What are the official rules to playing a pick-up game of 21?

[K-ZOE]

Growing up in Bed Stuy we played UTAH. Everything was 5 points. You could play to 100 or however high you wanted to go. If mad heads were tryna play, you had to have 25 points by the time the 1st person got to 50 to stay in the game. NO FOULS, but we called travels and carries. Eventually we didnt even have to make the call, just give that shyt up, you know what you did. If game was to 100, you had to hit ice from the FT line or top of the key (wherever it was decided u shot after scoring) then another for game. Never played 21 til I went down south to college. Now out here in Bmore they play some shyt called 50 that has too many rules and even tho game is only to 50 it can last forever with all the extra shyt involved. Everything is 5 points, when you get to 50 you gotta call ICE, before somebody says 'No ice', If you manage that and hit your ice shot, then you gotta call everybody out 1 by 1 to knock them out the game, unless of course you call 'Family' then you get to take on everybody at once. Unless of course somebody yells 'No family' after you hit Ice. If somebody taps in your miss from the FT line or a regular shot, you go back to zero or you out the game, I forget which. I think we used to do something like that with UTAH too.

 

[JAY?]

-FG's are 2 points.

-you go to the line, every made FT is 1 point.

-if you hit 3 ft's in a row, the ball is checked and play resumes.

- once you have 21 you break the ice with a made FT. If you miss the FT you go back to 19.

- If you successfully break the ice, you attempt a 3pter to win the game. If you miss you go back to 15. Airball = 0 pts.

This is exactly how I played
Where u from?
I'm from queens and when we got a rebound we took it back
Playing in the Bronx they just put the ball back up without taking it back

 

[K-ZOE]

I swear growing up depending on where you played the rules were different. From my understanding each bucket is 2 points and free throws are 1 point. If you have 20 and miss the free throw you go back to 13. Some folks say you can't air ball free throws. There are no calls...so I guess dudes can double dribble, travel. etc. If you get tied up the first person to say "take" gets the ball...then dudes would swear they said it first smh. Free throws are at the 3pt line instead of the normal free throw line too.

I want to see if these rules are universal. Speak on it.

LMAO! In BK we used to just shoot for it when that happened. But I remember one time I was with this group going on a tour of HBCU's and our last stop was in Richmond where the group director graduated college. We were at this community center in the projects playing against the locals and there was a tie up, and the local cat called "FIRST" and let the ball go and went to take it out of bounds. We was like Get the fukk outta here, you aint getting that shyt like that. We almost had to fight the whole PJ's behind that.

 

[GetInTheTruck]

This is exactly how I played
Where u from?
I'm from queens and when we got a rebound we took it back
Playing in the Bronx they just put the ball back up without taking it back

I'm from corona...and yeah we def had to take that back if the ball hit rim, we didn't go straight back up unless we were playing taps.

In high school I played ball with dudes from Jamaica and the rules were pretty much the same, I don't remember them being different.

 

[KingsnBucs1987]

Damn I haven't played 33 in years, I remember fights used to break out over dudes tippin' you. We used to have marathon games going to 100 with each basket being 2s and 3s, shyt took forever with tips.

Damn I miss being a youngster.

 

[Jerz-2]

I swear growing up depending on where you played the rules were different. From my understanding each bucket is 2 points and free throws are 1 point. If you have 20 and miss the free throw you go back to 13. Some folks say you can't air ball free throws. There are no calls...so I guess dudes can double dribble, travel. etc. If you get tied up the first person to say "take" gets the ball...then dudes would swear they said it first smh. Free throws are at the 3pt line instead of the normal free throw line too.

Yeah, that's basically how we played, with the following exceptions:

• If you have 20 and you miss the free throw, you go back to 15, not 13.
• If you have 20, the free throw is taken from beyond the 3-point line.
• If somebody misses a shot by hitting the rim, and you rebound it, you have to take it back before you can shoot it (e.g., take it back beyond the free throw or 3-point line, so as to "reset")...if they don't hit anything, you don't have to take it back and can actually tip it in (this only applies if you're NOT playing "Tip 21").
• If you shoot it without taking it back first, you gotta give up the ball to whoever calls you on it.
• If the ball rolls way outta bounds or something, whoever gets to it first gets it...and then, if you got the ball, you gotta have someone check the ball from you before you can resume play, you can't just sneak in from the sidelines when ere'body back is turned on some sneaky fukk nikka shyt.
• We DID have calls. You wasn't about to just travel your ass off or blatantly double-dribble or something.

Also, like I said, we usually played Tip 21, mostly when there were too many people wanting to play...if you miss by hitting the rim and someone tips it in on the putback (has to be one fluid motion...catch rebound and putback immediately, your feet can't even hit the ground...or just tip it back in off the rebound), you're outta the game, and that goes on until there are no players left, or until there are only 2-3 players left. Great for when it was, like, 10 or more people trying to play.

