Out To Launch

A fun 2-person activity invented by this website is the game of 200. All you need is an entire basketball court, 2 players, and a basketball. And a commitment to throwing the ball a long way repeatedly. The game was inspired by Super Nintendo's NBA Jam, where at the end of each quarter the computer (if in possession of the ball), would fire up a last-second shot. If the player was on the opposite half of the court, a windmill-motion underhand shot would be fired on goal.

After tiring of competitive basketball one day at the park, this website and it's friend started shooting this variety of shot, 3/4-court style. Eventually a scoring system was developed. Here's how to play, yo.

The two players position themselves at opposite ends of the full court. Turns are taken shooting at the opposite hoop. Every shot must be fired from behind the opposite free-throw line. While technically one could shoot overhand, this is not recommended as it puts a great deal of strain on the arm. Turns out NBA Jam had the right idea on that one.

If your shot misses the entire structure, it becomes your opponent's turn. If your shot hits any part of the backboard structure, including support post, 1 point is awarded, and it is then the opponent's turn. If the shot goes in the basket, 100 points are awarded, then possession goes to your opponent. Perhaps the most rewarding play in 200 is if the shot hits the structure and bounces back to your side of the court (at least to your side of half court). This scoring play is known as a "Right Back." For a Right Back, 10 points are awarded and possession is retained by the shooter. As one may have guessed, play continues until one player reaches 200 points (one is not required to hit 200 exactly). Depending on skill level, games can take anywhere between 5 minutes and 1 1/2 hours.