Men's 3x3 basketball rules at the 2024 Paris Olympics, explained

Here's what you need to know about men's 3x3 basketball at the Olympics.

During this year’s 2024 Paris Olympics, you may notice a different kind of basketball: a three-on-three (3×3) version that is only played on half a court. YES. HALF A COURT.

In 2017, after the sport found success in the youth Olympic games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that 3×3 basketball would begin at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. It’s back again for this year’s Olympics, and you’ll want to pay attention to how everything works.

Although many of the rules are the same, there are some tweaks that will turn heads. It’s different from the typical five-on-five full-court version that we generally know as basketball.

Here are the rules to know about men’s 3×3 basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics:

What’s the history of 3×3 at the Olympics?

Jul 28, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Belgium player Thibaut Vervoort (2) dribbles while being guarded by Latvia player Edgars Krumins (3) in the semifinal game during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Aomi Urban Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports

This version of basketball originally appeared at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games. It then made it to the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games and the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games. The matches drew very huge crowds prompting the IOC to react.

In 2017, (IOC) announced that 3×3 basketball would begin at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

What are the 3×3 basketball basics?

Much like the 5×5 version, the basic basketball rules are the same regarding dribbling, passing, traveling, etc. The goal is to put the ball into the hoop and score more than your opponent.

Each game begins with a coin toss. The winner of the toss chooses whether to begin the game on offense or defense.

Who’s on the 3×3 basketball roster?

Three players per side actively play on the court at all times. However, each side only gets ONE sub from its bench.

In total, the roster has four athletes.

What’s the size of a 3×3 basketball court?

A 3×3 game is played on a half-court — measuring 11m by 15m —  with a hoop on one end and an end line on the other.

The court is divided into two parts by an arc. The area inside the arc is called the one-point zone, and the area outside the arc is the two-point zone. Much like a typical basketball court, the 3×3 court also includes an area for free throws.

What’s the size of a 3×3 basketball?

The ball used in a 3×3 basketball game is different from a typical ball.

A 3×3 basketball ball is the same weight (620g) as the official size 7 basketball (74.93 cm in diameter) used in 5×5 games but is a little smaller (72.39cm in diameter).

The smaller size facilitates better ball handling to suit the faster pace of the game.

How does 3×3 basketball scoring work?

A team can score points by making baskets or through free throws. Field goals are broken down into two categories:

One-point shot — Any basket scored inside the arc or in the one-point zone is worth one point.

Two-point shot —Any basket scored from an area outside the arc or inside the two-point zone is worth two points.

A game is played within one 10-minute period. The first team to score 21 points wins. If neither team reaches 21 points, the team with the highest amount of points at the end of the 10-minute period wins the matchup.

If the game is tied at the end of regulation, teams will play a brief overtime period. The side that started the game on defense gets the first possession. Whichever team is the first to score two points in overtime wins the game.

How long is a 3×3 basketball shot clock?

In 3×3 basketball, the shot clock is very short. There are only just 12 seconds — half of the 24 seconds allowed in regular basketball — to score.

What’s the format of the Olympic 3×3 tournament?

There are several pool rounds of games (July 30-August 2, and August 4) before teams will play in the semifinal and medal games on August 5.

Here are the eight  teams on the men’s side: United States, Latvia, Lithuania, China, Netherlands, Poland, France, and Serbia.