The traditional basketball game is played by 5 players in two teams, each trying to score by throwing a ball into the hoop, which is elevated 3.05 meters (10 feet) above the ground. A successful score is referred to as a “basket. A basket could be counted as 1, 2, or 3 points depending on the place the shot was made from.
It is played on a rectangular court with a hoop at each end of the playing field. The court is divided into two segments by the middle-court line. It is typically played indoors. A game lasts for 40 minutes under FIBA rules or up to 48 minutes in NBA, and time is stooped when there is no active play. The team that scores the most points at the end of the game wins.
Basketball is one of the most popular sports on the globe. It is arguably the sport with the most worldwide reach of any game besides football (soccer). It’s become increasingly popular throughout the years because it’s enjoyable to watch and play, requires simple equipment, and can be played under all weather conditions.
The Origins of Traditional Basketball
Basketball was invented in 1891 by dr. James Naismith at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. This doctor was also a physical education instructor who wanted to develop an indoor, non-contact game to keep athletes fit through the winter months. “Basket ball” only had 13 rules, which were published on the 15th of January 1892 by the YMCA’s Triangle Magazine – and they were very different from the rules of the modern-day sport (for instance, the players were not permitted to dribble).
In the beginning, basketball was played using the soccer ball and two peach baskets that were nailed to the wall, each measuring 10 feet of a court half the size of what we’re used to today. The game soon spread across Asia, Europe, South America, and every corner of the globe.
The year 1932 was when FIBA became the world’s governing body for basketball. Four years after, basketball made its Olympic debut.
It was in 1946 that the world’s most known basketball league in the world, known as the BAA (now known as the NBA), was founded in the USA.
In the initial three decades following World War II, basketball was gaining popularity steadily.
The game’s popularity grew even more due to television exposure in the 1980s. The popularity of the sport exploded right afterward.
With planetary famous basketball players from around the world like Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant, basketball significantly increased exposure to a broad public, rapidly becoming a major factor in the sporting scene of the world.
Triangles in Offensive Team Tactics
Basketball coaches of the past have regularly practiced three-on-3 basketball, using triangles of players as a base for offensive running strategies.
The cooperation between the three players is essential, and their movement provides excellent offensive options for their co-players.
Basketball offensive plays like “UCLA offense” or the continuous basketball offense referred to as “triangle offense” have been well-known for years with the primary goal of creating triangular shapes on the opposite side, which, in contrast to the formation of two players, the third player allowed many various possibilities for more scoring.
Triangle offenses rely on the strong-side idea, which creates more scoring possibilities for weaker-sided players when the defense fails, or they choose to double-team the ball on the strong-side block. But, the proper spacing is essential for successfully executing these offensives.
The team led by the genius Phil Jackson, who preached the triangle offense for the Chicago Bulls (in the 1990s) and LA Lakers (in the 2000s), established basketball dynasties.
Small-Sided Basketball Games
Small-sided basketball games, also known as games with only 1 basket, are abbreviated and altered versions of the traditional basketball game where players get acquainted with the key components of basketball and then systematically consolidate and build up their understanding of the game. Games like these are usually played on smaller courts, with smaller numbers of players, and with changed rules.
The players still get a very close experience like in real situations of real traditional basketball. SSBGs are a component of many old-school basketball training programs; they’ve been extensively researched and proven effective.
Source for previous paragraph:
Frane Erčulj. “Metodika učenja košarkarskih iger na en koš.” Revija Šport (2013): 13–20.
According to some studies, putting less players on the court increases the participation of players as well as physical demands and game intensity. This gives players more contact with the ball and leads to rapid development.
Source for previous paragraph:
B. T. McCormick et al. “Comparison of Physical Activity in Small-Sided Basketball Games Versus Full-Sided Games.” International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching 7 (2012): 689–97.
B. Mitreva. “3×3 Basketball Training in Higher Education Institutions.” Sofia, Bulgaria: Sofia University, 2015.
Jaime Sampaio, Catarina Abrantes, and Nuno Leite. “Power, Heart Rate and Perceived Exertion Responses to 3×3 and 4×4 Basketball Small-Sided Games.” Revista de Psicologia del Deporte 18 (2009): 463–46.
Furthermore, the use of games like this during everyday training sessions aims to improve training efficiency by combining strength and conditioning and developing tactical and technical abilities. This is why traditional basketball coaches choose SSBGs for short-duration intermittent running and other training methods.
