Variations of basketball

Variations of basketball are games or activities based on or similar to the game of basketball, in which the player utilizes common basketball skills. Some are essentially identical to basketball, with only minor rules changes, while others are more distant and arguably not simple variations but distinct games. Other variations include children's games, contests or activities intended to help the player practice or reinforce skills, which may or may not have a competitive aspect. Most of the variations are played in informal settings, without the presence of referees or other officials and sometimes without strict adherence to official game rules.

Closely-related games

Different roster sizes

An actual competitive game of basketball can be played with as few as 2 people. The game may be referred to by the number of people on each team; a 6 player game may be referred to as "3-on-3" or "3-v-3" ("v" stands for "versus"). Each team's roster is typically the same size, but an odd number of players may force 1 team to play with 1 less player. Sometimes the odd player will be designated as a "switch" player, so that the offensive team always has the extra player (defense is generally considered easier to play than offense, mitigating some of the handicap of being 1 player short).

Roster sizes above 5 players per team are uncommon even in informal games, as the court generally becomes too crowded to allow movement and space to develop between players.

Half court

Full court games usually only commence if there are 10 players, and it can be difficult to reserve a full court for only 2 teams. Basketball is therefore frequently played in a half court setting, essentially doubling the number of players that can play on a court at once, and this mode of play is frequently required in busy locations like public gymnasiums or health clubs. It is sufficient for most aspects of practice, other than transition plays and pressure defense which specifically require a full court, and is often used in coaching situations; a common sight at games is a coach with a small chalk or dry-erase board with a printed half court diagram, suitable for drawing up plays during a timeout.

In half court games, only one basket is used, with the requirement that the ball be "cleared" whenever possession of the ball changes. To clear the ball, the team acquiring possession must pass or dribble the ball across the half court line (or three-point line, see below) before attempting a shot. This simulates the time that would be required for the offensive team to advance the ball into the frontcourt, gives the defense a chance to take position, and provides all players with a visual and mental cue that their roles have reversed, making the half court game an excellent simulation of the full court game.

Slight variations on this basic clearance rule are common, and some situations may not require the new offensive team to clear the ball upon every change of possession. A clearance is almost always required after a defensive rebound, but it may not be required in turnover situations such as a steal or blocked shot; this simulates, to an extent, the fast break that might take place after a turnover.

The origin of the half court game is unknown, but some form of it is likely almost as old as basketball, simply because it allows a small number of people to play without quickly becoming exhausted from running the length of the court after every change of possession. In modern times, the three-point line is more commonly used as the clearance line, as it is a shorter distance from the basket and allows a clearance in almost any direction, rather than directly opposite from the end line. When the half court variation was invented, however, the three-point line probably did not exist (it was invented in 1961 and was not widespread until the 1970's), and so the name "half court" has stuck.

Street

In street (also known as pickup or streetball) games, an arbitrary number of points by one team is set as the game's end point. Free throws are not used, and fouls are called, by the fouled player, only when a violation is flagrant or prevents a score. Fouls are almost always called by the player with the ball; off-ball fouls or fouls called by the defense are frowned upon or not even considered unless the foul committed is especially egregious.

Streetball can also refer to a specific style of play that focuses more on the individual talents of the players. Some aspects of the style might fall afoul of traditional rules; showboating and taunting are not uncommon, and sometimes players engage in exaggerated dribbling that would probably be considered a carrying violation in competitive leagues. Nevertheless, the style is popular, with some games even being shown on ESPN.

One famous location for street games is Rucker Park in New York City; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Nate "Tiny" Archibald and Connie Hawkins are just a few of the NBA stars and "playground legends" who have held court there.

"Make-it-Take-it"

In the half court game, a "make-it-take-it" convention (also "buckets" or "winners out") is followed in some regions, whereby the scoring team retains possession of the ball. Because free throws are not generally used, baskets made in pick-up games generally count as one point. However, some courts have begun to add the three-point goal to their pick-up scenario. Some courts keep scores inside the three-point goal as one point and scores beyond it two, while others use standard basketball scoring rules: two points for scores inside the three-point goal and three points for scores outside.

Twenty-one

Twenty-one is a game that can be played with two or more players. Each player has his own score, with the winner being the first to reach 21 points. The game begins with one of the players starting with the ball, with the objective of scoring. All other players attempt to stop the score; no player has any teammates at any time in the game. The player with the ball may shoot at any time, and may collect his own rebound and shoot again. On a defensive rebound, the rebounder takes possession and must clear the ball by dribbling it beyond the three-point line before taking a shot. Whenever a basket is scored, that player receives two points and goes to the free throw line, where each made free throw tacks on another point to their score. The player is allowed to shoot free throws until he wins the game or misses, at which point another player must rebound the ball, and the sequence starts again.

Common variations include:

• Using the three-point line
• First made free throw in the game worth 2 points; all others worth 1
• Limit on the number of successful free throws in a row (usually 3); the scorer then receives the ball and a free clearance and play resumes
• Declaring a winner at less than 21 (usually 11), if one scorer gets to that number and all other scorers have zero
• Resetting a player's score back to zero if they get to exactly 13 points; if 13 is hit as a result of a made free throw, the player gets a chance to make another free throw and avoid the reset by bringing the score to 14
• Resetting a player's score back to some level (13 is common) if their score exceeds 21, or the situation will cause the score to exceed 21 (i.e. when free throws following a made basket will leave the total at 20 points, or if the free throw that would give the player 21 is missed)
• Requiring a player to win by a certain number of points (usually 2 or 3); this can require extending the game past 21

Distantly-related games

Spin-offs from basketball include baseketball, which has some elements of baseball, korfball, which was born in the Netherlands and is played by mixed teams, netball, which was informally called "women's basketball" but now includes men's teams, slamball, and ringball.

Around the world is a popular variant.

Activities

H-O-R-S-E

A common, less athletic game for smaller groups of players is H-O-R-S-E (pronounced as "horse"; occasionally other words are used but the game is identical). The game may be played with as few as 2 people, and as many as desired. The only skill required is shooting; no player is allowed to defend.

With 2 players, the first player may shoot from anywhere on the court. There is no penalty if the first player misses; the second player then gets to shoot from anywhere on the court. If either player makes their shot, the next player must make the same shot from the same position; if the next player misses, they get a "letter" from the word "horse". The first player is again free to shoot from anywhere. A player is knocked out of the game once they have enough letters to spell out the word "horse;" the last player remaining wins.

The game is essentially the same with 3 or more players but the rules may vary slightly. In some cases, all players must make the same shot as the first player or receive a letter, until the turn returns to the first player. In other cases, a miss by the second (or any following) player still results in a letter for that player, but the court then becomes open again and the next player immediately following the player who misses is allowed to shoot from anywhere.

Often, the shots in H-O-R-S-E are trick shots that are rarely, if ever, taken in a real game; although unlikely, if the shot succeeds, the opponent is much more likely to miss and therefore receive a letter. Elaborate routines and "call" shots, such as "off the backboard" or "left-handed hook shot," are frequently allowed, and the shooter's actions must be followed exactly for the next player's shot to be considered good.

Shooting practice

It is very common for players to practice shooting, especially free throw shooting, during or after practice. Coaches sometimes integrate free throw shooting into other aspects of practice. For instance, a player may be required to shoot a free throw, run a quick wind sprint, then return to the free throw line to shoot again. This is intended to condition the player to game situations, where the player may be required to shoot a free throw immediately after running up and down the floor.