Ayrton Oneill
Six-on-six basketball, or basquette, is a now-archaic variant of basketball that was usually played by women and girls. The game was played with the same rules as regular basketball, with a few exceptions: each team had six players, three forwards and three guards, and only forwards were allowed to shoot the ball. Forwards had to stay in their team's frontcourt, and guards in their team's backcourt. In 1995, the last two girls' 6-on-6 basketball games in America were played, bringing an end to the game.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When did it start? | In 1934, girls started playing a two-court, six-on-six game. |
| When did it end? | In 1993, the last 6-on-6 girls' state basketball tournament was held in Iowa. In 1995, the last two girls 6-on-6 basketball games in America were played in Oklahoma. In 1996, Oklahoma became the last state in the nation to switch to 5-on-5 basketball. |
| Where was it played? | Iowa, Oklahoma, and New Jersey |
| Who played it? | Girls and women |
| Rules | Only forwards are allowed to shoot the ball. Forwards must stay in their team's frontcourt, and guards must stay in their team's backcourt. Players are allowed two dribbles. |
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What You'll Learn
Six-on-six basketball was played by girls and women
Six-on-six basketball, or "basquette", is a variation of basketball that is now considered archaic. It was played by girls and women, primarily in parochial schools in small-town Iowa, though it was also played in Oklahoma and New Jersey. The game was first played in 1934, and the last official six-on-six game was played in 1995.
The rules of six-on-six basketball are similar to those of regular basketball, with a few exceptions. Each team has six players – three "forwards" and three "guards". Only forwards are allowed to shoot the ball, and they must stay in their team's frontcourt (the side of the court they shoot from). Guards must stay in their team's backcourt and play defence, rebound, and pass the ball to the forwards. Forwards play only offence. In some forms, unlimited dribbling is not allowed, and players may dribble the ball only twice before they must shoot (if a forward) or pass to a teammate.
Six-on-six basketball was extremely popular in Iowa, where it was played in small towns and rural communities. The game was so popular that people would drive from different towns to watch the girls' games, and the teams had the support of their entire communities. The sport was also a way for girls and women to challenge gender norms and prove their physical strength.
Despite its popularity, six-on-six basketball faced resistance from some quarters. In 1925, a group of administrators at the Iowa State Teachers' Convention in Des Moines voted to end girls' basketball, deeming it too rough for girls to play. However, a group of school administrators, mostly from small schools, pushed back and formed the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) to support girls' basketball.
Today, nearly all women's basketball leagues (professional, college, and high school) play by the same basic five-on-five rules as men, with only minor differences such as the size of the ball and the distance of the three-point line. However, the six-on-six variant is still played recreationally by some women aged 50 and older in the Granny Basketball League, which was formed in Iowa in 2005.
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The game was played in parochial schools in New Jersey
Six-on-six basketball, or basquette, is a now-archaic variant of basketball that was played with six players on each team instead of the standard five. In this version, each team fields three "forwards" and three "guards". Forwards are restricted to their team's frontcourt and are the only players allowed to shoot, while guards are restricted to the backcourt and play defence.
In the United States, the last major bodies to abandon the six-on-six variant were the high school state athletic organisations of Iowa and Oklahoma. In Iowa, six-on-six basketball was played in small towns and rural communities, with teams from towns like Garnavillo, Gladbrook, and Wellsburg. The sport was so popular that people would drive from different towns to watch the girls' games, and the whole community would get behind their teams. In 1925, a group of administrators at the Iowa State Teachers' Convention voted to end girls' basketball, but a group of school administrators pushed back, forming the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU). The IGHSAU is still the only girls' high school athletic union in the country.
In 1934, the rules of six-on-six basketball were formalised, with each team's players divided into forwards and guards on either side of a centre line that neither team could cross. In addition to the player restrictions, there were also rules limiting dribbling to two dribbles per player and a three-second possession rule.
In New Jersey, six-on-six basketball was played in parochial schools until 1975, with some rule variations. Two players were restricted to offence, two to defence, and two were able to move freely. The offence and defence players could not move beyond their respective midcourts, and the best athletes often played both ends of the court.
Today, nearly all women's basketball leagues play by the same basic five-on-five rules as men, with only minor differences such as the size of the ball and the distance of the three-point line. However, six-on-six basketball is still played recreationally by women aged 50 and older in the Granny Basketball League, which was formed in Iowa in 2005 and now has teams in nine states.
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The last 6-on-6 girls' state basketball tournament was in 1993
Six-on-six basketball, or basquette, is a variation of the game that is now considered archaic. It is usually played by women and girls and is played with the same rules as regular basketball, with a few exceptions. Teams have six players each, with three "forwards" and three "guards". Only forwards are allowed to shoot the ball, and they must stay in their team's frontcourt (the side of the court they shoot from). Guards must stay in their team's backcourt and play defence. For example, Team A's forwards would be on the left side of the court, with Team B's guards on defence. In some forms of the game, unlimited dribbling is not allowed, and players may dribble the ball only twice before they must shoot or pass to a teammate.