Three-on-Three Small-Sided Basketball Games
Old school basketball coaches employ three-on-3 SSBGs for young players to accelerate their development of technical and tactical skills as well as their physical strength. In addition, coaches often engage three-on-three SSBGs to help develop fast decision-making skills and teach specific situations that players face when they play traditional basketball. This is primarily since three-player tactics are used in five-on-five offensives.
But, three-on-three SSBGs coaches are also using to train professional teams. For example, in the NBA, as an add-on to the player development in a technical and tactical sense, teams use three-on-three practice sessions to bring players that were absent due to injury into playing sharpness prior to returning to regular practice in a five-on-five format.
The three-on-three SSBGs are also utilized during NBA tryouts to observe how well players are able to comprehend the game. Also, NBA teams use SSBGs to keep the physical fitness of players who do not receive regular playtime.
Is Three-on-Three Basketball More Appropriate for Younger Players?
3×3 could be a fantastic method to introduce youngsters to basketball sport. Certain basketball leagues and national basketball federations provide 3×3 leagues specifically for children instead of the old-school five-on-five basketball leagues because they consider this form of play more appropriate for players’ development. These 3×3 leagues play in conjunction with the traditional basketball season in the gym, but with some adjustments to rules (such as a lower basket).
When younger players gain the necessary skills and are of sufficient age, they begin to play traditional basketball. For instance, the Jr. NBA 3v3 league is open to accepting players between 10 and 14. The rules are pretty similar to the rules of senior 3×3, but the rules for scoring and fouls are being kept.
The league’s goal is to influence youngsters’ development over the long term by providing a positive experience on the court that provides opportunities for girls and boys to play and develop their skills and make friendships.
Numerous indicators suggest that 3×3 basketball may be the better option for youngster (13 years old or less) or less experienced players compared to old-school basketball as it enables a larger quantity of effective possessions.
Sources for previous paragraph:
Sergio Fernandez-Martinez et al. “Incidence of Type of Game Mode in Player Participation in Minibasket.” Revista de Psicologia del Deporte 24 (2015): 656–68.
Isabel Piñar et al. “Participation of Minibasketball Players During Small-Sided Competitions.” Revista de Psicología del Deporte 18 (2009): 445–49.
Additionally, old-school basketball rosters consist of 12 players. This means that certain players will seldomly play because of rotations. In 3×3, there are four players on the team, and each gets a significant amount of playing time simply because you can’t keep all three the whole time during the game.
It’s challenging to decide which sport is better, as it is contingent on the individual’s preference and ability, as well as potential and other variables. But, 3×3 can be an awesome way to train basketball from an early age since it encourages a position-free basketball style and allows players of all ages to develop a broad skillset.
If you want to participate in youth basketball events, you must remember that the most important principle of basketball is the enjoyment of playing. Winning should not be your priority.
Table 1 – Fundamental advantages of 3×3 and three-on-three SSBGs for younger basketball players:
| Allows more touches on the ball | Less complex tactics | More relative playing time |
| Develops toughness | Involves all players more evenly | Develops one-on-one game |
| Develops a versatile skill set | Increases a player’s on-court responsibility | Develops quick thinking |
It [3×3] is a lot different than five-on-five. … The spacing is different, the movement and all that type of stuff is different, so it gives you a lot more freedom. It gives you little bit more ability to work on your game. You learn how to move without the ball, you learn how to space correctly and adjust to that. It’s good.
Julius Randle, NBA player
“Authorized Access – Julius Randle at Dew NBA 3X in Los Angeles.” Interview by Brandon
Basketball Players and 3×3
A lot of the best basketball players have learned crucial skills and developed their knowledge through playing 3×3 throughout their childhood. 3×3 may have only been touched the ground, but it has already created basketball players like Sabrina Ionescu, who is the NCAA all-time top player in triple doubles. She’s also the only NCAA Division I female basketball player to make record 1,000 assists, 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during career.
She participated in numerous 3×3 competitions, won the USA’s national 3×3 championship, and was drafted as the top pick of the 2020 WNBA draft. Then, in the year 2021, Charli Collier became the 6th WNBA No 1 draft pick with experience in 3×3, and Paige Bueckers will probably continue this incredible series in the near future since she’s now dominating in women’s college basketball.
Other young male prospects who participated at official 3×3 tournaments during their formative years were selected for the 2020 NBA draft, like Payton Pritchard, Theo Maledon, and Leandro Bolmaro.
