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Basketball Variations

Basketball is usually played on a large indoor court, with five players per team. Around the world, there are some variation of the standard rules and playing conditions, some of these casual and unofficial, like the games played in the school yard, and others that are official such as the 3-on-3 variation that is played at the Olympic Games.

3-on-3 Basketball

The 3 on 3 basketball game is quite simple. These are the rules when it was played at the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. Each team consists of four players, though only three players are on the court at a time with one substitute. The other major difference of this variation is that the game is played on a half court with only one basket. The game consists of three periods of five minutes each. The team first scoring 33 points or leading the game after the regular game time was the winner. Most of the regular rules regarding scoring and fouling are the same. A player with five fouls must leave the game, and a team is in a penalty foul situation when it has committed three fouls in a period. The shot clock is 14 seconds.



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