Six-on-six basketball was first played in Iowa in the early 1900s, and the first unsanctioned state tournament was held in 1920. The sport was particularly popular in small towns in Iowa, where communities rallied behind their daughters, and school leaders fought for girls' equality. In 1925, a group of administrators at the Iowa State Teachers' Convention voted to end girls' basketball, but they were met with resistance from school superintendents and principals, who formed the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) to protect girls' basketball.
In the late 1960s, the sport helped create a folk-hero hoopster in Denise Long, who grew up in a small town in central Iowa. She played basketball for three to four hours a day and honed her skills by playing with boys. In 1968, she played in the Iowa girls' state high school championship game, where Union-Whitten beat Everly 113-107 in overtime. Long scored 64 points, and her teammate Jeanette Olson scored 76.
The last 6-on-six girls' state basketball tournament was in 1993, in Des Moines, between Hubbard-Radcliffe High School and Atlantic High School. It was the last official high school six-on-six game played in Iowa. The game was a sell-out, with people coming from far and wide to watch. The decision to end six-on-six basketball was made at a girls' union board meeting on February 3, 1993, where it was revealed that nearly all schools planned to switch to five-on-five within two years.
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The format is currently used by the Granny Basketball League
Six-on-six basketball, or basquette, is a variant of basketball that is usually played by women and girls. The rules are the same as in regular basketball, with a few exceptions. Each team has six players, three "forwards" and three "guards". Only forwards are allowed to shoot the ball and they must stay in their team's frontcourt (the side of the court they shoot from). Guards must stay in their team's backcourt and play defence, rebound and pass the ball to the forward court. In some forms, unlimited dribbling is not allowed, and players can only dribble the ball up to two times.
The Granny Basketball League, founded in 2005, consists of women aged 50 and older who play six-on-six basketball. The league currently has over 500 players in 10 states, with more joining every year. The players wear 1920s-style uniforms, including pinny jerseys with a big bow tied in front. The Cedar Rapids Sizzlers are three-time national champions.
Six-on-six basketball was first played in 1934 by girls in Iowa high schools. It was played primarily in parochial schools, with powerhouse teams including Mother Seton, Paramus Catholic, and St. Vincent's Academy. The sport was so popular that people would drive from different towns to watch the girls' games. In 1958, the Office of Civil Rights began looking at banning six-on-six high school girls' basketball, but it took 37 years to phase it out completely. The last major sanctioning bodies to abandon the six-on-six variant were the high school state athletic organizations of Iowa and Oklahoma.
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) was formed in 1925 when a group of school administrators broke away from the boys' association to support girls' basketball. The IGHSAU is now the only girls' high school athletic union in the country.
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The game was played with three forwards and three guards
Six-on-six basketball, or "basquette", is a variation of basketball that is now considered archaic. It was played with three forwards and three guards, with each group of three players confined to one half of the court. The forwards were the only players allowed to shoot, and they were only allowed to do so from their team's frontcourt (the side of the court they shoot from). The guards played defence, rebounded, and passed the ball to the forward court.
In this variant, the court was split in half, like two three-on-three games. Neither the forwards nor the guards were allowed to cross the centre line. After a basket was made, a referee would bring the ball up the floor and pass it to a forward at midcourt.
The six-on-six variant was played primarily by women and girls. It was especially popular in Iowa, where it was played in small towns and rural communities. In 1925, a group of administrators at the Iowa State Teachers' Convention voted to end girls' basketball, but a group of school administrators, mostly from small schools, stood up for the girls' right to play. They formed the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU), which still exists today as the only girls' high school athletic union in the country.
In 1934, the rules of the game evolved to include the two-court, six-on-six format, with three forwards and three guards. This format was also played in New Jersey until 1975, although with some variations. In the 1960s and early 1970s, powerhouse teams included Mother Seton, Paramus Catholic, and St. Vincent's Academy. The 1968 Iowa state championship game between Union-Whitten and Everly is considered the greatest six-on-six game ever played, with Union-Whitten winning 113-107 in overtime.
By the 1990s, six-on-six basketball was being phased out in favour of the five-on-five format. Oklahoma was the last state to make the switch, going strictly five-on-five in 1996. Today, nearly all women's basketball leagues play by the same basic five-on-five rules as men, with only minor differences.
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Frequently asked questions
Six-on-six basketball, or basquette, is a now-archaic variant of basketball, usually played by women and girls. The game was first played in Oklahoma in 1918, and in Iowa in the early 1900s. In 1934, girls started playing a two-court, six-on-six game that put three forwards and three guards on each side of a centre line neither were allowed to cross.
In 1958, the Office of Civil Rights started looking at banning six-on-six high school girls' basketball. It took 37 years to phase it out. In 1993, Hubbard-Radcliffe was the final 6-on-six state champion in Iowa. In 1995, the last two girls' 6-on-6 basketball games in America were played in Oklahoma. Oklahoma was the last state in the nation to play 6-on-6 basketball and went strictly 5-on-5 in 1996.
Six-on-six basketball was played in parochial schools in Iowa and Oklahoma. In the 1960s and early '70s, powerhouse teams included Mother Seton, Paramus Catholic, and Benedictine Academy.
