Know ball. A to Z.
How to play BALL26.
Name one NBA player for each letter. One board a day, same letters for everyone.
Your first run is free. No account needed.
Try it
One letter. Three taps.
Tap the card to play through a letter.
The daily
One board. Show what you know.
The whole decision
Guess or skip?
Guess
−1 life if wrongStreak survivesBacking yourself is the aggressive play.
Skip
No life lostStreak resetsThe safe play, and it isn’t free.
Late in a run with a 5-streak going, a skip can cost more than a wrong answer.
How a letter is scored
Go deep. Go fast. Keep it rolling.
10 × Rarity × Speed × Streak × Bonus
Same letter. Two answers.
LeBron James
=11pts
Tap Deep cut to see the same letter answered deeper and faster.
Rarity · up to 5×
The biggest lever in the game. L doesn’t have to be LeBron.
Speed · up to 1.5×
You get 24 seconds. Hesitation is the most expensive habit in the game.
Streak · up to 2×
Correct answers in a row.
Skips and timeouts reset it. A wrong answer doesn’t, and neither does an Assist.
Your NBA DNA
Your answers. Your basketball identity.
Every player you name from memory tells us something: the team, the era, the letter.
Courts
Know your team. Hold the court.
Every team and every era has a court. Name a player from it and you’re on it. Keep naming them and you move up.
Crowns
Bronze
Silver
Gold
KingKing of the Court: most names on a court holds it. Go seven days without adding and the crown is up for grabs.
Trophy case
Name enough. Earn the badge.
Name enough players from the same place and it becomes a badge. 260+ of them. Assisted answers don’t count.
Pro team
College
EraScores and perfect runs need a claimed account. The gaps aren’t failures, they’re the next thing to go get.
The Film Session
The morning after you play: your run letter by letter, and the deepest cuts you could have played.
Open Gym
No clock, no lives, unlimited help. Assisted names don’t count toward your trophy case or DNA. Find it in the menu.
Name an NBA player whose first or last name starts with the letter.
LettersSame board for everyone. New one at midnight.
ClockStarts the moment the letter appears.
LivesWrong answer −1. Skips and timeouts are free.
AssistsUnlocks at 12s. Half points, no bonus, streak holds.
RunsUp to 3 a day. Your best one counts.
CupTop of the board at close takes it.
TyposNear-misses count. No NEXT button.
The Equalizer. The run names the theme, never the players.
2–5×Theme days: Lakers Day, Duke Day, MVP Day.
No capEvery player who fits gets the multiplier.
FreshSome days pay for names you’ve never played.
2× maxFreshness on a day that also has a theme.
0No bonus on assisted answers.
Every outcome, from best to worst.
1Correct, fast. Everything stacks.
2Near-miss. Full points, no life lost.
3Assist. Half points (min 10), no bonus, streak holds.
4Skip. No points, streak gone.
5Timeout. Same as a skip.
6Return letter. Half points.
7Wrong. −1 life, streak survives.
Penalty Mode takes over. You always finish the board.
10 ptsFlat score for every answer, even a Deep Cut.
HelpA well-known player is offered a few seconds in.
OffNo streak, speed or rarity bonus.
Every team and era has a court. Name its players to hold it.
JoinName one of its players for the first time.
GrowEvery run adds. Your count never resets.
ShowTop courts on your post-game and profile.
CrownBronze, silver, gold. Go deeper.
Name an NBA player whose first or last name starts with the letter.
LettersSame board for everyone. New one at midnight.
ClockStarts the moment the letter appears.
LivesWrong answer −1. Skips and timeouts are free.
AssistsUnlocks at 12s. Half points, no bonus, streak holds.
RunsUp to 3 a day. Your best one counts.
CupTop of the board at close takes it.
TyposNear-misses count. No NEXT button.
Penalty Mode takes over. You always finish the board.
10 ptsFlat score for every answer, even a Deep Cut.
HelpA well-known player is offered a few seconds in.
OffNo streak, speed or rarity bonus.
Every team and era has a court. Name its players to hold it.
JoinName one of its players for the first time.
GrowEvery run adds. Your count never resets.
ShowTop courts on your post-game and profile.
CrownBronze, silver, gold. Go deeper.
The Equalizer. The run names the theme, never the players.
2–5×Theme days: Lakers Day, Duke Day, MVP Day.
No capEvery player who fits gets the multiplier.
FreshSome days pay for names you’ve never played.
2× maxFreshness on a day that also has a theme.
0No bonus on assisted answers.
Every outcome, from best to worst.
1Correct, fast. Everything stacks.
2Near-miss. Full points, no life lost.
3Assist. Half points (min 10), no bonus, streak holds.
4Skip. No points, streak gone.
5Timeout. Same as a skip.
6Return letter. Half points.
7Wrong. −1 life, streak survives.
Ready to show you know ball?
Play BALL26Three runs a day. Your best one goes on the board.
Ball26 is an independent basketball fan game and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NBA.