Part 15
Team Sports: Basketball

15A  Overview

15A.1  Definition

In IUF competitions, unicycle basketball is played using the international FIBA rules for on-foot basketball with the few changes explained in this chapter. The international FIBA rules to be used are the currently valid ones, for regular basketball (https://www.fiba.basketball/documents) or for 3×3 basketball (https://fiba3x3.com/en/documents.html#rules), depending on the event. At Unicon, at least a regular 5×5 unicycle basketball event must be proposed.

15A.2  Rider Summary

This section is intended as an overview of the rules, but does not substitute for the actual rules.

• Be aware that the following rules augment the international rules of basketball.
• You must wear shoes as defined in chapter 1D.1.
• All team players must wear shirts of the same color.
• Be aware of the unicycle restrictions for basketball.

15B  Competitor Rules

15B.1  Safety

All players must wear shoes as defined in chapter 1D.1.

Clothing and equipment must respect the dedicated section of the FIBA rules (section 4.4.2) and the following items:

• Short shoelaces, or laces tucked in
• No jewelry (watches, necklaces, earrings, etc.), or they must be protected.
• No hard clothing or protection, especially above the knees except for round helmets (no protruding parts).
• Soft protections, including headgears, are permitted.

15B.2  Unicycles

Only regular unicycles may be used as defined in chapter 1D.1. The maximum outer diameter of the wheel is 640mm (24+ Class). In addition, the unicycles must not have sharp or protruding parts anywhere that might cause injuries. Quick-release levers and bolts, for example, must be folded back and not excessively long. The pedals must be plastic or rubber. The tire must not leave marks on the floor.

15B.3  Team Composition

A unicycle 5×5 basketball team consists of 5 – 12 players and may include one registered Head Coach. A team must provide at least 4 players on the court to start a game in a tournament.

A unicycle 3×3 basketball team consists of no more than 4 players (3 players on the court and 1 substitute), and no coaches.

15B.4  Rider Identification

All players of a team must wear shirts of the same color. The color must be clearly different from the opponent’s color. At tournaments and other large events each team should have two different colored sets of shirts. In “A tournaments” these shirts should be clearly marked with identifying player numbers on them.

15B.5  Protests

Protests are handled by the Basketball Director if they concern the global organization of the competition. Protests concerning a specific game are handled by the referees of this game.

15B.6  Event Flow

15B.6.1  Reminder on Faults and Violations

A foul is an illegal action involving a contact that can be committed by a player from one team against a player from the opposing team. If contact occurs beyond what is deemed to be reasonable, or if a player thereby obtains an unfair advantage from it, a foul is committed. Examples of fouls include pushing, tripping, striking or holding an opposing player and unsportsmanlike conduct. A foul results in the awarding of the ball to the opposing team and/or free throws. A violation occurs when the player breaks one of the rules of Basketball. A violation results in the awarding of the ball to the opposing team. Examples of violations include traveling, double dribble, backcourt violation, palming the ball, and stepping out of bounds.

Should a game not be played in 4 periods of 10 minutes, the rules concerning the number of fouls shall be adapted as follows.

Number of personal fouls at which a player must leave the game:

• Game lasting 10 to 20 minutes: 3 fouls
• Game lasting 21 to 30 minutes: 4 fouls
• Game lasting 31 to 40 minutes: 5 fouls

Number of team fouls after which a team is in the team foul penalty situation (meaning that subsequent fouls result in free throws if they are personal and non-offensive):

• Game period lasting 5 to 6 minutes: 2 fouls
• Game period lasting 7 to 8 minutes: 3 fouls
• Game period lasting 9 to 10 minutes: 4 fouls
• Game period lasting 11 to 12 minutes: 5 fouls
• Game period lasting 13 to 15 minutes: 6 fouls

Tournament organizers are invited to set a maximum number of Technical, Unsportsmanlike and Disqualifying fouls that can be committed by a player before that player is excluded from the whole tournament.

15B.6.2  Mounted Player

The player can only play the ball while mounted on the unicycle. A player has established position on the unicycle (“mounted”) when the player has the seat in hand and/or between the legs, with both feet on the pedals, and is not touching anything else for support (including an unmounted player). Once a player is mounted, the player is considered mounted until some part of their body touches the ground or uses any support, including an unmounted player. The player throwing the ball inbound must be mounted.

15B.6.2.1 Position of a player

For all purposes of location (restricted area, 3-point goal area, backcourt, and any other lane), when a mounted player is not airborne, both their feet are considered on the floor at the point of contact between the wheel and the floor.

