'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally considered to be a major part of the game, as they often lead either to a possession change or to a second (and often better) opportunity to score by the side whose initial attempt failed.

In sports such as basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 and netball

Netball

Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...

, the term is also used as either noun or verb to describe the successful retrieval of the ball in that circumstance.

In sports that have an assigned goalkeeper

Goalkeeper

In many team sports which involve scoring goals, a goalkeeper is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by intercepting shots at goal...

 or goaltender

Goaltender

In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...

, after that player makes a save

Save (sport)

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...

, they may (and if they are able, usually should) then retain immediate possession of the ball or puck themselves, thus preventing a rebound from occurring.

Rebounds in basketball

In basketball, rebounds are divided into two categories: offensive rebounds, in which the ball is recovered by the offensive side and does not change possession, and defensive rebounds, in which the defending team gain possession of the loose ball. Generally, most rebounds are defensive because the team on defense tends to be in better position (in other words, closer to the basket) to recover missed shots. Often these are grouped under the heading Rebounds per game which denotes the average number of rebounds a player or team averages for a series or season.