Street basketball is about to tip-off at the Olympics.
Anyone who has ever played a game to 21 against some siblings or friends on the hoop in front of the house or at the park can relate to one of the Games' newest sports. Only this time, there won't be any stoppages in play to let a car pass.
The 2024 Olympics in Paris will feature the return of 3x3 basketball, which debuted at the 2020 Games. Here's everything you need to know about the sport.
Olympic 3x3 basketball format
The 3x3 basketball format at the Olympics is very similar to the countless games that have been played in streets across the country.
It's simply a condensed version of a traditional full-court basketball game. Olympic men's and women's 3x3 basketball will feature eight teams of four players: three on-court and one substitute.
In 3x3 games, three players from each team compete at a time on an outdoor half-court measuring 36 feet long by 49 feet wide, with a hoop at one end and end line at the other. On the court is an arc — known in the full-court game as the 3-point line — with a radius roughly 22 feet from the hoop.
The two teams rotate playing offense and defense on the same hoop depending on which team has possession at the time. Possession switches after a made basket, as well as after a defensive rebound, turnover or violation.
When a player takes control of the ball inside the arc during live play, they or a teammate must either dribble or pass the ball beyond the arc before attempting a shot.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Olympic 3x3 basketball scoring
Instead of an opening tip, there is an opening toss.
Before the game, the team that wins a coin toss chooses whether to begin the game on offense or defense.
A team wins a game by either being the first to score 21 points or by having the highest score at the end of 10 minutes of play. There is a 12-second shot clock for each possession, meaning the offensive team must attempt a shot in that time frame.
A made shot from beyond the arc is worth two points and a made shot from inside the arc is worth one point.
Free throws are also worth one point each, with a player who is fouled while attempting a shot inside the arc receiving one free throw attempt and a player fouled while attempting a shot outside the arc receiving two attempts.
If the score is tied at the end of the 10-minute regulation, overtime is played. The team that opened the game on defense gets first possession in the extra session. In most cases, the first team to score two points in overtime wins the game. If the two teams are tied at 20-20 after regulation, the first team to score one point is the winner, making 21 points the maximum total that can be scored in 3x3 Olympic basketball.
Olympic 3x3 basketball medal count
The sport of 3x3 basketball first debuted during the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 and was later added to the Olympic program for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
It was there that the sport's inaugural gold medals went to the Latvia men's team and United States women's team — with the latter featuring Stefanie Dolson, Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray and Jackie Young. The United States men's team did not qualify for the 2020 Olympics after being eliminated in the qualifiers with a loss to the Netherlands.
The Russian Olympic Committee won silver in both tournaments. Taking bronze was the Serbia men's team and the People's Republic of China women's team.
3x3 basketball at the 2024 Olympics
Pool play games for 3x3 basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics will begin on July 30 at Parc Urbain la Concorde. The medal games will be held on Aug. 5.
How to watch 3x3 basketball at the 2024 Olympics
Viewers can watch all of NBC’s 3x3 basketball coverage from Paris live on Peacock.
