All about Olympics Basketball- Schedule, Groups, Teams, Rules and Format
2020 Tokyo Olympics basketball
The Tokyo Olympics is just moments away from kick starting and especially Olympics basketball. The multi-sport event is expected to be a massive event of this year. The basketball segment in the Olympics has been a prolific sequence of events. The international teams compete with the famous players putting everything on line for the medals. Even this year, as many as 12 teams have taken part under this discipline. Trying to retain the medals, the USA contingent will be optimistic this year with their star studded line ups. However, many other teams will put up tough competition in order to do so.
Olympic Basketball Format
Basketball at the Tokyo Games will play out in a slightly different tournament format from prior competitions, with the same structure for the men’s and women’s game. In the group stage, 12 qualifying teams are divided into groups of four and compete in a round robin format, with each team playing all other teams in its group for a total of three games each. The first and second-place teams in each group and the two best third-place teams overall advance to the knockout rounds. Later this they will play for the next rounds.
A draw will then take place to determine the pairings in the knockout rounds — the quarterfinals and beyond. The winners of each of the three groups and the second-place team with the best results will be placed in one pot. The remaining two second-place teams and the two best third-place teams are in another pot. Teams who come from the same group in the group phase will not play each other again in the quarterfinals.
Rules
| FIBA | NBA | WNBA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game duration | Four 10-minute quarters | Four 12-minute quarters | Four 10-minute quarters | |
| Game clock stoppage after a basket | The last 2 minutes of the fourth quarter and each overtime period | Last minute of the first, second and third quarters. Last two minutes of the fourth quarter and each overtime period | Last minute of each quarter and overtime | |
| Foul limit | Five | Six | Six | |
| Technical fouls | Count toward disqualification | Count toward disqualification | Do not count toward disqualification | |
| Bonus free throws | Two free throws are awarded on the fifth foul of each quarter (overtime is considered part of the fourth quarter). | Two free throws are awarded on the fifth foul of each quarter. Two free throws are awarded on the fourth foul of overtime. | Two free throws are awarded on the fifth foul of each quarter. Two free throws are awarded on the fourth foul of overtime. | |
| Time permitted on foul shots | Five seconds | 10 seconds | 10 seconds | |
| Timeouts | Five one-minute timeouts (two at any point in the first half, three at any point in the second half); one timeout per overtime period; unused timeouts do not carry over. | Six one-minute timeouts during regulation; limit three in the fourth quarter and two in the final two minutes of regulation. Three full timeouts per overtime period; limit two timeouts in the final two minutes. One additional 20-second timeout per half, two total per game, including overtime. | Two one-minute timeouts and one 20-second timeout per half; 20-second timeouts not used in the first half carry over. One full timeout and one 20-second timeout each overtime period, plus one unused 20-second timeout carried over from the second half if available. | |
| Timeouts called by | Coach, only after an opponent basket or a deadball situation. | Player or coach, when their team has possession or during a deadball situation. | Player or coach, when their team has possession or during a deadball situation. | |
| Tie-ups determined | Alternating possession | Jump ball | Jump ball | |
| Basket interference | A player on offense may touch the ball when it is on the rim or within the cylinder. | No player may touch the ball when it is on the rim or within the cylinder. | No player may touch the ball when it is on the rim or within the cylinder. |
Schedules
The tournaments run from July 25- Aug. 8. The men’s group stage ends Aug. 1 with the quarterfinals beginning Aug. 3, the semifinals set for Aug. 5 and both medal games scheduled for Aug. 7 — though the gold medal game will air on Friday, Aug. 6 in the United States. The women’s group stage ends Aug. 2 with quarterfinals beginning Aug. 4 and semifinals set for Aug. 6. The bronze medal game is Aug. 7 with the gold medal game Aug. 8 — though the gold medal game will air late Friday, Aug. 7 in the United States.
Group Stage Matches
| Date | Match | Venue |
| Sunday, 25 July | Iran vs Czech Republic | Saitama Super Arena |
| Sunday, 25 July | Germany vs Italy | Saitama Super Arena |
| Sunday, 25 July | Australia vs Nigeria | Saitama Super Arena |
| Sunday, 25 July | France v USA | Saitama Super Arena |
| Monday, 26 July | Argentina vs Slovenia | Saitama Super Arena |
| Monday, 26 July | Japan vs Spain | Saitama Super Arena |
| Wednesday, 28 July | Nigeria vs Germany | Saitama Super Arena |
| Wednesday, 28 July | USA vs Iran | Saitama Super Arena |
| Wednesday, 28 July | Italy vs Australia | Saitama Super Arena |
| Wednesday, 28 July | Czech Republic vs France | Saitama Super Arena |
| Thursday, 29 July | Slovenia vs Japan | Saitama Super Arena |
| Thursday, 29 July | Spain vs Argentina | Saitama Super Arena |
| Saturday, 31 July | Italy vs Nigeria | Saitama Super Arena |
| Saturday, 31 July | Iran vs France | Saitama Super Arena |
| Saturday, 31 July | Australia vs Germany | Saitama Super Arena |
| Saturday, 31 July | USA vs Czech Republic | Saitama Super Arena |
| Sunday, 1 August | Argentina vs Japan | Saitama Super Arena |
Groups
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
| USA | Australia | Spain |
| France | Nigeria | Slovenia |
| Czech Republic | Italy | Japan |
| Iran | Germany | Argentina |
Under the basketball segment, the teams have been divided into 3 groups of A, B and C category. The 12 teams have been divided in sets of 4 in these above mentioned groups.
Teams
The teams that have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 are USA, France, Czech Republic and Iran in group A. Autralia, Nigeria, Italy and Germany in group B. Argentina, Japan, Slovenia and Spain in group C. Slovenia defeated Lithuania to be part of the Olympics for the first ever time and Lithuania will miss this mega even the first time. Check everything about Olympic basketball here.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: Australia Basketball Team Prediction, Preview and Schedule
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: Spain Basketball Team Prediction, Preview and Schedule
Sumeet Singh
(384 Articles Published)