Basketball positions

In basketball, each team has five players on the court at any given time. Each player is assigned to different positions defined by the strategic role they play. There are three types of these positions: guard, forward, and center. A standard lineup consists of two guards, two forwards, and one center. The guard positions may be called the "back-court", while the forwards and center are often called the "front-court".

Over time, as more specialized roles developed, each of the guards and forwards came to be differentiated. Today, each of the five positions is known by a unique name and number: point guard (PG) or 1, the shooting guard (SG) or 2, the small forward (SF) or 3, the power forward (PF) or 4, and the center (C) or 5.