Street Basketball

Street basketball, or street ball, has increased in popularity since it was first introduced. It is played on playgrounds and in gymnasiums around the world.

Generally, street basketball players use only half the court and follow all the rules of regular basketball. Because it is an urban, casual game, there is no set schedule, so players may choose to play more than one game in a day or not play a game for several days. Even the number of players on each team varies from one on one (or mano-a-mano) to five players per team. Some countries even have organized street ball to keep youth off the streets and out of trouble. The rules vary from court to court, area to area, and group to group. One general street basketball rule, common to most areas, is the "call your own foul" rule. Simply shouting "Foul!" will stop the game and after much protestation on the opposing team's behalf, the fouled team will gain possession of the ball. Learn the rules of street ball in the area that you are in before attempting to play.

There is a street basketball league run by the Street Basketball Association LLP. Their website gives a detailed history on when street basketball was first played. The site outlines how to play street basketball, and include a few street basketball clips. There are many teams across the Association and the United States. Each has their own name and logo and can be found through most of their own websites. Currently, t he SBA is attempting to team up with the NBA for promotion.

Other sites will show you basketball street moves, including street basketball dunks. Organizations now are starting to hold contests or competitions in street ball. Their street basketball contest videos are usually found online.

The seriousness of the players depends on the neighbourhood. In some cases, knowing how serious the players take the game can tell you how competitive they are. The most famous streetballers all took the game very seriously, and as such were extremely competitive. In addition, the majority of the famous street basketball players also had nicknames. James "J-Baller" Jones and Larry "Bone Collector" Williams were two of the hundreds of famous streetballers. The list keeps growing, however, as the Street Basketball Association expands.

As street basketball gains popularity, the number of players obviously increases. This is great for today's average American citizen who is overweight.