Section 1: Introduction
The office classic turned competitive. Trash Can Basketball takes the universal experience of tossing crumpled paper into a bin and adds structured rules, point values, and a sudden death shootout.
Section 2: Equipment
The following equipment is needed:
Section 3: Playing Area
This sport is typically played indoors.
Section 4: Players & Officials
This sport is played with 1 to 5 players.
Section 5: Rules of Play
2–10 players each get 5 throws per round using crumpled paper balls into a trash can 3–5m away. Clean swish=3pts, bank shot/rimmer=2pts, standard make=1pt. Highest score after 5 rounds wins; ties go to sudden-death throws from double distance.
Key Terms
- Swish: Direct throw with no rim contact
- Bank Shot: Bounces off rim/wall before entering
- Rimmer: Circles the rim before falling in
- Sudden Death: Tiebreaker from double distance
Section 6: Scoring
Each player receives 5 throws per round, tossing a crumpled paper ball into the trash can from a distance of 3 to 5 meters. Every made throw scores according to how it enters the can.
A clean swish, a direct throw that enters with no rim contact, is worth 3 points. A bank shot, which bounces off the rim or wall before entering, and a rimmer, which circles the rim before falling in, are each worth 2 points. Any other standard make is worth 1 point.
Play continues for 5 rounds, and the player with the highest total score after 5 rounds wins. If players are tied after 5 rounds, the tie is settled by sudden death throws taken from double the playing distance, with the tiebreaker continuing until one player makes and the other misses.
Editors’ draft. Drafted from the creator’s summary — if anything reads wrong, propose a rule change and help pin it down.
Section 7: Violations & Penalties
All throws must be released from the agreed throwing distance of 3 to 5 meters. A throw released from closer than the agreed distance does not count and is not rethrown; the throw is simply lost from that player's 5 for the round.
A player may not take more than 5 throws in a round. Any extra throw is void and scores nothing, regardless of whether it enters the trash can.
Only a crumpled paper ball may be thrown, and the trash can may not be moved, tilted, or touched while a throw is in the air. A make achieved by interfering with the can does not score.
Whether a made throw counts as a swish, bank shot, rimmer, or standard make is judged by the group, and disputed throws are resolved by group agreement before the next throw is taken. During sudden death, the same violations apply from the double distance.
Editors’ draft. Drafted from the creator’s summary — if anything reads wrong, propose a rule change and help pin it down.
Section 8: Safety Considerations
Players should exercise appropriate caution and play responsibly. Ensure the playing area is safe and free from hazards.
