball: tirar sin tocar aro. (*) We also say air ball in spanish.
- Floater: bomba.
2.3. Fouls
- Foul: falta.
- Traveling / walking / steps: pasos.
- Double dribble: dobles.
- Backcourt violation: campo atrás.
- Turnover: pérdida de balón.
- Offensive foul: falta de ataque.
2.4. Parts of the court
- Basket: canasta.
- Backboard: tablero.
- Rim: aro.
- Court: pista.
- Bench: banquillo.
- Foul line / Free-throw line: línea de tiro libre.
- Half-court line / Mid-court line: línea de medio campo.
- The paint: la pintura / la zona.
2.5. Others
- Timeout: tiempo muerto.
- Overtime: prórroga.
- Referee: árbitro.
- Score / scorer: marcador.
3. ANY DOUBT?
If you want to know any other term that is not above, leave a comment and I will add it. 😉
4. REFERENCES
I am a native Spanish speaker (from Spain) and I have played basketball in the UK and the US.
How do you say euro-step?
We also call it “euro-step“. 😉
Full court press
Presión a todo (el) campo.
What is the Spanish word or expression for “swish”?
Pitido.
How would you say call for it? As in call for the ball?
I don’t know what “Call for it / Call for the ball” means in English, sorry.
If you mean something like call a fault, we say: “pítala” or “pita la falta”.
If you give me a more precise explanation of that expression in English, I’ll give you the native/natural translation in Spanish.
What about screen/to set a screen?
Hi Laura.
The noun is bloqueo and the verb is bloquear.
Saludos. 😉
How you say the paint in spanish
La pintura (also: la zona).
De valoración. 😉
De valeracion
Hey Jake!
Yes, we call them “bombas” after the spanish basketball player Juan Carlos Navarro, also known as “La Bomba Navarro” (it was one of his best and most known moves). Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCNiB0Lq1wg
And good luck with your oral!
Is Floater “Bomba”? i dont want my teacher to think im talking about bombs in my Oral