There's a better way to end basketball games — and a Canadian league is trying it
The Elam Ending is coming to the CEBL's return tournament
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The Elam Ending is catching on
Basketball is a great sport. But it has a major flaw. The part of a game that should be the most exciting — the ending — can often be the most tedious. This stems from the fact that it's really hard to take the ball away from the team that has it. So when the clock is running low and a team is trailing by more than a basket, its only real recourse in preventing its opponents from bleeding out the clock is to intentionally foul them. That stops the time and gives the fouling team the ball back when the free throw(s) are done. It gives them a chance to win when they probably don't deserve one. It also pins the outcome of the game on free-throw shooting — probably the least-exciting aspect of a sport filled with jaw-dropping displays of athleticism.
If Dr. James Naismith had known the inheritors of his wonderful creation would discover this loophole, he probably would have written a different way to finish games into his original rules. That's the premise behind the Elam Ending, an ingenious system for deciding basketball games that closes that loophole. It's the brainchild of a basketball-loving American university professor named Nick Elam.
Here's how it works: Rather than playing for a set amount of time (48 minutes in the NBA, for example), teams play until one of them reaches a target score. The clock is still used for most of the game, but at the first stoppage in play with under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, it's turned off. The target score is determined by adding seven points to the leading team's score.
For example: The ball goes out of bounds with 3:57 left and the Raptors leading the Warriors 100-95. The teams now play to 107. So the Raptors need 7 points to win the game, and the Warriors need 12. And, no, you don't have to hit the score exactly. If the Raptors are at 105 and they hit a three-pointer, they still win.
Other than the game clock being off, the normal rules of basketball apply. There's still a shot clock, fouls are still called, etc. But now the leading team can't bleed out the clock, and the trailing team has no reason to intentionally foul them. The only way to get the ball back is with a defensive stop. The only way to win the game is by sinking a basket. There are no shortcuts.
And therein lies the beauty of the Elam Ending: every single game ends with a game-winning shot. Critics point out that this shot could be a free throw. But that's OK. Sure, you'd like to see it decided with a huge LeBron James dunk or one of those Steph Curry off-the-dribble bombs from the centre-court logo. But imagine the drama of, say, Kyle Lowry stepping to the foul-line late in an NBA Finals game, his Raptors just one point away from the target score. That's a level of excitement we're simply not getting with the late-game free throws we see now.
Another perk of the Elam Ending: you can customize it. At this year's NBA All-Star Game, rather than use the default settings of four minutes left and seven points, they made it the entire fourth quarter and 24 points — a nod to Kobe Bryant's jersey number. The whole thing was a hit with players and fans. Some even suggested the Elam Ending should be used for meaningful games.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League is doing exactly that. For its upcoming Summer Series tournament in St. Catharines, Ont., the CEBL is using a slightly modified version of Nick Elam's template. As the professor suggested, the Elam Ending will go into effect at the first stoppage after the 4:00 mark of the fourth quarter. But the target will be the leading team's score plus nine (not seven).
You'll be able to see the Elam Ending in action when the seven-team tournament tips off on July 25. CBC Sports is live streaming all 26 games for free on its website and app and on the CBC Gem streaming service. Seven games will also be broadcast on the CBC TV network, including the championship game on Aug. 9. Read more about the Elam Ending and how and why the CEBL is deploying it in this piece by CBC Sports' Myles Dichter.
WATCH | What is the Elam Ending?
Quickly...
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And finally...
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