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What is Slamball? What to know about rules, teams and more ahead of sport's revival

Jordan Mendoza   Paste BN

What happens when you mix basketball, football, gymnastics and some hockey? You get one of the most electrifying, high-flying sports that's set to make its return to the national spotlight: Slamball.

After nearly 15 years since it was last played in the U.S., Slamball is making its return with its Series 6 season set to take place in Las Vegas. There, eight teams will spend close to four weeks vying for a title, with all games broadcasted by ESPN.

But with the popular sport returning, viewers may need a refresher of the intense game before seeing any outrageous dunks. Here's everything you need to know about Slamball, from rules, the court and lingo:

What is Slamball?

Slamball is primarily basketball mixed with elements of football, gymnastics and hockey. The objective is to score through a basketball hoop, but the twist is there are trampolines inside the paint area of the court, allowing players to jump on and fly up to 20 feet in the air to deliver a slam dunk. The game is physical with players attempting to block dunks and meet players at the rim, allowing contact like in football and hockey. There are also barriers around the court to keep the action flowing like hockey, and substitutions are done in hockey-style line changes.

Slamball rules

The game is played between two teams in a 4-on-4 format, with four five-minute quarters. The court has four trampolines on each side for players to jump on to perform dazzling moves and slam dunks. Slam dunks are worth three points, while jumpshots are worth two points. There is a 3-point line for 3-point shots, and a new introduction this year is the beginning of a 4-point shot.

There are fouls in the game, but instead of free throws, a face off happens between two players, similar to a penalty shot in hockey.

Slamball positions

There are three positions in Slamball:

  • Handler: The primary ball handler on the team that runs an offense and sets up other players for dunks. Similar to a point guard.
  • Gunner: The primary scorer on the team, typically is the player that attacks the rim for high-flying dunks. Similar to a forward or striker in soccer.
  • Stopper: The primary defensive player, protects the the rim from attacking players. Acts like a goalie in hockey or soccer.

With four players on each side, teams can have various amount of positions on the court, like having two gunners or two handlers.

What are the 2023 Slamball teams?

There are eight teams in the 2023 Slamball season. They are:

  • Gryphons
  • Mob
  • Ozone
  • Rumble
  • Lava
  • Slashers
  • Wrath
  • Buzzsaw

When is the 2023 Slamball season?

The 2023 Slamball season begins on July 21 with the Rumble taking on the Mob at 7 p.m. ET. Regular-season play will run through Aug. 13, with a six-team playoff beginning on Aug. 15 and championship game on Aug. 17.

How to watch 2023 Slamball season

All Slamball games will be broadcasted on the ESPN family of networks, with the first three games broadcasted on ESPN. The rest of the regular season will air on ESPN+ or ESPN2.

The playoff games will air on ESPN+ and the championship game will be on ESPN2.

Slamball lingo

Here are some of the word and phrases you can expect to see while watching Slamball, as well as what they mean, according to the league:

  • Back bailout: Using one's back to bounce from the springbed back to the feet.
  • Backdrop: Using the back to bounce and launch yourself in the air with a ball in hand from the springbed to attempt a shot at the rim.
  • Blender: The act of launching from a springbed to land on one’s back, springing up to score the basket or make an associated play.
  • Boomerang: A 360-degree spin in one direction while simultaneously taking the ball behind your back and back to the front of your body before landing into the springbed or dunking the ball.
  • BTB (behind the back): An aerial position taking the ball around your back before landing into the springbed or scoring the ball.
  • Burner: A backflip in the air before landing into the springbed or scoring the ball.
  • Chaser: Releasing the ball on the bounce in a forward motion to recollect the ball between the first and second bounce to legally allow the player to transfer tramp to tramp.
  • Gainer: A bounce, in which the player leaves the springbed facing forward, and does a back somersault while traveling forward, before landing into the springbed or attempting a shot at the rim.
  • Kill bounce: A skill set in the sport of SlamBall used to stop the bounce in the springbed by quickly bending knees on contact with the tramp, causing a deceleration and dispersal of vertical energy by the tramps.
  • Revolutions: One or more front flip rotations in the air before landing into the springbed or attempting a shot at the rim.
  • Switchblade: An aerial maneuver that involves a front flip and a between-the-legs move upside down or at some point in the flip motion.
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