Elam Ending

Last updated

The Elam Ending, also known as final target score, [1] is a rules format for basketball. Unlike traditional basketball rules, in which the game is played with four timed quarters, with the Elam Ending format, teams end the game by playing to a target score. A variation used by the NBA G League implements the Elam Ending in games that go into overtime.

Contents

Developed by and named for Nick Elam, a professor at Ball State University, [2] the Elam Ending was first used by The Basketball Tournament in 2017. The Elam Ending received widespread attention in 2020 when it was chosen as the format for the NBA All-Star Game. It has since been adopted by other leagues, such as the Canadian Elite Basketball League later that year, as well as the NBA G League (which uses it as its overtime format). [3] [1] The organizers of TBT announced that they would adapt the concept for a spin-off soccer tournament in 2023.

Format

Instead of a game clock, teams play to a target score, with the shot clock still enforced. The first team to meet or exceed the target score wins, so there is no overtime. [4] The winning score can be a walk-off field goal (two-point or three-point) or a free throw. This format has been compared to how streetball is typically played, as street basketball games are typically played to a target score, e.g. 21 or 15.

Nick Elam devised this system because he was frustrated with stalling and passive play by a leading team and intentionally fouling by a losing team. Elam proposed that his solution, which turns off the game clock, addresses these issues.

History

The Basketball Tournament

In The Basketball Tournament, the game clock is turned off at the first whistle with up to four minutes remaining. In 2017, The Basketball Tournament's play-in games utilized the Elam Ending rules. Since the 2018 edition, the Elam Ending has been used in all games. Originally, the target score was seven points more than team leading or tie score; [5] since 2019, the target score is eight points more than the leading team's/tied score. [6]

Starting with the 2020 tournament, a rule change was made in order to make a game-ending free throw slightly less likely. If the defensive team commits a non-shooting foul during the Elam Ending with the offensive team in the bonus, the offense receives one free throw plus possession. According to TBT organizers, this eliminated an incentive for teams to foul in one specific situation—when the defense could reach the target score with a free throw or two-point basket while the offense needed a three-pointer. The idea for this change came from a user that Elam interacted with on a message board. [7]

Through the 2019 tournament, Jeremy Pargo of Overseas Elite was the TBT leader in making game-winning shots during the Elam Ending, with five [8] (in the 2018 and 2019 tournaments, Overseas Elite won a total of 10 games). During the 2020 tournament, Golden Eagles forward Jamil Wilson tied his record and ultimately broke it in 2021.

Other uses

At the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, the Elam Ending was introduced after Chris Paul brought up the idea to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. [9] This version used an untimed fourth quarter, with the target score being 24 points more than the leading team's score after the third. The target score was chosen to honor Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash a month earlier; he wore 24 during his last 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2020, Team LeBron won the game over Team Giannis 157–155 in a back-and-forth game. The Elam Ending format was received well by fans and players alike. [10] [11] It has since been used for later installments of the event. [12]

In 2020, the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) adopted the Elam Ending for its CEBL Summer Series tournament (played in lieu of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada), using a target of nine points more than the leading team's score. [13] The change was made permanent in 2021. [14]

The NBA G League adopted the Elam Ending for its 2022–23 season under the name "Final Target Score". For regular-season games, the Elam Ending is implemented once a game goes to overtime, with the first team to score at least 7 points in overtime winning. Games during the G League Winter Showcase, held in December in Las Vegas, employed the Elam Ending after 3 quarters, with the target score set by adding 25 to the leading team's (or tied teams') score. [1]

Soccer adaptation

In October 2022, the organizers of TBT announced that they would hold a spin-off seven-a-side soccer event, The Soccer Tournament (TST), in 2023. TST uses an adaptation of the Elam Ending: after two 20-minute halves, matches go into "Target Score Time", with a target of one goal more than the leading team's (or tied teams') score. Beginning at the fifth minute of Target Score Time, a player is removed from each side at 5-minute intervals until each side is reduced to 2 players or the winning goal is scored, whichever comes first. [15] [16]

Related Research Articles

The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a three-day event which goes from Friday to Sunday. The All-Star Game was first played at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951.

Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination tournaments where only one team or players can advance to the next round or win the tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal foul (basketball)</span> Illegal contact with an opponent in basketball

In basketball, a personal foul is a breach of the rules that concerns illegal personal contact with an opponent. It is the most common type of foul in basketball. A player fouls out on reaching a limit on personal fouls for the game and is disqualified from participation in the remainder of the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of basketball terms</span> List of definitions of terms and concepts related to the game of basketball

This glossary of basketball terms is a list of definitions of terms used in the game of basketball. Like any other major sport, basketball features its own extensive vocabulary of unique words and phrases used by players, coaches, sports journalists, commentators, and fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmer Fredette</span> American basketball player (born 1989)

James Taft "Jimmer" Fredette is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. Fredette was the 2011 National Player of the Year in college basketball after ranking as the leading scorer in all of NCAA Division I during his senior season for the BYU Cougars. He was subsequently selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, but only played limited minutes across four teams over five NBA seasons. He spent the majority of the 2015–16 season in the NBA Development League, during which he won the All-Star Game MVP.

