Basketball app to find pickup games, keep score and run 3x3 tournaments

Post an open match for your court, or join a run that someone nearby has posted. Both work for a quick pickup game, a half-court 3x3 or a full 5v5.

Casual basketball on Flobit is team play with no registered team. You set the game up and players fill the two sides one by one. As host you pick 3x3 or 5v5, then add the time and the city or venue. You also decide who may ask to join (anyone, men, women or mixed), whether to show a level range, and what the note says. The note holds up to 280 characters, enough for "full court, call your own fouls, bring a light and a dark shirt". Nobody is added automatically. Players send a request, you approve the ones you want, and the level range is shown on the listing as guidance.

Looking for a run yourself? Narrow the list to basketball and to anytime, today or this week. You can't filter by level, so the host's range and note tell you whether a game suits you. Distance starts at 50 km and can be set from 5 to 100 km, and a daily digest at 10:00 lists open games near you. Open matches in detail.

Got a crew that plays on the same night every week? Skip the listing and start a Quick Match at the court. Send the 8-character code, the QR code or the flobit.app/join link to the group, and everyone joins as a player or as the referee. Guests can play without an account. A community keeps the chat, the standings and a top-players podium in one place.

How many games you see depends on how many players near you use Flobit, so if your court has nothing posted yet, post the first game. Flobit doesn't book courts. Check when the court is free, then post the game.

Flobit keeps a running total for each side, with +1, +2 and +3 buttons and a match clock. You pick the format when you create the match.

The score pad offers +1, +2 and +3 in every format, so you tap whatever the basket was worth. In 3x3 and half-court play baskets are worth 1 or 2 points, and in 5v5 a shot from behind the three-point line is worth 3. The FIBA 3x3 rules set a game at 10 minutes, ended early if a team reaches 21. The FIBA Official Basketball Rules set full-court games at four 10-minute quarters, with 5-minute overtimes when the score is tied. Flobit follows the same shape: a tied 5v5 game goes to a 5-minute overtime and is never a draw.

One person taps the score and undo reverses a slip. A match clock shows how long the game has been running, and the live score is a running total for each side. When you enter the final score you can add a breakdown by quarter or half, with overtime when a game needs it. Someone who joins as the referee can also log who scored, fouls, timeouts and substitutions. Friends can follow on the public live page, a Live Activity keeps the score on your lock screen, courtside mode turns a phone into a big scoreboard, and Apple Watch scoring works offline. Results confirm on their own after 24 hours, and until then a casual result can be disputed. See live scoring.

Basketball has no standard rating ladder, so Flobit asks for one of three plain words. Beginner is for players who are new or coming back after a long break. Intermediate fits someone who plays most weeks and is comfortable in a casual run. Advanced is for players with competitive experience at club, college or semi-pro level. Answer as you would to a stranger before tip-off. Hosts can set a level range on a listing. It is shown as guidance, and the host approves each request.

Behind the word sits an ELO rating that belongs to basketball alone, so a good week at the court doesn't change your rating in other sports. It starts between 900 and 1500 depending on the level you declared (1000 if you didn't). In 1v1 and 2v2 games it is measured against your opponents' rating, using their average in 2v2. How ratings work explains how it moves.

After a game you can also rate the opponents you played against for sportsmanship, from 1 to 5 stars. That rating describes what someone was like to play against, so it stays apart from skill. You can change a rating for 48 hours, and it can be hidden. A beginner who plays fair can still build a good reputation.

Yes. Tournaments live inside a community, so create or open one first. Then pick the play type: 3x3 or 5v5 teams, or 1v1 or 2v2 players. You can run a single or double elimination bracket, a league in which everyone plays everyone once or twice, a group stage followed by a knockout and, for 2v2, a Mexicano.

Team events are built on Flobit teams. A sport's team has a captain, a co-captain and jersey numbers, and the captain enters it. Before each game a team names its lineup, the players who take the court. Casual pickup never needs this, and 1v1 and 2v2 events are lighter still: players enter alone or with a partner, so a streetball night can run on names alone.

A 2v2 Mexicano suits a mixed-ability evening. Everyone signs up alone, partners change every round, and a leaderboard ranks players by points scored or winning margin. You need at least four players. Tournament formats helps you match the format to your numbers.

You stay in control of the field. Approve entries or leave them open, keep a waitlist, bring in guests who have no account, restrict by category (Men, Women, Mixed or Open) and age, and cap entries between 2 and 512. If there is a fee, you can display it on the page, but it is paid to you offline. Up to 20 referees can score, and the roster can go out as a ready-formatted WhatsApp or Telegram message. Winners get trophies automatically, and each community can run five tournaments at once. See tournaments.

Start with the numbers. A 5v5 run needs 10 players and a couple of spares, and a 3x3 game needs six. In FIBA 3x3 a team has three players on court and one substitute, so a roster of four is the usual size.

For a weekly run, post the game as an open match a few days ahead. Put the start time, the court and the house rules in the note, and approve players until the list is full. Then start a Quick Match at the court for scoring. The pickup basketball rules guide covers the house rules that cause arguments: counting by 1s and 2s, playing to 11 or 21, winning by 2, calling your own fouls and who stays on.

For a 3x3 tournament on one court, work out the time before you promise a finish. A game is at most 10 minutes of play, so allow about 15 minutes per game with changeovers.

A second court roughly halves the time. If players sign up on their own, the fair teams guide shows simple ways to split them evenly before you enter the teams.

Pick the guide that matches your question:

• How do pickup games work? Pickup basketball rules explains counting, playing to 11 or 21, 3x3 and calling fouls.
• How do we split into fair teams? The fair teams guide covers simple ways to even out a group.
• How do I keep a run going week after week? Organizing pickup games covers slots, numbers and reminders.

Flobit looks after the people and the score. The court, the ball and the house rules stay with you.

How do I find people to play basketball with?

How do I find a pickup basketball game near me?

How does 3x3 basketball scoring work?

Can I use Flobit as a basketball score keeper?

Do I need a team to play basketball on Flobit?

How do I run a 3x3 basketball tournament on Flobit?

Can I run a 1v1 or 2v2 basketball tournament?

Can I book a basketball court on Flobit?

How do I make fair basketball teams?

Is Flobit a free basketball app?