The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"
BBC Sports academy
URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

game. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for their team and steal the ball on defense. Some teams ask their shooting guards to bring up the ball as well; these players are known colloquially as combo guards. A player who can switch between playing shooting guard and

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger t ...

is known as a swingman. In the NBA, shooting guards usually range from to while in the WNBA, shooting guards tend to be between and .

Characteristics and styles of play

''The Basketball Handbook'' by Lee Rose describes a shooting guard as a player whose primary role is to score points. As the name suggests, most shooting guards are good long-range shooters, typically averaging 35–40 percent from three-point range. Many shooting guards are also strong and athletic, and have the ability to get inside the paint and drive to the basket. Typically, shooting guards are taller than point guards. Height at the position varies; many bigger shooting guards also play

. Shooting guards should be good ball handlers and be able to pass reasonably well, though passing is not their main priority. Since good shooting guards may attract double-teams, they are frequently the team's back-up ball handlers to the