In men’s college basketball, they use the alternating-possession arrow. After the opening jump ball, the arrow determines who gets the ball on the next held-ball situation, and the arrow is adjusted at halftime so the team that would have had possession next still gets it to start the second half.

Quick rule

  • The visiting team chooses the basket to start the game.
  • The opening possession comes from the jump ball.
  • After that, the possession arrow controls alternating held-ball possessions.
  • At halftime, the arrow is switched to account for teams changing ends, so the same team that had the arrow at the end of the first half gets the ball to begin the second half.

Simple example

If Team A got the arrow at the end of the first half, Team A starts the second half with the ball. After that, the arrow flips to Team B for the next alternating-possession situation.

If you want, I can also explain why college basketball uses the arrow instead of a jump ball every time.