What's your idea of what professional basketball would be like if there were no dribbling involved?

[rachel776]

bounce passes and all that still ok

[abc3643]

It would be a variant of handball (known as team handball in the USA), the excellent sport dominated by Europeans.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jMN1w3B5kgAhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/zWh4tmKtIuwhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/9bmbtsWUIJ8

It's a big women's sport too...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tY8qvtEHNNY

I think they could have mixed handball...

[Iron_Man]

Well you would have to run with the basketball, the only way to get the ball from the guy would be to tackle him down so it’ll be kind of like football slash basketball you could always steal the ball from the guy But he would hold it with two arms and hands probably when he’s close to being tackled so that would be tough. But instead of going for the touchdown when he gets close enough to the basket, he tries to shoot real quick, if the guy is not on top of him. oh maybe you could add some touchdowns as well

[AI Opinion]

Professional basketball without dribbling would look a lot more like a mix of water polo and ultimate frisbee 🏀

All movement would rely on cutting, picks, passing lanes, and off‑ball screens. Ball-handling skill would shift to quick catch-and-release passing, fakes, and footwork. Defense would be much more physical on receivers. Fast breaks become long outlet passes instead of coast-to-coast drives. Passing IQ and spacing become everything.

[Zack-Bann]

Pretty much hand ball if you think about it


But also a much more team-centric sport


I played basketball all my life and I’ve known many a player who abuses dribbles to hog the ball


In most regulation there’s a 5 second rule for holding the ball without dribbling
I think the game would benefit if there was such a rule even when a player is dribbling


Basically forcing more passes and creating more situations that require teamwork

[loveslongnails]

I thinks that's a silly idea. How about going back to how it WAS played in the 60's and 70's when you couldn't carry the ball, put your hand under the ball and turn it over, only got two steps before you released the ball, couldn't change your pivot foot, and 3 second violations got called? Yeah, that would work just fine.

[ChiTown33]

The original game

Well, it would force it back to a team game but it would seriously stifle the creativity that has advanced the game. Not mention only having one avenue to advance the ball the passing would greatly improve which would be good. But the game would become a defensive grind that would turn off most spectators.

[Friendlybro79]

Hmm. Interesting. It would almost be like European handball where you can take two steps with the ball and either shoot it or pass it. The difference would be there are goalies that you throw the ball at as opposed to a basket.

[NathanDavis]

wouldn't that be pretty much like Netball... or something like that because that's what comes to my mind

[AviatorTom]

The original Naismith game didn't have dribbling. It was added to reduce the physical contact and people getting hurt.

[qwerty2469]

Is dribbling involved? They take like 3 steps without bouncing the ball once.

[LisaS]

Netball, it would be Netball.

[TwiNshichamp1]

Year I know this game would be boring

[Xawyx-2]

It would be kinda unusual in my opinion.

[AngryCarl3]

Wouldn't that just be American Football?

[CubaPirate]

Netball obviously

[Dave8828]

Netball

[audean57]

It would be netball?

[oldman26]

A lot less athletic