Hey folks,
I search but did not find an exact answer to my question so here it is:
I’ve been practicing dribbling the ball while on my Coker and wondered what it would be like to play b-ball with other unicyclists.
I assume the unicyclists playing b-ball must idle and standstill very well.
They would also use small 20in uni so they can scoop the ball when someone drops it. However, I’ve also thought of using different type unicycles to mimic real basketball playbooks.
Example:
20in unicycles, can pick up dropped b-ball = “short guards”
Cokers or giraffe = “centers”
trials uni with big tires = “forwards, who can jump”
-Is there an official uni basketball rule?
-Are you allowed to pickup the ball on ground while on uni? Or do you need to drop the ball if your feet touches the ground?
-Is it a ‘foul’ if a unicyclist bumps another?
-Do you free-throw while on the uni?
I would also like feedbacks from unicyclist who actually played basketball on uni. Thanks in advance!
No giraffes allowed, though I don’t recall if it actually says that. But I’m pretty sure it does not talk about wheel size. The world-champion Perto Rico All Stars use a mix of 24" and 20" wheels, based on preference of riders. Years ago, it was almost all 24". http://unicycling.smugmug.com/gallery/235303/1/9145827
Trials unicycles generally wouldn’t be allowed in a game played on a nice, wooden gym floor like the one above. If you’re outside it won’t matter. Anyone can pick up the ball if they can pick up the ball. The IUF basketball rules are not very comprehensive. Basically it’s international basketball rules (not NBA) with a few variations as mentioned. But you may have questions after reading that.
The maximum wheel size is 24" (618mm). It does not explicitly mention giraffes.
You’re not allowed to play the ball when you’re not on your uni. You can certainly pick up the ball on the ground, if you’re capable of doing that.
Fouls are called more or less the same as in regular basketball.
In formal competition, free throws are shot in the same way as normal basketball; in the playground games we have weekly, we just take the ball out of bounds on a foul (which is typical for playground basketball).
I’ve settled on 24" as the best compromise. The 20" is more maneuverable and more able to pick up the ball, but giving up 2" of max height is a pretty big disadvantage in basketball. For many years in our game it didn’t matter, because the good unicyclists could ride around until everyone else fell off, but now that we have numerous people who are solid on their unis, the height advantage is noticeable.
Come visit us in Berkeley and we can show you the ropes! It would be great to have another California team to play against.
NAUCC uses the IUF rules, which are based on international basketball rules, not the NBA rules. Beyond that, I’m sure there is plenty of crossover between the two, so that online resource might be pretty useful.
Thanks for updating the link to the IUF Rulebook, Tom. My link worked when it was posted, but that’s the official link. The 2009 rules have been “in limbo” since the IUF Rules Committee completed work on them in January. The person editing together the new document hasn’t gotten it finished yet…
