Basketballwhat?!?!?!?

Basketball Who???

Welcome to Basketballwhat. Here in its infancy on the late eve of Thanksgiving, this site hopes (and from here on out gosh-darnit attempts) to bring forth those in the Delaware/Pennsylvania/ area interested in WINTER BALL; to have such men and women step forth in a spirit of competitive asundentry for the pure and divine purpose of playing basketball. Outside. Now.

This site hopes, in its naïve naivety, to allow those such as have been described the opportunity to connect to one another, in such a way as things can be planned, executed. Basketball can be played!

The idea is thus: Somebody, for our purposes let’s say me, posts on this site a proposed scheduled time for a pick-up game somewhere in the area. They name the court, the time, etc. You can make it? Good, respond to the post in the comments section in the affirmative. If 5 people respond positively, we’ve got a three on three game at the Madison Courts. If 12 people respond, we have 5 on 5 with one sub each. 16? Two games! Or a second court is proposed. et. cet.

Here is a list of courts in the area off the top of my head. Feel free to add new courts as you know them. This list is so far from complete that I am actively going to try to not include every one I can think of:

Newark

MADISON COURTS:

Madison Rules should and shall apply to all games (see well below)

The courts are behind the even sided houses on Madison Drive in Newark. They are in the park right back there. Next to the pool. What, you ain’t been there?

PENCADER COURTS:

I ain’t never been here myself, but I hear these new-ish courts are NICE. Plus, they are probably well lit, which is key in these dark days. They are near what is left of the Pencader dorms, near the bridge and the monolith.

RODNEY COURTS:

Also University Property, also probably well lit. Pretty nice courts.

Wilmington

MONKEY HILL COURTS:

At the top of Monkey Hill.

ROBERTO CLEMENTE COURTS:

Behind the Roberto Clemente baseball fields on 4^th street.

SILVERSIDE ROAD COURTS:

What’s the name of that big park on the right as you drive away from 202 on Silverside (before you cross Faulk)? That’s the one. It got nice courts.

GOVERNOR PRINCE

Does that Baseball Park behind the nice gray apartments where Raul used to live have courts??? Me thinks prolly.

STANTON COURTS:

That High School at the corner where Rt. 7 meets Rt.4 in Stanton? Yeah, they have nice courts too. I don’t know if they would let us use them, but its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission….

Pennsylvania

WEST CHESTER

You come in high, and you go out…

Market?

Turn right at the one way street before Gay Street and there is a school with some courts on the right. We think.

GLEN MILLS

There’s a new park right up behind the prison. I’m almost sho they got courts there. I’ll check into that. No Murph, they’re not uppity. Well, not too uppity.

GARNET VALLEY

There has got to be outdoor courts somewhere on that sprawling son of a gun. Whether or not they will ever let you play there is another story.

MADISON RULES

As with the courts, the rules are subject to additions/modifications. The short list of rules set forth here are designed to frame the parameters in which the games are played. Rules can be ignored/amended during any particular game, as long as such decisions are made prior to the game beginning, or in such a way as to be deemed fair by both sides. Like softball, or fast pitch baseball without helmets, the rules of the game may seem slightly foreign or strange at first. They are laid out in the interests of all involved, to create and allow fun games of basketball in an only slightly unorthodox way. The rules:

No out of bounds

If a ball bounces beyond the preordained line of demarcation, go get it. The person that gets to it first is its possessor. This is a gentlemen’s game, in that there is no need to end the chase wrastling all over the ground. The one that hustle’s more, or ‘wins the race’ should be given ample space to get the ball and walk it back into playable space. Relax.

Game to 21, by 1

Loser’s outs. Which means, if you’ve never played Dr. J v. Larry Bird, that the team that is scored upon gets possession of the ball. The points will be scored in increments of 1, with the exception of the 2 point shot, shot from an agreed distance to the net. Feel free to switch teams after every game or have tournaments of three games. Whatever your little hearts desire.

Fouls

This is also somewhat of a gentlemen’s game. Ruthless intentional or flagrant fouls will not be tolerated. As for contact fouls during play, the foul must be called by the offended player and agreed upon by the offending player. If a conflict ensues, it will be solved in the “jump ball” fashion of switching possession from team to team.

There are no foul shots. A foul will be played from the top of the key. Offensive fouls switch possession. Duh.

The Key

In half court games, when a defensive player rebounds a shot, he must clear the ball to the top of the key before his team can shoot to score. This is true of airballs and steals as well. Once the ball is cleared to the key, the new offense is free to score. Shots taken without clearing to the key will result in a loss of possession. The points will not be given to the opposing team.

Double Dribble, et al.

Don’t double dribble, or walk, or do any of those other things you think you can get away with. If it is called and it stands, well then, you don’t have the ball anymore.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Everyone should be out to relax and have a good time playing basketball. Don’t get disagreeably competitive or too physical or too worked up. Just play the games.

Hope this works out. Hope to see some action on them courts!!!!

bd