Okay, so I totally messed this up at first. Wanted a simple scoreboard app for our weekend 3×3 games, right? Figured it should be easy. Pulled up the official rules online thinking, “How hard can this be?” Big mistake.
Tried reading through the official FIBA rules document. My eyes glazed over faster than ice on a hot skillet. Paragraphs on top of paragraphs. Started trying to implement it step by step.
Where I Got Stuck Like an Idiot
- Winning Score: Thought it HAD to be exactly 21 points. Built the app to freeze the score at 21. Then played a game where someone scored inside the arc after hitting 20. App crashed because 20 + 2 = 22. Forgot games can END on 21 OR when time runs out. Total brain fart.
- Points Matter? Where? How? My dumb self assumed 1 point per basket like regular ball. Forgot FIBA says inside the arc = 1 point, outside = 2 points, free throws = 1 point. App was giving everything 1 point. Team hit three shots from outside? My app showed 3 points. They were yelling “We got six!” Had to argue like a clown.
- Free Throws Are Annoying: Someone got fouled shooting outside. Felt very smart remembering: “Ah, two shots!” Got smacked: they get ONE FREE THROW. Because it was behind the arc? Felt like the rules changed mid-game just to spite me. My app only had ‘1 FT’ or ‘2 FT’ buttons. Added a ‘1 FT (Behind Arc Foul)’ button? Still felt stupid.
This nonsense went on for weeks. My buddy Jim brought an actual FIBA scoreboard to the court last Saturday. Looked like something from NASA. Seven buttons just for fouls. Took him ten minutes to figure out how to reset it after a game. We almost scrapped the whole thing and used rocks to count points.
Then it hit me. I was overcomplicating it like a government project. For our street games? All we really need to know is:
- Did the ball go in? Yes? Okay, now…
- Where was the shooter standing? Inside the semi-circle? Press button 1. Outside the semi-circle? Press button 2. Someone fouled them? Press Foul first, THEN the points button.
- What’s the magic number? Did the team that just scored hit 21 EXACTLY? OR did the 10-minute clock run out? If YES to either, game over. Stop pressing buttons.
Simplified the app. Two big buttons: [1 POINT] and [2 POINTS]. One [FOUL] button that just records it (no points). A timer that buzzes when the 10 minutes are up. Score hits 21? Big red WINNER flashes. That’s it. Feels almost too simple after all that suffering. Should have started with rocks. Would’ve been faster.
