H.O.R.S.E. (Basketball)·Court Games
H.O.R.S.E. (Basketball)
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Court Games
1–2 players
indoor
ball
10 essential rules
H.O.R.S.E. is a casual basketball shooting game in which players take turns matching tricky or creative shots called by an opposing player. The goal is to avoid being the first player to spell out the word "HORSE" by accumulating five missed-replication letters. The game rewards shot creativity a...
Before play begins, players agree on a shooting order — commonly chosen by coin flip, foul-shot tiebreaker, or alphabetical rotation. The chosen order is maintained throughout the game.
, bank shot, left-handed jump shot, granny shot, hook shot, three-pointer, free-throw). " This declaration prevents post-hoc disputes about whether a successful shot was intentional.
Every subsequent player, in shooting order, must attempt the exact same shot from the same spot, using the same style as called. Each follower has one attempt to replicate the shot; no re-dos are permitted.
No letters are awarded. Leadership passes to the next player in the shooting order, who then chooses a new shot of their own.
Under standard rules, a Leader who makes a shot keeps the Leader role for the next round and calls the next shot. Leadership only rotates on a missed Leader's shot.
P.I.G.: identical mechanics with a 3-letter word — faster game, common for time-limited or younger play.; O.U.T.: 3-letter variant equivalent to P.I.G. with different spelling.; D.O.N.K.E.Y.: 6-letter variant for extended play with many players.
Each follower gets exactly one attempt to replicate the Leader's shot. A premature or fumbled release counts as the attempt; if it does not result in a make, the follower receives a letter.
Dunking is commonly banned in casual and house-rules play, primarily because it cannot be reasonably replicated by all players in a mixed-skill or mixed-age group. Some competitive or All-Star variants permit dunks.
Many house rules prohibit a Leader from calling the exact same shot from the exact same spot in two consecutive rounds. This rule discourages spam-shooting a single high-percentage spot to grind out letters.
If players disagree on whether a follower's attempt matched the Leader's called shot style or location, resolution is by group consensus. In tournament play, a designated scorekeeper or non-participating referee may adjudicate.
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