Streetball in Detail: Interesting Information on Mini-Basketball

Streetball or 3×3 basketball represents a kind of sport that is played between two teams. Each of them consists of three players. Such matches take place on a half of a standard basketball court; that is why athletes pay attention only to one basket. The most characteristic features of streetball are represented by the simplicity and affordability of the sport and the rules that govern it. As for the rules, they have been developed by the International Basketball Association (FIBA). Such competitions can be held both outdoors and indoors. Thus, the given article is going to present the most useful information on streetball and its rules.

General Principles

As has been mentioned, there are official rules that govern streetball competitions and events. Thus, they can be subdivided into separate fragments as to what aspect of this sport they describe.

Court

Streetball court is half of the court for ordinary basketball matches, meaning that only one basket is necessary for streetball matches. The area for players to challenge for the ball after a foul throw is located in the same manner as that on ordinary basketball courts. However, the area is limited by the lines of 85 cm long and 5 cm wide. In addition, the court does not have a semicircle for three throws. Thus, the place from which athletes are to perform foul throws is marked with a line that is 1 meter long. This line is located at the same distance from the basket as it is observed in basketball.

Officials

A streetball match can be served by up to three officials. They are to control everything in this match. Their main responsibilities include organizing a coin toss prior to the beginning of a match, announcing time outs (30 seconds long), determining a team who has the right to get the ball in their possession. In other cases, these officials should also deal with scoring, keeping the time, deciding on jump ball situations, and admitting all types of fouls.

Fouls

According to the information above, a streetball match takes place between two teams. Each of them consists of three to six players. At the same time, only three players of the same team have the right to be on the court simultaneously. The others are said to be substitutes. Any of the players can be the captain of a team. What is more, it is prohibited for a team to have fewer than two players on the court. If a team cannot be represented by more than one player for any reason, this team is said to lose “due to the lack of players.” Furthermore, if a team fails to have three players prior to the beginning of a match, this team is deprived of the right to participate in this match.

Elements of Play

Even though this kind of sport takes place on a small court, it does not mean that it implies not many rules.

Scoring System

If a player manages to throw the ball into the basket from a long-throw area (the same as a three-point area in basketball), his/her team gets two points. One point is given for any other ball thrown into the basket.

Playing Time

Streetball matches last for 10 minutes of actual time. Extra period, when it is necessary, lasts until a team earns two points. When it comes to a particular tournament, its organizers can stipulate particular regulations as to how long streetball matches should last. For example, it is a common case when the organizers agree with broadcasting companies that technical time outs should follow the first dead ball situations after athletes have played 3:59 and 6:59 of the playing time.

Beginning a Match

Every streetball match should be preceded by a coin toss. The team that has won it has the right to choose whether it will start the regulation time or a probable additional period.

Determining a Winner

There are three situations of how it is possible to determine a winner of a single streetball match. Firstly, a team should earn 21 points till the end of the regulation time (for tournaments with less regulation time, this limit is smaller). Secondly, a victory is given to the team that has managed to score more points than their opponents at the moment when the regulation time is over. Finally, a team should earn two points in an additional period, which requires further explanations. When it happens that the regulation time is over and the two opposing teams have earned the exact number of points, an extra period should be announced. During it, a successful throw results in one point, while a missing throw gives one point to the opponents.

The Right to Attack

A team gets the right to attack when they have the ball in their possession within the long-throw area or gets the right to perform a foul throw. A team loses this right when the opposing team gets the right to attack. If a team manages to throw the ball into the basket when their opponents have the right to attack, the point or points are not credited, and the ball is given in possession to the opponents.

The Right to Hold the Ball in Possession

Following the situation when a team has committed a foul, thrown the ball into the basket or performed a successful foul throw (with the exception of cases when the foul throw has been preceded by an unsporting, technical or disqualifying foul), the opposing team gets the right to hold the ball in their possession. It occurs in a small semicircle below the basket. After that, an appropriate player should deliver the ball to the long-throw area either by throwing or by driving it, and opponents may not create any obstacles for it. When it comes to foul throws that follow unsporting, technical or disqualifying fouls, irrespective of the outcome of this throw, the ball is given in possession to the same team that has performed this throw.

“Check”

Any player of the team that has got the right to have the ball in its possession in the dead ball situation should drive it to the long-throw area and give it to the closest member of the opposing team for checking. At this moment, all the players of a defensive team should stay between the long-throw line and the basket. When the attacking player gets the ball back within the long-throw area, he or she is allowed to make all playing actions including throwing the ball into the basket, while the defensive players get the right to enter the long-throw area. At the same time, officials should start timekeeping. Nevertheless, if the ball was punted by a defensive player before an attacking one has managed to completely gain control over it, officials should not start timekeeping, and the checking procedure should be repeated.

