Slamball is full-contact basketball, with trampolines. Points are scored by playing the ball through the net, as in basketball, though the point-scoring rules are modified. The main differences from the parent sport is the court; below the padded basketball rim and backboard are four trampolines set into the floor which serve to launch players to great heights for slam dunks. The rules also permit some physical contact between the members of the four-player teams.
Professional SlamBall games were aired on television by Spike TV for two seasons in 2002 - 2003, and the POWERade SlamBall Challenge was aired on CSTV in 2007. SlamBall returned in August 2008, airing on Versus and CBS. SlamBall is currently slated to air on Cartoon Network in the Summer of 2009.
Rules and regulations
There is no international governing body for Slamball as a sport.
Scoring in Slamball is achieved by passing the ball into the net at the opponent's end of the court for points, while preventing the opposing team from doing the same at one's own net. The aim is to have outscored the opposing team when the game ends. A successful score can be worth two points if the ball is thrown through the hoop without the offensive player touching the hoop. Slam dunks are scored three points. All shots outside three-point arc are worth three points as well.
Four players from each team (out of an 8 or 9 player roster) may be on the court at one time. Substitutions are unlimited and can be done during play as in the game of hockey. Each team has a coach and additional staff include assistant coaches, managers, statisticians, doctors, etc.
Team uniforms consist of a shorts and a jersey with the team logo, a number and the player's name on the back. Typically players wear basketball sneakers now but shoes unique to Slamball are in development to fit the needs of this new sport.
The game is controlled by two referees and the table officials. The table keeps track of the score, time, team possessions, fouls and the shot clock
Playing regulations
Games are played in four 5-minute quarters. The game commences with a "bounce-Positions
Diagram of a Slamball court
Each team has four players on the court at any one time. There are three positions:
* Handler: This would be the primary ball handler on the team. It is his job to run the offense and organize the other members while controlling the flow of the game. Typically he would be responsible to set up the gunners to attack the basket while adding in his own offensive threat.
* Gunner: The primary scorer on the team. A team's gunner will be the player on the team that will the basket and finish plays against the opposing teams' stopper, comparable to a forward or wing player in soccer or hockey.
* Stopper: This position is for the primary defensive player. He trails the offense only when necessary, and he protects the rim from attacking players by using himself as a shield.
Fouls
Each player can commit just three personal fouls before he is "fouled out" from the match. A coach or player displaying poor on-court behavior (for example, fighting, arguing vehemently against an official) may be charged with a technical foul. Two technical fouls will result in disqualification. In the case a foul is called, the player who has committed the foul, will then take position on the baseline of the lower trampolines while the player who was offended will take up offensive position at center court. This is called a 'face-off'. Upon a signal from the referee the offensive player will be free to mount an attack at the basket, which the defender now must endeavor to stop. The defender must enter the lower trampoline only after bouncing in from the side trampoline. If the offensive player is successful, then points will be awarded depending on the shot converted and the offensive players' team will retain possession of the ball.
List of Common Fouls:
* 1. When an offensive player has the ball and a defensive player checks him in the back. Result: Faceoff
* 2. When an offensive player has the ball and a defensive player checks him before he has begun to dribble the ball. Result: Faceoff
* 3. When an offensive player has the ball and a defensive player checks him while he is attempting to enter the trampoline. Result: Faceoff
* 4. When two offensive players step/bounce on the same trampoline. Result: Change of Possession
* 5. When either a Player or the Coach of a team argues with the refree and uses physical or verbal abuse in anger. Result: Can either be a Faceoff or Change of Possession (referee decides)
Equipment
The basic Slamball court plan
A regulation Slamball court surface is 100 ft by 62 ft (30.4 m by 19 m.). A series of highly engineered articulating floor panels float on a bed of spring flooring to create a shock absorbent playing surface. The spring floor lies adjacent to two sets of four trampoline or spring bed 'quads' which dominate each end of the court. Each trampoline surface measures 7 ft by 14 ft (2.1m by 4.2 m.) The shock absorbent panels pair with the competition bed trampolines to create a unique playing surface that both launches players to inhuman heights and cushions their landing upon returning to the floor. Specifically engineered pads are designed to cover the frame rails and their tapered design allows for maximum safety for on-court play. This entire playing surface will be surrounded with an 8 ft (2.4 m) plexi-glass wall much like in a hockey rink. Players wear protective cups and special equipment to protect various areas of the body. This consists of knee and elbow pads, and an optional Slamball-specific helmet." in which the ball is bounced at center court. The ball must reach its apex uninterrupted, at which point the players are allowed to "check" each other. Ten minutes are allowed for a half-time break; only one time-out is permitted to each team, which may only be used during the last two minutes of regulation play. A 20-second shot clock is utilized. Teams change ends for the second half. A tie score at the end of regulation time is settled by a series of "face offs"
Full body contact is allowed within certain limitations. A player can be hit or "checked" at any time when he is not in possession of the ball. If the player has received the ball, he cannot be hit until he dribbles the ball; at that point he is known as "live" or "hot" and can be hit. Players cannot be hit or checked in the back; doing so results in a foul.
Subyek: Know about slamball 
Sat May 02, 2009 7:59 am
