The exciting sport of slamball combines the philosophy of basketball with the added excitement of trampolines and the thrill of contact.
Developed in a small warehouse in Los Angeles the initial ambition was to create a sport inspired by the strategies, aesthetics and pacing of video games.
A sport that can perform feats previously limited to the domain of the pixelated athletes from Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo.
The concoctor of this madness; Mason Gordon thought about a sport where by the athletes fly higher and hit harder than any other, derived from parts of basketball, football, hockey and gymnastics.
Slamball played out its first professional fixture in 2001 and has since be building towards global awareness and an international infrastructure.
To watch the short highlights reel of Slamball provided by yougotmiles below.
Scoring
Scoring is very similar to basketball with the aim to achieve baskets at the opposing end of the court. Players get 3 points for a shot made from beyond the 3-point line, but they also get 3 points when they make a “slam” — a dunk via a trampoline jump. Shots off the backboard or from standing inside the 3-point line earn 2 points.
Players
A slamball team features four players on the court and the same amount on the bench for rolling substitutions. On the court, player positions break down to stopper, gunner and handler roles.
Handler: The primary ball palyer, it is his job to run the offense and organize the other member, controlling the flow of the game.
Gunner: The scorer, a team’s gunner will finish plays against the opposing teams’ stopper, making the dramatic leap for points.
Stopper: The defensive player trails the offense only when necessary, protecting the rim from attacking players by using himself as a shield.
Contact and Kit
Face-on contact between offensive and defensive players is fair, but hitting a player while jumping for the trampoline or from behind is a foul. This means that elbow and knee pads are essential and players should wear a helmet. If a player collects three personal fouls or two technical fouls the referee will banish him from the game.
Court
The court is roughly 62 feet wide by 100 feet long with a basket at each end, similar to a basketball hoop the rim stands at 10 feet tall but has the four added trampolines. Each game consists of four quarters, five minutes per quarter.