 

[damaddwebba]

Here in the bay area we played 21, 2's and 3's, free throws counted as 1 unless it was the first one of the game which counted as 2. Clear everything, we played dunk tip in's though, who ever called the violation (travel or whatever) got the ball. Miss at 20 and go back to 13 and depending on who you played with you would either shoot from the free throw or 3pt.

 

[Po pimp]

21 or "Varsity"

Every shot is 2pts, except FTs, which is 1pt.
The first shot of the game is 2pts. There's no shooting to see who goes first...whoever wants to shoot it up does.
Beginning of the game, you either call "all day" or "3 and out." Most cats usually play 3 and out.
Shoot your FTs at the top of the key (3pt line)
No calls unless it's SUPER blatant.
No out of bounds.
If you're at 20 and you miss the FT, you drop to 13.
If you grab a rebound, you gotta take it back behind the 3pt line.
If there's a BUNCH of people, at the beginning of the game, you gotta call "straight up" which eliminates the need to clear the ball.

We also play 32. Same rules as above apply, except there are no FTs.

 

[K-ZOE]

Yeah we never checked the ball in UTAH unless you scored. If the ball goes outta bounds or wherever and you get it, you better go to the cup or shoot a jumper. You aint gettin that shyt back comin back to the court looking for a check ball. Thats some other shyt I never saw til I was down south.

 

[triplehate]

NCResident

21 all baskets 2's, all free throws from the 3pt line maximum 3 in a row.
Take back above the free throw line. No calls.
If you have 17 and hit all 3 free throws till 20 you still gotta shot another free throw to win
If you have 20 and miss the free throw go back to 13 or 15 (always varies)
*and they usually dont tell you till after you miss





Random variations
tips is only around when kids are involved
if you dont have at least 6 by the time the high scorer gets to 16 yall asses is out

edit: I have played at this one rec center (with alot of white guys)..And curiously there was no maximum to the amount of free throws you could make in a row...

 

[JAY?]

I'm from corona...and yeah we def had to take that back if the ball hit rim, we didn't go straight back up unless we were playing taps.

In high school I played ball with dudes from Jamaica and the rules were pretty much the same, I don't remember them being different.

What part of corona? I grew up on 37th ave

 

[Texas2step]

If it was a tie up= whoever was strong enough got the ball

went to 21 2s for regular shots and 1s for free throws but they were from the 3 pt line

if you missed the shot at 20, you go back to 15

If you got tipped in then you would go back to 0 and it doesn't matter how much you had

we didnt call fouls or anything unless they was painfully obvious

Airball freethrows were automatic disqualification and you was kicked out of the game

 

[Spree At Last]

Now out here in Bmore they play some shyt called 50 that has too many rules and even tho game is only to 50 it can last forever with all the extra shyt involved. Everything is 5 points, when you get to 50 you gotta call ICE, before somebody says 'No ice', If you manage that and hit your ice shot, then you gotta call everybody out 1 by 1 to knock them out the game, unless of course you call 'Family' then you get to take on everybody at once. Unless of course somebody yells 'No family' after you hit Ice. If somebody taps in your miss from the FT line or a regular shot, you go back to zero or you out the game, I forget which. I think we used to do something like that with UTAH too.

 

[Texas2step]

Crazy how shyt is different around the country. Here, it was as follows:

-Baskets are normal (2's and 3's)...sometimes we played to played 11 or 15, it was 1's and 2's
-Free Throws are from the top of the key, worth 1...make 3 and you check it up, unless 3rd was 20, then you shoot for the win...miss at 20, you go back to 15
-all misses had to be cleared
-No tips unless there were a gang of folks. Anything could be tipped...tips worth 3...tipped with points sends you to zero...tipped at zero you're out. When playing tips, you have to hit the rim shooting FT's...no intentional bricks to avoid getting tipped.
-Calls were honor system. If you blatantly traveled/doubled, you drop the ball and it was up for grabs. If you don't call your own fouls (shyt you committed), then it it wasn't called. Calling a foul with the ball in your hand? And yeah, it got fun when someone was at 19...shyt basically turned into a royal rumble

I used to get doubled teamed and had go through a gauntlet of nikkas to get a clear shot only to be fouled and have 2 ppl box me out while someone else tipped me in and I go back to 0 ... it used to demoralize the hell out of me

 

[Towlie]

first from the line (3pt) is 2 and everything other shot from the line is 1
if they hit 3 in a row, somebody can call 3 and out, but you dont have to
no fouls or calls in general
if the ball hits rim you have to take it back to the 3pt line
if you have 20 and miss you go back to 15