A player is considered stationary when their wheel is stopped, their body is above the wheel and no part of their body is moving outside of their cylinder.

15B.6.3  Unmounted Player

If contact is made between the ball and an unmounted player or unicycle, this is a violation and the ball shall be awarded to the other team. Referees may allow incidental contact between the ball (or another player, with or without the ball) and an unmounted player or unicycle if such contact does not disrupt the flow of the game.

• An unmounted player must move themself and their unicycle out of the way as soon as possible without disrupting the flow of play.
• If not possible, the player must leave the unicycle where it lands until it can be retrieved without being disruptive.
• An unmounted player’s unicycle is considered part of the player. For the purposes of fouls a riderless unicycle that is moving is considered to be out of control. Thus, if another player is hit by a moving abandoned unicycle, a foul shall be called.
• If an unmounted player intentionally attempts to play the ball or impede another player, a technical foul shall be called.
• If a stationary riderless unicycle is disruptive for the opposite team or if it creates a danger for the safety of any player, an “obstructing unicycle” violation shall be called.

15B.6.4  Contact of the Ball with a Unicycle

It is a violation for a player to intentionally strike or stop the ball with any part of their unicycle or leg, however, incidental contact with a player’s unicycle or legs is not a violation. As long as the player is in contact with the unicycle, riding or not, the unicycle is considered part of a player when a ball bounces out of bounds off the unicycle. If this happens the other team receives possession of the ball.

15B.6.5  Steps And Traveling

A traveling violation occurs when a player holding the ball steps in excess of the prescribed limits. A step is a half revolution of the wheel; meaning that each wheel revolution is the equivalent of two steps because pedaling with one leg only moves the wheel half a revolution. After a player establishes a pivot foot (see below), the player may not switch the idle foot (in the case of idling) or take a step unless they begins dribbling.

15B.6.6  Idling, Twisting and Hopping While Holding the Ball

Idling is equivalent to the pivot foot and therefore is allowed. Twisting, where the wheel is not rolling, the tire stays in contact with the floor, and the rider turns the unicycle left and right is also considered a pivot, and therefore allowed.

The player may alternate between stand still, twisting and idling, with the restriction that only a single continuous period of idling is allowed.

The player must also stay within a half-meter radius from the point where the idling started. A player may not hop (jump with the unicycle) while holding the ball, unless the ball is released from the hand(s) before the tire touches back the floor. Hopping while dribbling is permitted.

15B.6.7  Ball on Floor

A player may try to stop with their hand a ball that is rolling on the floor. If such an attempt makes the ball roll in another direction and/or makes the ball roll faster, intentionally or not, a violation shall be called. Furthermore, any contact by something other than the hands with a ball on the floor (rolling or stationary) is a violation if the ball changes velocity (stops, starts, or changes speed or direction).

A player may try to pick up a ball that is rolling or lying on the floor. If the ball is not lifted off during such an attempt, the action is judged as an attempt to stop the ball. If the referee judges that no teams are able to pick up the ball in a reasonable time, a jump ball situation may be called.

Picking up a ball can be dangerous for the player, so care must be taken not to foul a player that is bent over to pick up the ball. If several players simultaneously try to pick up the ball and make contact, the usual rules about fouls apply. When a player is attempting to pick up the ball, no other player shall enter the space occupied by the bent player. A violation may be called if such entry is deemed by the referee to compromise the bent player’s safety, regardless of whether physical contact occurs. Additionally, a violation may be called if a player positions themselves or remains so close to the ball for an extended period of time that it obstructs or prevents all players from safely picking it up.

15B.6.7.1 No-charge semi-circle areas

The no-charge semi-circle areas and the related rule are ignored.

15B.6.8  Four Second Zone

The three-second zone becomes the four-second zone.

15B.6.9  Spectacular Tricks

A player shall only intentionally jump from its unicycle (i.e. without trying to stay mounted and to keep the unicycle under control) when attempting to score a goal or to save a ball going out of bounds, and only if it does not create any danger for anyone in the referee’s judgement. Similarly, tricks in which both feet are not on the pedals (like stand up gliding) are only allowed when attempting to score and if it it does not create any danger for anyone in the referee’s judgement. Not respecting these rules will result in a violation being called, and the goal being cancelled (if one is scored in the corresponding action).

