3x3 basketball
10 minutes or 21 points: whichever comes first wins.
One or two points per basket, with the clock and sudden death kept for you.
Score a matchOne basket, one or two taps.
Tap the color that scored once for inside the arc, twice from behind it. Try it!
- 10 minutes of play
- At 21, the game ends
- Tied: first to 2 points
- Pick 3x3 basketball, and name the two teams.
- Start the clock on the first possession. On every basket, tap the color that scored once or twice.
- At 21 points, or when the 10 minutes are up, the game ends. If it’s tied, the first team to 2 points wins.
The rules, in short.
What the FIBA official 3x3 rules say, and nothing more.
- 1 or 2
What a basket is worth
A basket inside the arc is worth 1 point, a basket from behind the arc 2, a free throw 1.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 16.2.1 - Arc
After a basket
After a basket or a last free throw made, the team that conceded takes the ball from under the basket and brings it back behind the arc, by dribbling or passing. Same after a defensive rebound or a steal. A shot released before that: the basket is cancelled, and the ball goes to the other team.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 30.2.1, 30.2.3, 30.2.4 and 30.3.1 - 7
Team fouls
In 3x3, a player is not sent off for the number of fouls, except after 2 unsportsmanlike fouls. Team fouls are what count: from the 7th to the 9th, 2 free throws; from the 10th, 2 free throws and the ball. Before the 7th, a foul on a missed shot gives 1 free throw inside the arc, 2 behind it.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 34.2.2, 37.2.5, 41.1.1, 41.1.3 and 41.2.1 - 21
Sudden death
The first team to 21 points or more wins right away, even before time runs out. This rule only applies in regular playing time.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 1.2 and 9.5 - 10
Playing time
A single 10-minute period. The clock stops on dead balls and during free throws.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 8.1 - 2
A tie
If it’s tied when time runs out, a one-minute break, then overtime: the first team to score 2 points wins.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 8.2, 8.5 and 9.6 - 12
The shot clock
Each team has 12 seconds to attempt a shot.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 29 - No clock
Without a game clock
Without a clock, the organizer sets the playing time and the target score. FIBA recommends matching them: 10 minutes and 10 points, 15 and 15, or 21 and 21.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 8.7
Or stay on the court.
On your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds: one or two quick presses on ⏮ for pink, on ⏭ for yellow. ⏯ starts or stops the clock; two quick presses undo.
The questions people ask.
How many points do you need to win at 3x3 basketball?
21. The first team to 21 points or more wins on the spot; otherwise, the team leading when the 10 minutes are up.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 1.2 and 9.5How long is a 3x3 basketball game?
One single period of 10 minutes, with the clock stopped on dead balls, unless one of the teams reaches 21 points first.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 8.1 and 9.5How much is a basket worth in 3x3?
1 point inside the arc, 2 points from behind the arc, 1 point per free throw made.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 16.2.1What happens when a 3x3 game is tied?
After a one-minute break, overtime starts, and the first team to score 2 points wins.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 8.2 and 8.5How many players per team in 3x3?
3 on the court, and at most one substitute.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 1.1Who gets the ball first in 3x3?
A coin flip. The team that wins it chooses: the ball at the start of the game, or at the start of a possible overtime. Play starts from a check-ball behind the arc, at the top of the court: the referee hands over the ball at the start of the game, the defender passes it to the attacker after each dead ball.
FIBA, Official 3x3 Basketball Rules 2026 (Korea Basketball Association translation), Art. 9.2, 17.1.1, 17.2.2 and 17.2.6