Phygital basketball

Introducing Phygital Basketball

Two teams. Two courts. But there can only be one winner.

Phygital Basketball starts on a console, where teams face off on a virtual court. Then they put the controllers down and play each other again in 2v2 on a real court. The score from both halves counts.

The best gamer doesn't always win and neither does the best athlete – you have to excel in both arenas.

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Phygital Basketball at the Games of the Future 2026

How Phygital Basketball works

There are 16 teams taking part in the competition — split into four groups of four, which are decided by a draw. Teams have to play every other team in their group and the top two teams progress to the next stage.

Teams

Each team has between two and four athletes of all genders and backgrounds. Players must be over 16 to take part.

2 stages

Digital (video game on console) + Physical (basketball 2x2)

Digital Stage

Two players from each team step into the basketball video game, with their in-game characters locked in one hour before play starts. What follows is 10 minutes of intense 2v2 play, until one team reaches 19 points or more. As soon as a team reaches nineteen points, the stage ends immediately. If a team reaches twenty points, that score is locked in. The final score is then carried over to the physical stage.

Physical stage

Two athletes per team step onto the standard court for a 2v2 showdown, carrying over the score from the digital battle. The physical stage runs for seven minutes of "clean time" – meaning the clock stops during dead balls and free throws – or until one team reaches an overall total of 39 points.

How the winner is decided

Scores from both stages are combined and the winner is the team to reach 39 points first. If no team has reached 39 points at the end of the physical stage, the team with the highest combined score at the end of the seven minutes wins the match. If the scores are level after both stages, the match comes down to a free‑throw showdown. Each team takes three alternating shots. If scores are still tied, teams keep shooting until one team scores more than the other with the same number of attempts. Every eligible player must step up before anyone gets a second chance.