FAQs

How do I make sure I get to play on the same team as my friends?

What are the Rules & Philosophy of
PNW 3-on-3?

Can we have a coach? 

How do we find our schedule?

What if we have a schedule conflict?

Where is the required liability waiver?

What if my child doesn't have a team but wants to play?

Is 3-on-3 good for beginners? 

Can we mix players' graduation years/grades onto one team?

Can we have a co-ed team?

Each team will play two games per day/evening. Games are 20 minutes running time and played on a half court. Games will be scored by a referee. Music will be playing to keep the atmosphere fun and light. We work to build the schedule so your team is done playing both their games within 90 minutes or less. 

While you can request teammates during individual registration, to guarantee playing with your friend, you will need to register as a TEAM. You must have a minimum of 3 players and can have a maximum of 5 players. One player's parent/guardian will complete the online TEAM registration and serve as the team's Primary Contact.

You can find this information in our Rules & Philosophy document. This will also be available on the first league date when your team picks up their shirts.

No coaches. This league is NOT intended to have teams being coached (running plays, yelling instruction, etc.). We allow a parent/guardian to sit with the 1st and 2nd grade teams throughout the entire league to help with subbing and general guidance during dead balls.

3rd and 4th grade teams can have a parent on the bench to help with substitutions ONLY. We ask that you don't coach or shout instructions at your athlete. No parents/guardians will be allowed on or near the players’ bench area. The uniqueness of this league is that kids are allowed to run their own team. If obvious coaching is being done during the games, it should be brought to the attention of the site director.

Schedules will be posted on the league's Schedule Page. We typically post schedules about 5 days prior to the date of play. We do NOT post schedules for the entirety of the league on day one. Schedules come out weekly. This allows us to monitor game scores and make sure teams are playing against the best competition as possible.

If our scheduling work has not begun (generally 6+ days prior to a play date), you can submit a schedule request. 

ONCE THE SCHEDULE IS BEING CREATED OR HAS BEEN POSTED, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ALTER IT. BE SURE TO GET YOUR REQUEST SUBMITTED 6 DAYS IN ADVANCE.

Please print and complete your player's waiver so it is ready to turn in on the first day of play. Copies will be available on site as well. This waiver needs to be completed by the parent/guardian of each player on the team before participating (sub players also need to complete it). 
Once you register, we will send a link to sign the waiver digitally if you prefer that method as well. Digital waiver's will close 1-week before the first day of play. 

While we cannot guarantee placement, we do open our leagues to individual registration and will do our very best to make sure all our players get placed. If we are unable to find a team, you will be fully refunded with no penalty. 

Please note, players who register individually are likely to be placed on a team of 5 players (our max team size). This will reduce playing time for each player on the team. To guarantee your player's participation, and to maximize playing time, we encourage you to find friends/teammates to play with and register as a team. 

*If you have a team, but need a player or two to complete your roster, please email Kadee at hello@pnw3on3.com to let me know you need an extra player.*

Grades 1st - 2nd will play on a 8′ basket.

All others will play on a 10′ basket. 

How tall are the baskets?

What size basketballs will my kids play with?

How long is each game? 

Grades 1st - 2nd ball size 27.5″ (Size 5).

Grades 3rd - 6th ball size 28.5″ (Size 6).

Girls Grades 7th - 8th ball size 28.5" (Size 6)

Boys Grades 7th - 8th ball size 29.5" (Size 7)

Each game is 20 minutes. There is no target score, games will last 20 minutes regardless of points scored. 

While 3-on-3 is a great place for athletes to learn through play, we do ask that our participants have some experience with basketball. If they can dribble in place and while jogging, and if they can shoot the ball to where it's close to the height of their hoop, then they are a good fit for our 3-on-3 program. (*K-2nd grade shoot on 8' hoop, 3rd and above shoot on 10' hoop).

Skills do not need to be perfect and we anticipate athletes will learn on the spot (double dribble, traveling, etc.)

For athletes who are still working on dribbling and hoisting the ball up to the height of their hoop, we recommend starting with a rec league through the local Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, or Sno-King. These programs will give your athletes the opportunity to slow the game down in practice and receive skill-based training in a team setting. 

We support athletes newer to the game in the following ways: 
 
   * We teach the game as it is played. Our refs are trained to teach the game rules as the kids play. Games won't be perfectly called, but our goal is to focus on development and fun.

   * We match experience when scheduling games. We want kids to learn to compete and have fun doing so.  No one wants to get beat in a blow out, and blowing out other teams is no fun either. Kids will have the most fun when they're challenged within a certain range. We will make every effort to match the competition's
experience when scheduling games.

For advanced players, 3-on-3 basketball is a fast, fun, and competitive game that targets specific ways to improve. With fewer players on the floor, there is more space to operate.

It also develops a better understanding for playing with and without the basketball, recognizing different ways to score, faster decision-making, and forces each player to be engaged in the possession (both offensively and defensively). 

We support experienced basketball players in the following ways:

   * We match experience
      when scheduling games.
      We want kids to learn
      to compete and have fun
      doing so. Blowing out other
      teams is no fun and no one
      learns anything. We will
      make efforts to keep games
      as competitive as possible by
      matching the experience of
      teams as close as possible.  
 
   * We focus on universal
      basketball skills (the
      fundamentals). This is one
      of the main reasons we don't
      allow coaches. Our main goal
      is to build each player's
      decision-making ability –
      both in the game and on the
      sideline. Constantly running
      set plays and patterned
      offenses is a sign of over-
      coaching. While these play a
      role in youth basketball, it
      doesn't teach game-level
      universal basketball skills 

In addition, 3-on-3 basketball's numerous benefits make it an ideal playing format for youth players. Learn more about the benefits of 3-on-3 basketball for youth. 

Is 3-on-3 good for experienced players?

Yes. We will likely stick your team in the older grades to begin the league, but this will likely depend on your team's basketball experience. We make every effort to keep the games as competitive as possible, so your team's age division could shift throughout the league. 

Yes. Co-ed teams will be placed in the boys division. We make every effort to keep the games as competitive as possible, so we may shift the division your team plays in throughout the league. 

Can we mix players' graduation years/grades onto one team?

Yes. We will likely stick your team in the older grades to begin the league, but this will likely depend on your team's basketball experience. We make every effort to keep the games as competitive as possible, so your team's age division could shift throughout the league. 

Can we mix players' graduation years/grades onto one team?

Yes. Co-ed teams will be placed in the boys division. We make every effort to keep the games as competitive as possible, so we may shift the age division your team plays in throughout the league.