Basketball

About the group:
- Tokyo Gaijins is the biggest international basketball club in Japan with a total of around 600 members on the basketball mailing list. Most of the members are foreigners from all over the globe and only about 5% are Japanese. We play five-on-five INDOOR pickup basketball game regularly on weekends and at night during the week at Minato-ku Labor & Welfare Hall or sometimes at Minato-ku Sports Center and/or at Akasaka Community Plaza, all in central Tokyo. An average of around 20〜22 players participate on weekends and 14〜16 players on weeknights game including around1〜2 female players. We have fun and competitive pickup sessions to accommodate all different level of players but most of the sessions are competitive level and there are only about four (4) fun level sessions in a year. Beginners and lower intermediate players are welcome to join the fun level session but only higher intermediate and advanced are allowed to join the competitive level session. Come play hoops with us!

How to join:
- Read the membership and court guidelines carefully!
- Join the mailing list by sending a blank email to basketball@tokyogaijins.com.
- Check the basketball schedules (for reference only!).
- Receive the "official game schedule & level" by email from the organizer.
- No need to sign up! Just show up, pay the fee to person in-charge before the game, play and have fun.

Court guidelines:
- Kids are strictly prohibited!
- Outdoor shoes not allowed, indoor basketball sneakers only.
- Smoking, eating & drinking alcoholic beverage are prohibited.
- No fighting, use of abusive words towards other players and unnacceptable behaviours.
- The organizer and the person in-charge of the game reserves the right to cancel or reject your membership at anytime if you violate these guidelines.

Fee:
- The fee is 1,500yen and it is collected on the court by the person in-charge before the start of the session. The amount collected goes to pay for the court rent, team registration, venue bond interest (bond: 400,000yen), transportation allowance, services rendered by the organizer, the person in-charge of the game, the person that books the court (twice a week early in the morning) and other miscellaneous expenses. Please be aware that we are providing you SERVICE not doing business. We know that charging money to organize a basketball session is a bit unusual but this is the only way we can keep the club running.

Playing time guidelines:
- First-come/first served basis!
- Maximum of 20 players for a 3-hour session and 25 players for a 4 hour session.
- If you didn't make it on the Magic 20 or 25, you will have to wait until someone leaves before the person in-charge will allow you to play. This is to avoid complications and players complaining because of lack of playing time. Take note that this scenario doesn't happen often (only 3-times a year) but you should understand and always bear this in mind before coming.
- Everyone (more or less) play the same amount of time.
- "King of the court" rule doesn't apply!
- 10 players (play 11) * No substitution
- 11〜14 players (play 9) * 2 teams play, winning team stay after the game, 1〜4 waiting players IN, 1〜4 players from losing team can stay (decided by winning the "Rock&paper"). "Rock&paper" is a simple hand game elimination supervised by the person in-charge immediately after the end of each games (if necessary).
- 15 players (play 9) * 3 teams rotation
- 16〜19 players (play 7) * 2 teams play, losing team and 1〜4 players from the winning team out after the game, 6〜9 waiting players IN, 1〜4 players from winning team can stay (decided by winning the "Rock&paper")
- 20 players (play 7) * 4 teams rotation
- 21〜24 players (play 7) * 2 teams play, both out after the game, 2 waiting teams IN (decided by winning their last game or the "Rock&paper"), 1〜4 other players wait for the next game (decided by losing their last game and the"Rock&paper". For the next game, 1-4 waiting players and the winning team from earlier game IN, 1〜4 players from losing team from earlier game can play (decided by winning the "Rock&paper")
- 25 players (play 7) * 2 teams play, both out after the game, 2 waiting teams IN (decided by winning their last game or the "Rock&paper"), other team wait for next game (decided by losing their last game or the "Rock&paper"). For the next game, waiting team and the winning team from earlier game IN, losing team from earlier game wait for next game.

Play rules:
- Basket inside the arc 1-point/behind the arc 2-points.
- Only the player in ball possession can call a foul and only the player/s checking the player in ball possession can call a violation. In case of an argument about the call, the person in-charge will decide.
- Call is a call regardless whether if its a right or wrong call.
- After every dead or loose ball, player/team in possession must always check the ball to the opposing player/team from the top behind the arc to start the play. In case the dead or loose ball occurred at the opposite end of the court, the team in possession can immediately start the play from where the dead or loose ball had occurred without checking the ball to the opposing player/team.
- Man-to-man or Zone defense OK! Its up to your team.
- In case of a jump ball, the team who didn't have the ball possession from the start of the play will automatically keep the ball. In case of another one, the other team will automatically keep the possession, so on and so for.








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