In sports that use a clock, untimed play is play in which the clock does not tick. In some cases, untimed play can occur at the end of a game following the expiration of the clock, and may even be when a score occurs that decides the outcome of the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. J. Kennedy</span> American professional basketball player

David John Kennedy is an American professional basketball player for Prometey of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League. He played college basketball for St. John's University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Basketball Tournament</span> American basketball tournament since 2014

The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an open-application, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States. The 2022 edition featured 64 teams with a $1 million winner-take-all prize, broadcast by ESPN. TBT was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Mugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Keene</span> American basketball player

Marcus Johnny Rashaan Keene is an American basketball player for Prometey of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League. He gained national prominence in 2016–17 season as a redshirt junior while at Central Michigan University, having been profiled by Sports Illustrated, the NCAA, and ESPN because of his prolific scoring ability. Keene is a 5'9" point guard who averaged 30.0 points per game his junior year at Central Michigan, the highest average in NCAA Division I men's basketball that season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Jackson (basketball, born 1997)</span> Canadian basketball player

Justin Nicholas Jackson is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Calgary Surge of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins. He was selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 NBA All-Star Game</span> American basketball competition

The 2020 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 16, 2020, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 season. It was the 69th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at the United Center in Chicago, home of the Chicago Bulls. Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis, 157–155. This was the third time that Chicago hosted the All-Star Game. The other two times, in 1973 and 1988, the game was played at Chicago Stadium, the Bulls' previous home arena. The game was televised nationally by TNT for the 18th consecutive year, and simulcast by TBS for the 6th consecutive year. After airing a “Players Only” broadcast a year ago, TBS returned to simulcasting TNT’s coverage, after the “Players Only” brand was canceled by the NBA and Turner Sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Elite Basketball League</span> Professional mens basketball league

The Canadian Elite Basketball League is the premier men's professional basketball league in Canada, as recognized by Canada Basketball. The CEBL was founded in 2017 and began play in 2019 with six teams all owned and operated by ownership group Canadian Basketball Ventures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eberlein Drive</span> American basketball team

Eberlein Drive is an American basketball team that participates in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an annual winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team has participated in the tournament since its 2014 inaugural playing. The roster of Eberlein Drive consists of professional basketball players who compete outside of the NBA. The team is named after the street in Fraser, Michigan, that co-general manager Jacob Hirschmann grew up on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 CEBL season</span> Canadian professional basketball season

The 2020 CEBL season was the second season of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). It was played from July 25 to August 9 at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario.

The Basketball Tournament 2020 was the seventh edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament. The tournament, involving 24 teams, started on July 4 and continued through the championship game on July 14, with all games held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The winner of the final, Golden Eagles, received a $1 million prize.

Christian Lucien Vital is an American professional basketball player for the Brampton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Basketball Tournament 2021</span> Single elimination basketball tournament

The Basketball Tournament 2021 was the eighth edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament. The tournament, involving 64 teams, began on July 16 and concluded on August 3 with the championship game in Dayton, Ohio. The format of the tournament returned to that of the 2019 edition—64 teams, each playing in one of four regionals, with the top two teams from each regional progressing to the championship weekend. The tournament was won by Boeheim's Army, who captured the winner-take-all $1 million prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Basketball Tournament 2022</span> Single elimination basketball tournament

The Basketball Tournament 2022 was the ninth edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament with a $1 million winner-take-all prize. The tournament, involving 64 teams, began on July 16 and ended on August 2 with the championship game in Dayton, Ohio. The tournament format was similar to that of the last pre-COVID-19 edition in 2019—64 teams, each playing in one of eight regionals.

The Soccer Tournament (TST) is a seven-a-side association football tournament played in the United States, established by TBT Enterprises, creator of The Basketball Tournament (TBT). TST was announced on October 11, 2022 to feature 32 teams with a $1 million winner-take-all prize. TST is partly owned by Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul.

The Basketball Tournament 2023 is the tenth edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament with a $1 million winner-take-all prize. The tournament, involving 64 teams, began on July 19 and will end on August 3 with the championship game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The tournament format was similar to that of the last edition in 2022—64 teams, each playing in one of eight regionals. The quarterfinal winners will travel to Philadelphia for the semifinals and championship game.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "G League to use Elam Ending format in OT games". ESPN.com. 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  2. ↑ "NBA All-Star Game to Utilize Ball State Professor's 'Elam Ending' For Second Straight Year". Ball State University. February 26, 2021.
  3. ↑ "NBA G League to utilize final target score scenarios in 2022-23". Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  4. ↑ Lowe, Zach (June 18, 2018). "New kind of crunch time has NBA luminaries excited". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  5. ↑ Passan, Jeff (June 11, 2018). "10 Degrees: The Mensa member's idea that can solve almost all of baseball's problems". Yahoo Sports . Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  6. ↑ "The Basketball Tournament: 2019 Official Rules and Regulations". TheTournament.com. 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  7. ↑ Lowe, Zach (March 4, 2020). "The Basketball Tournament changing rules to curb free throws ending game". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  8. ↑ "FAQ". thetournament.com. 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Here's How Chris Paul and Nick Elam Brought the 'Elam Ending' to the NBA". Complex. February 25, 2020.
  10. ↑ Botkin, Brad (February 17, 2020). "NBA All-Star Game 2020: After wild Elam Ending, you can't help but wonder about this format in real NBA games". CBS Sports.
  11. ↑ "The Elam Ending led to an INTENSE All-Star fourth quarter". ESPN. February 16, 2020.
  12. ↑ "2021 All-Star Game Format". NBA.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  13. ↑ "CEBL hopes target-score finish will create heroes every game". CBC Sports. 2020-07-09. Archived from the original on 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
  14. ↑ "Elam Ending Returns To CEBL For 2021 Season" (Press release). Canadian Elite Basketball League. June 19, 2021.
  15. ↑ Bonagura, Kyle (October 11, 2022). "The Basketball Tournament organizers announce $1m winner-take-all soccer event". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  16. ↑ Bonagura, Kyle (June 4, 2023). "Wrexham and World Cup legends bring star-studded teams to new winner-take-all soccer tournament". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.