Greetings. Are you new to pickup basketball? Or do you just want to brush up on the official rules? Or perhaps, you are looking to get your kids involved and playing in a league where they can focus on having fun with other kids their own age.
Pickup basketball is one of the most popular games that people play in urban parks. It’s a great way to meet new friends and have fun with others. Fortunately, you no longer need to join a local league or a community center to load up your gear and get your fix. Instead, all you need is the internet, a pair of sneakers, and the right resources.
Pickup basketball is a game that’s played casually on basketball courts by whoever happens to be around. It is more than just a friendly game of hoops though – it’s an amazing way to make new friends, learn the rules of basketball, and have memorable experiences.
Table of Contents
Is Pick Up Basketball Played Indoors Or Outdoors?
Pickup basketball is generally played outdoors on a basketball court in a public area, like at a park or community center. Outdoor courts are larger than indoor courts, so players don’t need to worry about running into the walls.
In addition, it’s easier to get more people (and more competition) on an outdoor court than an indoor one.
If you want to play pickup basketball indoors, you may be able to find local gymnasiums or health clubs that have open gym hours for members and non-members alike.
If you find yourself in a city without many courts or gyms nearby where you can play pickup games, there are apps that can connect you with other players looking for a game.
What Are The Rules?
The rules of pickup basketball are as fluid as the court. There’s no referee, no official scorekeeper, and no rulebook. Teams form spontaneously, united only by a mutual love of the game.
A strange tension arises at the same time: if you play well-enough to be asked to join a team, you’ve probably played enough to know there are dozens of different ways to play. So what’s your style?
The easiest way to set up a game is to get together with friends and decide on a few parameters:
- Play until someone hits a set number of baskets (a “win by 2 or 3” system).
- Play for a set amount of time (“first team to 5 points wins”).
Because there’s no official scorekeeper or ref in sight, everything depends on players being honest about which team got how many baskets and when they happened.
How Do You Get Started?
You can find pickup basketball games at any number of courts across the country. To get started, check out this map that shows you where to play. Once you’ve found a court in your area, show up and look for players who are shooting around and not already playing.
You can ask if anyone needs another player or tell them that you’re down to play if they’re looking for an extra body on the court, which often happens when groups are waiting for their turn to play a full game.
Once you have found a group of people to play with, make sure the rules are clear before beginning—some players enjoy playing half-court pickup games (usually four-on-four), while others prefer to play full court (with three-point lines).
Playing with new people is also a good opportunity to encourage everyone on the court to really let loose and work on their game while also maintaining safe levels of physical contact and respecting one another’s skillsets.
Finally, remember that pickup basketball is supposed to be fun! Though we’ve all seen footage of brawls breaking out at pickup games, these situations usually occur when tempers flare due to one player’s perceived lack of skill or willingness to exert effort during gameplay.
Be friendly and supportive of all players regardless of skill level—you never know what kind of effect your attitude might have on someone else’s day!
How Do You Meet People to Play With?
You can play pickup basketball with friends, family, and coworkers. You don’t have to join a pickup league or go to a rec center if you don’t want to. But if you’re interested in meeting the real fans of pickup basketball, we recommend joining a league in your area.
If you need help finding one, ask at the closest rec center or court. Leagues are often organized by communities or non-profits and are open to people of all ages. And just like that, you’ve met some new friends!
Play At A Local Court Near Where You Live
Some people think it’s stressful to play at a local court. But that’s just because they don’t know what to do. I’m going to show you how to play at a local court near where you live and win.
First, only play when you have time to commit to a game. You can also decide on the maximum amount of time you want to play each day or per week. That way, you will still be able to get things done while playing basketball when the opportunity presents itself.
General Rules For Pickup Basketball
Begin With A Jump Ball
Begin each game with a jump ball. This is when two players from opposing teams jump together to tap the basketball and try to tip it to a teammate. Whichever team gets control of the ball first will get possession for the start of the game.
