Boards
Rebounds
Example
We got killed on the boards tonight
They outrebounded us 45 to 20
Crashing the boards often wins you games
Related Slang
| A | Assists |
| Dropping dimes | Making difficult passes for assists in basketball |
| Brick | A shot that squarely clangs off the rim or backboard |
| And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket |
| Charity stripe | Free throw line |
| Swish | A made shot in basketball that hits only the net |
| Splash | A made shot that only touches the basketball net |
| NBA | National Basketball Association |
Can you survive our Dungeons & Dragons slang quiz?
In basketball, "boards" are rebounds, which are when players gain possession of the ball after a missed shot. The term comes from the backboard of a hoop, which is the backside of the rim that missed shots often bounce off.
There are defensive boards, which are when players gain possession of an opponent's missed shot. There are also offensive boards, which are when players gain control of their teammate's missed shot.
You will often hear announcers, coaches, players, and fans call rebounds boards. For example, a coach may yell at his players to "crash the boards" when he wants them to pursue rebounds aggressively. Or, a fan may remark that the opposing team is "killing them on the boards" when they are greatly outrebounding them.