The Belgians at the Olympic Games: 3×3 basketball, a new Olympic discipline

Le basketball 3×3 made its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It is proving to be the most widely practiced urban sport in the world, with a presence in around 182 countries and regions. And despite everything, its universal playing rules were not codified until 2007. The new Olympic discipline has its roots in traditional basketball, but its differences now make 3×3 basketball a sport in its own right.

The particularities of 3×3 that differentiate it from 5×5 (traditional)

– Two teams made up of three players (with a substitute off the field) compete in order to score 21 points.

– The sport is played on one half of a traditional basketball court and the players of both teams must aim for one and the same basket.

– To win, a team must obtain 21 points or be in the lead ten minutes after the start of the match. An overtime phase is contested if the score is tied at the end of ten minutes of play. The team that first scores two points in overtime wins the match.

– The game is very fast. There is no pause after a basket or foul, and the team with the ball must attempt a shot within twelve seconds.

– The presence of a coach is prohibited. The players of each team must therefore establish their own strategy.

– The players have no fixed positions. They must all be able to both attack and defend.

– The ball is smaller (size 6) than that used in traditional basketball (size 7), but the weight remains the same.

Given the urban nature of the sport, matches are often accompanied by music and DJs to create a lively atmosphere.

When to follow Belgians’ matches

The Lions 3×3 will represent Belgium at the 3×3 basketball tournament in Tokyo in the Men category. There will be no Belgian team for the Women category during this edition. The met will take place in the Aomi Urban Sports Park. Here’s when to watch the Lions matches 3×3 (Belgian time):

– Saturday July 24 at 11:40 am: group match against Latvia

– Saturday July 24 at 3:25 p.m .: group match against Japan

– Sunday July 25 at 4:35 am: group match against the ROC, the Russian Olympic Committee

– Sunday July 25 at 8:25 am: group match against Serbia

– Monday July 26 at 4:35 am: group match against China

– Monday July 26 at 11:40 am: group match against the Netherlands

– Tuesday July 27 at 7.40 am: group match against Poland

– The quarter-finals will take place on Tuesday July 27 at 2 p.m. and 3.20 p.m.

– The semi-finals will take place on Wednesday July 28 at 10:30 am and 11:40 am.

– The match for the bronze medal will be on Wednesday July 28 at 2.15 p.m. and the gold medal will be played on the same day at 3.25 p.m.