15B.6.10  Screenings

Screening is only allowed if the player does not extend their elbows and arms wider than their shoulders and keeps a stable position without changing the orientation of the wheel. Therefore, usual screening positions such as having each arm either bent along the chest or lying along the torso (typically with the hand holding the saddle) are allowed, but so is having the arms vertical with the hands up. Also, being in stillstand or hopping while respecting these rules are allowed, while idling and twisting are not (as far as screenings are concerned).

15C  Judges and Officials Rules

15C.1  Basketball Director

The Basketball Director is the head organizer and administrator of basketball competitions. The Basketball Director is responsible for the logistics and equipment for the basketball competitions. The Basketball Director is in charge of deciding and specifying the tournament structure, and of keeping events running on schedule. The Basketball Director is responsible for resolving the general protests not concerning specific games, except for the choice of referees for a game.

The Basketball Director may be assisted by a Basketball Co-Director. They shall not be players of the same basketball team in the competition. If a protest concerns the team of one of the two Directors, the final decision on the protest is made by the other Director. In cases with no conflicts of interest but in which they disagree, the final decision is made by the (primary) Director.

15C.2  Game Officials

As with Rule Eight of the FIBA Rulebook, game officials shall consist of two or three referees and at least two table officials (at least the scorer and a timer/assistant scorer). Referees shall have all of the responsibilities and powers described in Articles 45, 46, and 47 except for articles covering the referees uniforms. The referees are responsible for resolving protests concerning the game.

Referees should be selected for the game based on the following criteria:

• Referees should not be teammates or members of the clubs of either team (even members not playing in the tournament)
• Referees should not include only players/participants from one team within the same tournament
• When the tournament consists of teams from more than one region, referees should not include only players/participants from one region
• Referees should not include players in the same tournament

If the referee pool is insufficient the directors may relax these restrictions starting at the bottom of the list and working upward. The directors may choose to limit the pool based on technical referee skills.

At Unicon, for all playoff games in the A tournament, experienced referees who are not playing in the A tournament and not associated with any teams in the A tournament should be used. These would typically be certified on-foot basketball referees paid via the Unicon budget. One such referee per game should also be planned for other important games preceding the playoffs (this would depend on the tournament format), allowing them to get used to the unicycle basketball particularities before the playoffs.

15C.3  Referees’ Signals

Referees should use the hand signals in Appendix A of the FIBA rules. In addition, the following hand signals may be used.

• Unmounted play: Straight arm, with the hand in front of the hips. The palm is facing the floor and simulates a sweeping (wrist move).
• Rolling the ball on floor: One vertically rotating fist, below the waist.
• Ball pick-up interference: Both arms parallel pointing down to the side, with hand palms facing each other.

Referees should try to always use the appropriate signals, especially in international competitions. In any case, referees should at least use the appropriate signals for interrupting the game (one arm raised, with open palm for a violation or with a clenched fist for a foul), and then for indicating the direction of play (point in direction of play, arm parallel to sidelines).

15D  Event Organizer Rules

15D.1  Court and Equipment

Unicycle Basketball is played with a FIBA size 7 ball. The basketball ring shall be 3.05 meters (10 feet) off the ground. Due to organizational constraints, the directors may choose to modify the court size from the FIBA requirements but the court must have clearly delineated out of bounds, half court, 3pt, and restricted zone lines.

15D.2  Games and Tournaments

To facilitate the organization of Unicycle Basketball tournaments, the directors may modify the game period and game duration, and may choose that the game clock is not always stopped as instructed by the FIBA rules. However, a game shall have 1, 2, or 4 periods and last no less than 10 minutes and no more than 40 minutes, and a game period shall last no less than 5 minutes and no more than 15 minutes. It is recommended to respect the clock stops at least in the last two minutes of a game.

Depending on the event duration and the number of teams, tournaments may have various forms. The director should nevertheless adhere to the following general guidelines.

• All teams shall have equal opportunities to win the tournament with respect to the tournament structure.
• To balance pools for example, the director may define groups (seeds, etc.) based on factual, verifiable criteria. In this case, these criteria must be communicated in advance. Otherwise team assignments should be made uniformly at random as much as possible.

For the basketball A tournament at Unicon, the following requirements are added.

• The tournament structure and the general schedule must be communicated to the team captains at least one week before the first day of the tournament.
• A direct elimination game shall last at least 20 minutes, with clock stops respected at least in the last two minutes of the game.
• If the number of teams permits, there must be at least semi-finals, a third-place game, and a final.
• The finals shall be played in full (4 periods of 10 minutes), with all clock stops.