3v3 is the easiest kind of basketball tournament to run well. You only need half courts, games are short, and teams only need three or four players. That's why 3v3 events pop up everywhere, from park fundraisers to street-ball festivals. Here's how to run one.
Common 3v3 rules
There's no single official rulebook for local 3v3, so pick your rules and publish them with the registration link. Most events use something close to this:
- Half court, one hoop. Possession changes on a make or a defensive rebound, and the ball must be “checked” or cleared past the arc first.
- Scoring by 1s and 2s: 1 point inside the arc, 2 beyond it.
- Game to 21, or a 10–15 minute running clock, whichever comes first. Win by 2 is optional — a hard cap keeps the schedule on time.
- Rosters of 3–4 players, with free substitutions on dead balls.
- Fouls called by players(“make it, take it” ethos) for casual events. Use a court monitor or ref for competitive brackets.
- Divisions by age, gender, and skill, so nobody plays a team way out of their league.
How many courts and how long?
Because games are short, 3v3 schedules move fast. A 20-minute slot per game (15-minute game plus turnover) means each half court hosts three games an hour.
Pool play into a bracket is the go-to 3v3 format: every team gets three games, and you still crown a champion. If you're new to it, read what pool play is.
Planning checklist
- Venue — outdoor courts, a gym split into half courts, or a parking lot with portable hoops for a street festival. Check permits for public parks.
- Date and rain plan — outdoor events need a backup date or an indoor fallback.
- Divisions and caps — decide team caps per division based on your court hours.
- Entry fee — 3v3 events commonly charge $40–$150 per team. See how to price your entry fee.
- Court monitors — one per court to keep score, settle disputes, and report results.
- Extras — music, a 3-point contest between rounds, water, and prizes for the champions.
Registration and game day
Collect entries online so you know your field before game day. Have each captain register the team and pay, then invite their teammates. On the day, check teams in, post the schedule, and have court monitors report every final so the next round can start right away. With 3v3, games end every few minutes — paper brackets fall behind fast.
Tipoff defaults to 3v3 for new tournaments. Pick pool play, set your courts and team cap, and share one link. Teams register and pay by card, the schedule builds itself across your courts, and court monitors enter scores from a scorekeeper link on their phones. Here's the full setup walkthrough.