Hoopball

Abstract

Hoopball is an alternative game of live basketball that is derived from National Basketball Association (NBA) style basketball. Hoopball is a basketball game that features its own playing methods and has rules that are in most cases quite different from NBA rules. Hoopball is played on regulation NBA basketball courts with regular basketballs; it is designed for slower player action and less hard contact between opposing players; as a result the play action in hoopball produces fewer player injuries. In order to handle the ball with expertise and score baskets consistently each of the five players on a hoopball team must develop skills equivalent to the level of skills exhibited by NBA basketball players in ball handling and point scoring abilities. Hoopball players may not need to run as fast or be as tall as the star athletes on NBA teams to be star athletes on hoopball teams but their basketball skills can easily be equivalent to basketball skills of star athletes on NBA and the best college teams.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A game of hoopball comprising play action between two teams composed preferably of five players each, wherein said hoopball games shall be played on National Basketball Association (NBA) regulation basketball courts, with regulation NBA basketballs, using rules and novel play actions distinctive to hoopball for advancing a basketball to an area of a basketball court from which scoring shots to the basket may be taken; these novel play actions and methods for advancing a basketball for scoring opportunities further distinguish hoopball games from regular basketball games and from prior art games derived from regular basketball.  
     
     
         2 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein it is a violation of hoopball rules for a player on the team on offense to move a basketball by a running or walking dribble in order to advance said ball to a new or more favorable scoring position on a basketball court; said violation shall result in a turnover of ball possession to the team on defense.  
     
     
         3 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a player in possession of the basketball is allowed to dribble the ball in place within an imaginary one yard diameter circle; said player may also shift one foot at a time to change direction, but will be called for a traveling violation if there is movement of both feet at the same time.  
     
     
         4 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein play action with or without the basketball by a player on the team on offense within the paint area surronding the hoop and backboard structure of the goal post area is a violation of hoopball rules that shall result in a turnover of ball possession to the team on defense.  
     
     
         5 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 . wherein it is a violation of hoopball rules for players on defense to engage in live play action within the paint area surronding the hoop and backboard structure of the goal post area; it shall result in the team on offense being awarded a one point technical foul.  
     
     
         6 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a team awarded possession of the ball because of a turnover shall designate a player, preferably a guard, to inbound said ball from a sideline area according to hoopball rules governing inbounding.  
     
     
         7 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a player on the team in possession of the basketball, positioned at a sideline area for the purpose of inbounding said basketball, shall have five seconds to inbound said ball successfully or lose possession of said ball by turnover to the opposing team.  
     
     
         8 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a team awarded possession of the basketball by a turnover or by another circumstance shall have fourty seconds of possession time to score points by advancing said ball by passing and other approved hoopball playing actions to a favorable position on a court for an attempt at a basket shot; if said basket shot is successful before expiration of said fourty seconds and results in a rebound of said ball being caught and held by a player on the tean that scored, said scoring team shall have the remainder of said fourty seconds to attempt additional scoring opportunities until its fourty seconds of ball possession is exhausted, at which time a turnover of ball possession takes place.  
     
     
         9 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein after a turnover of basketball possession, the team awarded possession of said basketball shall inbound said ball within five seconds in accordence with hoopball inbounding rules.  
     
     
         10 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein to speed up play action a system of incentives and disincentives shall be instituted for players on the team in possession of the ball to try early attempts to score; thus, a successful basket shot from within the two point shooting area in the first ten seconds of possession shall be scored three points; a successful basket shot within eleven to thirty seconds of possession shall be scored as two points; and a successful basket shot within thirty-one to fourty seconds of possession shall be scored one point; a successful basket shot from within the three point shooting areas in the first ten seconds of possession shall be scored four points; a successful basket shot within eleven to thirty seconds of possession shall be scored three points; and a successful basket shot within thirty-one to fourty seconds of possession shall be scored two points.  
     
     
         11 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the duration of live play periods and rest periods of a game of hoopball shall preferably be limited to three fifteen minute periods of live action playing time, with a five minute rest period after the first fifteen minute playing period, and a ten minute rest period after the second fifteen minute playing period; the game shall end after the third fifteen minute playing period if one team has a higher score than the other; if the score is tied after the three fifteen minute regulation playing periods, a three minute rest period will take effect before playing commences on a six minute overtime playing period; if the game is still tied after a first overtime playing period, a second three minute rest period will take effect before playing commences on a second six minute overtime playing period; this system of overtime playing periods and rest periods shall remain in effect until one team ends an overtime playing period with a higher score than the other team.  
     
     
         12 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein in league scheduled or other formal hoopball games a full complement of officials as needed shall be provided who preferably are skilled in the art of both regular basketball and hoopball; said officials shall render all decisions in line with the playing rules established for hoopball and shall render best judgement decisions in all situations not covered by formal hoopball playing rules.  
     
     
         13 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein in league scheduled or other formal hoopball games, each opposing team shall have at least one coach in attendance who shall have authority over all team matters during games; among each team's roster of players there shall be one designated player captain and said roster of players shall be large enough to enable a team coach to make substitutions for injured players and players who foul out or are suspended from team play by an official because of flagrant violations of playing rules or for unsportsmanlike behavior during games.  
     
     
         14 . A game of hoopball as defined in  claim 1 , wherein individual team rosters may be gender neutral, preferably, however, rosters of teams in league scheduled or other formal hooball games may be gender specific in order to equalize as closely as practicable playing skills of league or conference affiliated hoopball teams.