How does 5-on-5, 3×3 basketball work at the Summer Olympics?

James Naismith invented basketball in a Springfield, Massachusetts gymnasium in 1891. By 1936, the game had become a global sport and made its Olympic debut at the Berlin Summer Games. Women’s basketball followed 40 years later, making its debut at the Summer Olympics in Montreal.

With the 3×3 basketball set appearing on the Olympic stage for the second time in a row, it is clear that the sport’s popularity is soaring worldwide.

But how will the basketball competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympics differ from the basketball brand in the NBA, WNBA, BIG3 and other professional leagues?

Here’s everything you need to know about basketball in the Olympics.

When will the basketball competitions take place at the 2024 Summer Olympics?

5-on-5

The competitions will be held from July 27 to August. 11. The men’s medal matches will take place on August 10, while the women’s medal matches will take place on August 11.

All times are ET

US men’s basketball is in Group C with Serbia and South Sudan. Here are the dates of the American games:

• July 28 vs. Serbia (11:15 am)

• July 31 vs. South Sudan (3 p.m.)

• August 3 vs. the winner of the FIBA ​​​​Olympic qualifying tournament* (11:15 am)

* Eight of the twelve possible countries have qualified for the men’s tournament. The final four places will be determined during the Olympic qualifying tournaments in July.

American women’s basketball is in Group C with Germany, Japan and Belgium. Here are the dates of the American games:

• July 29 vs. Japan (3 p.m.)

• August 1 vs. Belgium (3 p.m.)

• August 4 vs. Germany (11:15 am)

3×3

The competition will be held from July 30 to August. 5. The men’s and women’s medal games will take place on August 5.

All times are ET

American men’s schedule

• July 30 vs. Serbia (4:35 PM)

• July 31 vs. Poland (4:35 PM)

• August 1 vs. Lithuania (1:05 ​​p.m.)

• August 1 vs. Latvia (5:05 p.m.)

• August 2 vs. France (12:35)

• August 2 vs. China (4:35 PM)

• August 4 vs. Netherlands (1:05 ​​p.m.)

American women’s program

• July 30 vs. Germany (11am)

• July 31 vs. Azerbaijan (3:30 PM)

• August 1 vs. Spain (3:30 PM)

• August 1 vs. Australia (7 p.m.)

• August 2 vs. France (7 hours)

• August 2 vs. Canada (12:00)

• August 3 vs. China (1:05 ​​p.m.)

Where are the basketball competitions held during the Summer Olympics?

5-on-5

The preliminary matches will take place at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France, and the final stage will be held at the Accor Arena in Paris.

3×3

The competition will be held at Place de la Concorde, an urban open-air arena in Paris. Skateboarding, BMX freestyle and breaking will also take place at Place de la Concorde.

What is the format of the basketball competitions at the Olympic Games?

5-on-5

Both the men’s and women’s competitions have a group stage, followed by a knockout stage. Both tournaments have a total of twelve teams, divided into three groups.

3×3

All eight teams play against each other during pool play (each team plays a total of seven matches). After pool play, the teams are ranked based on their records.

How does the group stage work in Olympic basketball?

5-on-5

Each team plays against the other three teams in its group. A win is worth two points, a loss is worth one point, and a loss by forfeit is worth zero points.

At the end of the group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. The top two teams in third place will also advance to the quarter-finals.

The mutual results are used as a tiebreaker.

3×3

The first team to score 21 points wins. If neither team reaches 21, the team with the most points at the end of the 10 minutes of play wins. Shots from beyond the arc are worth two points, while free throws and shots from inside the arc are worth one point.

Possession changes after each basket made. In the event of extra time, the team that scores two points first wins.

How does the knockout phase work in Olympic basketball?

5-on-5

The single-elimination knockout stage begins with eight teams in the quarterfinals, with matchups determined by a random drawing. The two highest ranked teams will end up on opposite sides of the tournament bracket. Teams from the same group may not face each other in the quarter-finals.

The semifinal winners will advance to the gold medal match, while the losers will compete for bronze.

3×3

The top two teams advance to the semi-finals, while the bottom two are eliminated. The remaining four teams compete in a play-in round (third vs. sixth, fourth vs. fifth), with the winners advancing to the semifinals.

The winners of the two semi-finals will advance to the gold medal match, while the losers will compete for bronze.

What are the main size and time differences in Olympic basketball?

Unlike the 5-on-5 game, which is played on a full court (28 meters x 15 meters) with two baskets, the 3×3 game is played on a half court (11 meters x 15 meters) with one basket .

The 3×3 ball has the same weight (620 grams) as the ball used in 5-on-5 international competitions, but a slightly smaller diameter (72.39 centimeters compared to 74.93 centimeters).

What are the Team USA basketball selections?

5-on-5 men

5-on-5 women

* Member of the U.S. Women’s 3×3 National Team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

3×3 men

3×3 Women

* Hamby replaced Cameron Brink, who suffered a torn ACL in her left knee.

Who won gold in basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics?

5-on-5

The U.S. men’s national team won its fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal, while the U.S. women claimed their seventh consecutive Olympic gold.

3×3

Latvia won gold in the men’s event (the US did not have a men’s team), while the US women captured gold in the event’s Olympic debut.

Check out the ESPN Olympics hub page for the latest news, previews, in-depth features and more.