Variations of Basketball

International Basketball is not the same game played in the United States. Rules and court demarcations differ, but the similarities are close enough that players easily transition between the United States and International versions of the game.

There are many variations on the game of basketball, some so diverse that all they have in common is the use of a basket and a ball. Familiar variations include Streetball and wheelchair basketball; there is also Water, Beach and Unicycle basketball. Horseball is a hybrid, which combines elements of Polo and Rugby as well as basketball and is played on horseback. A variation on this variation called Donkeyball has come under attack from animal rights groups. Less familiar variations include Slamball and Beach basketball, which is played without a backboard.

Netball

Netball is a limited-contact sport in which two teams of seven try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a high hoop without a backboard. Formerly called "women's basketball", Netball now includes men's teams as well.

Netball is a direct decedent of Dr. Naismith's original basketball game. Clara Baer, a sports teacher from New Orleans, wrote Naismith asking for a copy of the rules, which he subsequently sent her. The doctor included a drawing of the court with pencil lines to show the areas various players could best patrol, but Baer misinterpreted the lines and thought players were confined to those areas. Her mistake was ratified into the rules of women's basketball as zones in 1899.

Slamball

Slamball is full-contact, invented for television in 2002, version of basketball. Four-player teams vie to score by putting the ball through the net, as in basketball, with some modification. Slamball's main difference from its parent sport is the court; below the four padded basketball rims and backboards are four trampolines, which propel players to great heights for spectacular slam-dunks.

Streetball – The Urban Game

Streetball is a distinctly urban variation of basketball that is tightly integrated with the Hip-Hop culture. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the basketball company "AND1" exploited the Streetball market to grow its brand from $40 million annual revenues to as much as 213 million dollars and in the process uncovered a strong yet disjointed urban niche market.

Basketball has evolved from the original game with 13 rules, two peach baskets and a soccer ball into a variety of versions, each serving distinct markets and distinct cultures. The game of basketball is alive and continually birthing a variety of versions of expression in both methods and strategies of play and as with any living entity, the capacity for evolution and a better expression is always possible.

What makes "Basketball-the-Remix" different and more compelling is its modern interpretation of the original game. The essence of the games rules, equipment, and court demarcation aligns with the original game and provides the modern athlete with the skill challenges inherent in Dr, Naismith's original game, many of which have been eradicated by technology and rule changes.