At London 2012, both the men’s and women’s Basketball competitions will begin with a preliminary stage. The 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six and each team will play every other in their group. Teams receive two points for a win, and one for a loss (although they receive no points for losing by forfeiting the game).
The best four teams from each group during the preliminaries will qualify for the knockout stage, with the winners of the semi-finals going head-to-head in the gold medal game.
In the event of a tie at the end of any game, teams play extra periods of five minutes until the tie is broken.
For a complete set of rules, please refer to the website of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the governing body for the sport.
Find out more about the Men's Basketball and Women's Basketball competitions at the Olympic Games on the International Olympic Committee website.
