five-on-five
Standard basketball matchup
Five-on-five describes a game format where two teams of five players each compete against one another.
The term is most common in basketball, where it denotes the standard full-court game: We've got enough guys for five-on-five.
It distinguishes the full format from pickup variations like three-on-three or one-on-one.
Practice match with contact
- pickupSmall open-bed truck
- streetballInformal outdoor basketball
- hoopsCircular bands or rims
- squadSmall working group
roster · substitution · matchup · starting lineup · regulation · gymnasium · court · dribble
Number on a squad
- balancedIn a state of equilibrium
- symmetricalEven on all sides
- official rulesCodified governing standards
- competitiveDriven by rivalry
organized · structured · league play · tournament · divisional · sanctioned · traditional · conventional
scrimmage
Practice match with contact
- pickupSmall open-bed truck
- streetballInformal outdoor basketball
- hoopsCircular bands or rims
squad · roster · substitution · matchup · starting lineup · regulation · gymnasium · court · dribble · fast break
team size
Number on a squad
- balancedIn a state of equilibrium
- symmetricalEven on all sides
- official rulesCodified governing standards
competitive · organized · structured · league play · tournament · divisional · sanctioned · traditional · conventional · head-to-head
- basketballbasketball, rebound, dunk, basketball camps, dribble
- pickup gamespickup soccer, streetball, street hockey, street soccer, shinny
five-on-fiveshorthanded
Lacking sufficient staff
power play · man advantage · penalty kill · man down · special teams
five, fives, fifth, fifths, fifthly, fifteen, fifteenth, fifty, fiftieth