To understand better how 3×3 assist a young athlete, reflections from other famous basketball players who participated at officially FIBA 3×3 contests are under:
Table 2 – Notable male basketball players who competed in official 3×3 competitions in their youth:
| Player | League |
|---|---|
| Zach Collins | NBA |
| PJ Washington | NBA |
| Jae’Sean Tate | NBA |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | NBA |
| Payton Pritchard | NBA |
| Theo Maledon | NBA |
| Alfonzo McKinnie | NBA |
| Sekou Doumbouya | NBA |
| Gabriel Deck | NBA |
| Usman Garuba | Liga ACB |
| Mikhail Andreyevich Kulagin | VTB United League |
*Liga ACB – Top Spanish basketball league
*VTB United League – International / Top Russian basketball league
It [3×3] kind of helped me grow a little bit too, both as a basketball player and as a man, so it was a very positive experience. It was tough at the beginning; I definitely struggled when I started playing 3×3. But I got used to it progressively, but it’s different from basketball. The game is fast, you never have breaks, and you keep playing without stopping. It’s very intense, but I really like it.
Zach Collins, NBA player
“US rising star Zach Collins looks back on unique 3×3 experience.” Interview by FIBA.basketball. July 19, 2017. http://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/us-rising-star-zach-collins-looks-back-on-unique-3×3-experience
I learned a lot about my game, worked on my basketball IQ and also on how to play with some international rules. I really enjoyed it, and those international experiences were very positive and constructive for me, both on a human level and basketball wise.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, NBA player
“NBA rising star Hollis-Jefferson: ‘I would love to play 3×3 again’.” Interview by FIBA.basketball. October 15, 2018. https://www.fiba.basketball/news/nba-rising-star-hollis-jefferson-i-would-love-to-play-3×3-again.
I think 3×3 has helped me grow as a leader. 3×3 also helped me with my one-on-one skill set.
Alfonzo McKinnie, NBA player
“McKinnie: ‘3×3 has helped me grow as a leader’.” Interview by FIBA. basketball. April 3, 2017. http://www.fiba.basketball/3x3worldcup/2017/news/mckinnie-3×3-has-helped-me-grow-as-a-leader.
Table 3 – Notable female basketball players who competed in official 3×3 competitions in their youth:
| Player | League |
|---|---|
| Sabrina Ionescu | WNBA |
| Chiney Ogwumike | WNBA |
| Jewell Lloyd | WNBA |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | WNBA |
| A’ja Wilson* | WNBA |
| Satou Sabally | WNBA |
| Charli Collier** | WNBA |
| Arike Ogunbowale | WNBA |
| Astou Ndur | WNBA |
| Paige Bueckers | NCAA |
NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association
*She was the 2020 WNBA MVP.
**She was the 2021 WNBA number-one draft pick.
3×3 is beneficial, and it helps us get tougher… You have to play through contact… You can’t rely on a coach or anyone else to call plays or tell you what to do, because you have 12 seconds. Honestly, I think it makes you take your game to another level and take it out of your comfort zone and take ownership and leadership… I enjoy 3×3.
Sabrina Ionescu, number-one pick of the 2020 WNBA draft
“‘3×3 helps us get tougher!’ | Sabrina Ionescu (Team USA).” FIBA 3×3. Video. https://youtu.be/zM5uoMyXLVs.
On the other hand, famous basketball players such as Dennis Schröder, Jorge Garbajosa, Robbie Hummel, and Anton Ponkrashov have tried their luck in 3×3 during or after their professional basketball careers. Initially, they were surprised at how different 3×3 is to traditional basketball.
It was a big surprise for me. … On the first match, after three minutes, I thought ‘easy game.’ After six minutes, I was so tired I realized I wasn’t ready for that. After three games, I was dead.
Anton Ponkrashov, Olympic silver medalist
“3×3 – Ponkrashov salutes ‘great experience’ playing 3×3.” FIBA.basketball. July 17, 2013. http://www.fiba.basketball/news/3×3-Ponkrashov-salutes-great-experience–playing-3×3.
It’s such a different sport than basketball. It requires different skills and gives more one-on-one opportunities.
Jorge Garbajosa, ex-NBA player and FIBA World Cup gold medalist
“3×3 – Garbajosa highlights VIP game at Czech House.” FIBA.basketball. August 10, 2012. http://www.fiba.basketball/news/3×3-Garbajosa-highlights-VIP-game-at-Czech-House.
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