This rule is significant. Basketball teams that win the opening tip-off tend to do better overall, and as such are more likely to win games by anywhere from 6-9 points (depending on which study you look at).
The Offensive Team May Advance The Ball
If you intend to join a pickup basketball game, it’s important that you understand the rules.
You may advance the ball to the frontcourt by dribbling or passing. You may not advance the ball to the frontcourt by running with it.
You may not advance the ball to the frontcourt by throwing it. You may not advance the ball to the frontcourt by kicking it.
First Team Allowed In Their Opponent’s Frontcourt
The first team allowed in their opponent’s frontcourt is allowed only 8 seconds to score. It begins when the ball crosses the half-court line and continues until a basket is scored, a shot clock violation occurs, or the ball leaves the frontcourt by traveling over the end line or sideline.
Once this occurs, it becomes the other team’s turn to get in their frontcourt and try to score; if they do not make a basket within 8 seconds, possession goes back to the original offensive team.
The official rules of FIBA (International Basketball Federation) state that every time a team gains possession of the ball, they must bring it into their opponents’ frontcourt within eight seconds (or ten seconds in USA NCAA men’s college basketball) and attempt a shot within 24 seconds of gaining possession.
If these rules are violated, play stops and resets to when possession occurred and counts as a turnover (in FIBA), or no points will be counted (in NBA).
Double Dribble Infractions Result
Double dribbling occurs when two players move at the same time and collide. If you are in a pick-up game and another player is double dribbling, you must leave your space so the other player can pass.
It’s not a free shot if someone else gets fouled by an opponent while you are playing defense, but if the other player does not try to pass to you no foul should be called.
After Each Free Throw
When a free throw is shot, all rules of being out-of-bounds apply. The non-shooting team will inbound the ball from the end line in the backcourt, and may not advance the ball over half court before it is touched by another player.
This prevents defensive players from gaining an advantage by camping near their own basket while waiting for an offensive player to commit a turnover and attempt a quick layup.
Substitutions Are Permitted After Dead ball
A dead ball is when the game stops. After the dead ball, any player on your team can take the place of a player on your team, as long as they were at the gym to play. The players who are switching must let each other know that they’re swapping places.
And if you want a specific guy to come out and he’s being stubborn, you don’t have to grab him by his neckline and pull him off the court–it’s not that serious. You can just ask nicely or give him puppy dog eyes until he feels guilty enough to switch out with someone else.
There are a number of ways you may be able to make substitutions in your pickup games, but I feel like this method is fair because it allows you to actually play with everyone who wants to play basketball instead of just playing with yourself and your friends for an hour while twelve other people sit along the sidelines looking bored (or worse, watching some guy dribble around in circles for ten minutes).
Is Pickup More Fun Than Organized Basketball?
Showboat And Trash Talk With Impunity
The rules of pickup basketball are, if anything, more relaxed than organized hoops. There are no refs to call fouls or violations. Half the time you don’t even have the benefit of keeping score.
This can lead to some seriously sloppy play, but it also allows for maximum creativity—something that is stifled by the systematic nature of organized ball.
Also: With fewer players on the court, it’s easier to keep track of who has possession and who doesn’t—and you can showboat and trash talk with impunity!
How many times have you been sucked into an unbreakable road rage cycle? How many times has your car been surrounded by other cars that flash their lights and honk while they force you to wait in a turn lane without being able to cross traffic?
These are common occurrences when drivers ignore basic driving etiquette at four-way stops—but we’re here to tell you there’s a better way!
Organized Basketball Is Too Uptight In General.
In an organized game, however, your foot has to be right on the line if you want to shoot a three-pointer. If your toe is even a fraction of an inch ahead of the line when you release the ball, it’s going straight into the net and you’ll be getting glared at by your teammates for messing up so badly.
