What is a Brick in Basketball?

What is a brick in basketball? A brick in basketball is the name for a shot that does not reach the rim. These shots may be an airball, a tip-in, a failed attempt at a layup, or similar. Bricks are a liability when you’re trying to score since they abbreviate your team’s offensive possessions. Get to know more about this basketball term in this article. 

Hoop Lingo: Learning What is a Brick in Basketball

A basketball court is by no means a construction site. Yet, it is one of those places where bricks seem to pile up. Make no mistake, however, bricks in the game won’t hurt you since these are not the blocks of stone used in buildings, but these are shots that can’t seem to find their way inside the rim.

Definition of bricks in basketball

What is a brick in basketball? A brick shot is a term that is used to describe a missed shot or miss flight of a basketball that occurs when an attempted shot goes off the rim or the backboard, and either does not allow the shot to reach the basket or an airborne object lands beyond the line of scrimmage. 

This can be in the normal course of play as an offensive rebound or defensive stop for an extra rebound, or in an event where a player was fouled, and as such has not yet completed a free throw prior to the miss. As a result, a player cannot retrieve the ball from the ground or use time-honored defensive tactics to contest attempted shots.

How to prevent shooting bricks in the game

1. Gain confidence in your shooting

The world’s best shooters work on their shooting weaknesses daily, whether it be free throw form, consistency, outside shooting, midrange shooting, or catch in action. Now you need to gain confidence in your scoring and prevent or minimize bricks because of poor shooting form.

Avoid shooting bricks and make real shots!

2. Focus on practice

Whether it’s a free throw shooting or three-pointer shooting, all basketball players will lose the ball eventually. Practice makes perfect. Don’t give up shooting freethrow and three-point shots in the game.

3. Polish shooting mechanics

When talking about how to prevent shooting bricks in basketball, one has to understand that this is a skill, and skills require practice. Skills also require correct execution of the technique. It is not always about practicing more; it is also about practicing correctly.

Never Shoot a Brick Again

For starters, don’t shoot the brick at the basket. Yes, it’s satisfying to sink one of those three-point tries. It’s also an unnecessary skill for a skilled basketball player who is planning on making many team decisions based on strategy and teamwork.