Phygital guide
Phygital basketball rules
Phygital basketball is played through a digital and a physical stage, but the score is shared. Points earned in the video game carry over to the court and remain part of the same scoreboard until the end of the match.
This guide explains the basic flow of an official phygital basketball match. The technical regulations of each individual event always take precedence, especially when they define the digital title, platform, schedule, equipment and details of physical play.
Team and players on court
A team may have 3 or 4 athletes. Two players from each team compete at the same time in each stage.
Substitutions and the make-up of the pair for the digital or physical stage are governed by the event regulations. A team must therefore register a sufficient number of athletes and check the competition rules before the tournament begins.
Phygital basketball is generally played in an open category from the age of 16. An individual organiser may set additional eligibility requirements.
Digital stage
A match begins with a two-on-two digital game. The organiser of the competition determines the official digital title, platform, match settings and the method used to select virtual teams.
The digital stage ends when one team reaches 19 points. If a team scores a 20th point, the score is recorded as 20.
The score from the digital stage carries over into the physical stage. If the digital game ends 19:16, the physical match begins at 19:16 — not at zero.
Physical stage
The physical stage is played two against two on a standard 3x3 basketball court with one basket. Play continues until one team reaches a total of 39 points or until seven minutes of actual playing time have elapsed.
Points scored on court are added to the result from the digital stage. For example, after a digital score of 19:16, a team may win 39:31 overall; in that case, the physical stage added 20:15.
Rules on ball movement, stoppages, fouls and other technical details of the physical stage are set by the regulations of the individual event. It is important to distinguish the format: the physical stage is played two against two, even though a standard 3x3 court is used.
When the match ends
The match ends as soon as one team reaches a total of 39 points.
If neither team reaches 39 points within seven minutes of the physical stage, the team with more points in the combined score wins.
A digital advantage can therefore be important, but it does not decide the match on its own. The physical stage can change both the flow and the final result of the contest.
Tied result
If the combined score is tied when time expires, the winner is decided by free throws.
The teams take three free throws each in alternating order. If the score remains tied, additional free throws are taken until one team gains an advantage. Before the same player can take another free throw, every player who took part in the match must have had an opportunity to shoot.
What does not carry over between stages
The score carries over from the digital stage to the physical stage, but the virtual line-up, possession situation and any other video-game setting do not. The physical stage begins as a real two-on-two basketball game with the score already achieved in the digital stage.
A team must therefore manage the entire match: the digital score determines its starting position, while play on court decides whether that advantage is retained, extended or lost.
Official sources and further reading
This guide simplifies the rules to provide a clear starting point. The official regulations of the specific competition take precedence over this summary.
For an introduction to the format, read What is phygital basketball?. For the international pathway, rankings and qualification, read The phygital competition system: Origins, Rivals, Contenders and Games of the Future.