The stakes are much lower in pickup. If you’re shooting from behind the arc and you happen to shuffle forward or backward slightly during your approach and end up taking it from six inches outside of it instead? No big deal!
You’re not being judged by thousands of fans on Twitter or any coaches who might be keeping track of whether or not you’re making their team next year. You can just pick up where you left off without having to worry about anything except for getting back on defense once it’s a turnover.
Pickup Ball Is A Venue For Self-Expression.
It’s about the opportunity for self-expression.
Organized basketball is still the dominant form of organized sports in this country, but with pickup ball you can do things that would get you benched in a league. You can showboat, trash talk, and play in ways that would have coaches shaking their heads.
Obviously, there are drawbacks here: Showboating and trash talking are not always behavior to be encouraged on or off the court.
But as long as everyone involved is willing to accept some level of ridiculousness and flagrant disrespect, pickup ball is a venue for self-expression free from any risk of reprimand or punishment.
There’s More Action To Watch In Pickup Ball.
You, the basketball fan, may be more interested in watching a game that features high-scoring averages, fast-paced action and frequent scoring opportunities. Pickup ball is likely to offer you those things.
Specifically, pickup games feature a much higher scoring average than organized games: The average score of an NBA game is just under 200 points total; a pickup game at Rucker Park in Harlem can reach 100 points.
That’s because pickup basketball is more likely to feature a fast-paced, up-tempo style of play than organized competition does. There’s less time for players to set up plays and fewer restrictions on where players go on the court or how they execute plays — and these factors allow more scoring opportunities and more individual expression.
You Control Your Own Destiny
“My favorite thing about pickup basketball is that you can control your own destiny,” says Jon Kilcullen, an avid pickup player in New York City.
“It can be scary at first because it’s basically like jumping into a cold pool. Pickup games are more fun than organized ones because there’s more opportunity to expose your game and take chances.”
In pickup, you get to choose when you play, who you play with and what kind of experience you have. You can decide if you want to be a leader or a follower; go for a risk or play it safe; focus on improving one part of your game or experience the whole thing.
You’re not beholden to the practice schedule or skill level of others as much as in organized basketball and thus have more room for self-expression and creativity.
Pickup Is Less Expensive Than Organized Basketball
Here are some reasons that pickup is cheaper:
- You can always find a free pickup game at the YMCA, gym, or local park.
- Organized basketball often requires membership in an organization, which can be very expensive. Fees for organizations tend to increase as you play at higher levels.
- Additionally, the fees for travel teams (teams that travel to other cities and states to play tournaments) are higher than general membership fees. If your family member plays on a travel team, it’s likely that you pay significantly more than if they played on an in-town team.
- Finally, some organizations have financial aid programs for families who cannot afford regular membership fees. Other organizations use a sliding scale of fees based on income.
Pickup Is More Flexible
Two things that many people who love pickup basketball cite are the flexibility and freedom of the sport. Since pickup basketball is usually played in a park or gym, it doesn’t require anyone else to organize teams.
You can play with one other person, or by yourself. You can play for 10 minutes or 10 hours. All you have to do is show up and start playing—it’s that simple!
Lots Of Reasons Why People Prefer Playing Pickup
Many players find it invigorating to play in a pickup game, and some prefer it to playing organized basketball. The great part about both is that there are options available if you want to play, as long as you’re willing to put in the effort.
Plus, whether playing pickup or joining a league, there will always be people at every level of skill who share your love of the game. And that’s what really matters anyway—that we’re all having fun on the court.
Conclusion
Pickup basketball is unlike any other game, and it’s unlike any organized version of basketball. It’s more like a way of life: a constant interplay between the pickup experience and the outside world in which we live our lives. It’s not just a game.
It might be more accurate to say that pickup is a state of being—one that has infinite possibilities for expression, all of which unveil new facets about ourselves and the people around us.
So, when you see the interaction between strangers on a basketball court and then think about the interaction happening between two people who’ve never met IRL, think about how great life really is…