Substitutions

Teams are allowed to make substitutions at any moment during the dead ball situations. To make a substitution duly, a captain should inform the referee of the ongoing event.

Time Outs

Every team is entitled to take one 30-second time out during the regulation time and one 30-second time-out during the extra period. It is possible to take time outs during the dead ball situations, which is similar to substitutions. Any player of the team can notify the referee of the ongoing time out.

Fouls and Violations of the Rules

In streetball, there is a peculiar set of rules that refer to fouls.

12-Second Rule

This rule refers to the time that is given to an attacking team. It means that an attacking team has 12 seconds to lead their attack to its logical end. It is evident that this rule is governed by the same principles as those implied in the 24-second rule for basketball. When it is found impossible to allocate officials to watch this rule, which is a typical case for small tournaments, the following rule is applied. An attacking team is given unlimited time to follow their attack to its logical end provided they take active and evident efforts.

5-Second Rule

An attacking player may not drive the ball within the limits of the large semicircle when he or she faces the basked sideward or backward for more than five seconds. Once this rule is violated, the ball is given in possession to the opposing team. In addition to that, if the previous rule is not observed because of the reason mentioned above, the referee may start counting five seconds till the end of an attack.

Foul Throws

The severity of punishment depends on the nature of a foul. Thus, two foul throws are given for a foul that was committed while an attacking player was performing a long throw (the throw is missing). One foul throw is given for a foul that was committed while an attacking player was performing a one-point throw (the throw is missing). Once an attacking player manages to throw the ball into the basket after a foul, his or her team gets an appropriate number of points for the successful throw and performs one foul throw. A technical foul results in one foul throw and the ball will be further given in possession to the same team via the checking procedure.

If one of the fouls above was committed as a result of a personal contact, the foul throws should be performed by the player against whom the rules were violated. In all the other cases, any player of the team has the right to perform foul throws.

If a foul is said to be unsporting and disqualifying, two foul throws should be performed. After them, the team that was performing these throws get the ball in its possession within the long-throw area via the checking procedure.

If a foul is not unsporting, not technical, and not disqualifying, players may challenge the ball after the last throw has been performed. In this case, when a player of a team that has violated the rules enters the rectangular area before the throw and the throw appears to be missing, this foul throw should be repeated. At the same time, if a player of an attacking team enters the rectangular area before the throw and this throw appears to be successful, this foul throw will not be credited, and an appropriate player should repeat it.

Performer of Foul Throws

A player who is going to perform a foul throw should place his or her feet close to the foul throw line in such a manner to make this line lay between the player and the basket. Once a foul was announced, a player is given five seconds to perform the first foul throw (it should take these five seconds for the rest of the players on the court to hold the correct positions) and additional five seconds to perform the second one if the foul implies two foul throws.

Limit of Personal Fouls

A player can commit an unlimited number of personal fouls (not unsporting, not technical, and not disqualifying) without the consequence of being deprived of the right to keep participating in a streetball match.

Unsporting Fouls

A foul is said to be unsporting if it is accompanied by at least one of the following conditions:

• a deliberate foul was committed to a player who did not have the ball in possession, but his or her team had;
• a deliberate foul was committed to a player who had the ball in his or her possession but the offender did not intend to touch the ball;
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• a substitute has violated the rules of substitution while entering the court;
• any player of a team showed unsporting behavior toward the opponents or officials.

Disqualification

If a player commits two unsporting or one disqualifying foul in a single match, he or she should be disqualified till the end of this match. In case of fighting, every participant should be disqualified till the end of this match and for a term that is determined by a joint decision of the match officials and the tournament chief referee.

If two players of the same team have been disqualified during a tournament, this team should be disqualified will the end of this tournament.

Additional Information

When one of the players gets visibly injured, the referee should immediately stop the game. The injured player should be substituted as soon as possible when the team has substitutes. However, if one of the teams takes a 30-second time out after the injury has been detected and the player manages to stop bleeding during this period, this player may keep playing.

Any player has the right to pass the ball with their heels, not only hands.

History

It is believed that the given kind of sport was created by James Nasmyth in 1891. It took a while for this sporting activity to become a popular game among ordinary people. As a result, the International Federation of Basketball Associations was established in 1940. This kind of sport was relatively popular in numerous countries but it entered the international stage in the early 21st century only. It happened in 2016 when the FIBA offered to include streetball in the schedule of the Summer Olympics. Consequently, 2017 witnessed as there was made a decision that streetball competitions would be a part of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The event will be attended by eight men’s and eight women’s teams that will be comprised of four athletes each.