When is BIG3 2018? Schedule, rosters, rules, how to watch live

The BIG3 basketball league is back in 2018 after a successful inaugural campaign last year.

The league, created by rapper and actor Ice Cube, features eight teams made up mainly of retired NBA players playing 3-on-3 basketball.

MORE: 2018 draft results for all eight BIG3 teams

Last year, Trilogy, led by captain Kenyon Martin and coach Rick Mahorn, completed an undefeated 8-0 season and won the first BIG3 championship over the 3 Headed Monsters and league MVP Rashard Lewis.

In April, the BIG3 and Adidas announced a three-year deal for the company to provide the league with jerseys, fan merchandise and official team apparel.

Below, you'll find everything you need to know about the BIG3 in 2018.

BIG3 schedule

The eight-week BIG3 2018 regular season will begin Friday, June 22, and end Friday, Aug. 10. Four games will be played each week, all on the same night and in the same arena. The top four teams in the final standings will advance to the playoffs; the first round will be played Aug. 17 and the championship game will be played Aug. 24.

Here is the complete schedule for the 2018 BIG3 season (all times local).

Week 1: Friday, June 22, 6:30 p.m.

Toyota Center, Houston

Week 2: Friday, June 29, 7 p.m.

United Center, Chicago

Week 3: Friday, July 6, 7 p.m.

Oracle Arena, Oakland, Calif.

Week 4: Friday, July 13, 6 p.m.

Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

Week 5: Friday, July 20, 7 p.m.

American Airlines Arena, Miami

Week 6: Friday, July 27, 7 p.m.

Air Canada Centre, Toronto

Week 7: Friday, Aug. 3, 7 p.m.

TD Garden, Boston

Week 8: Friday, Aug. 10, 8:30 p.m.

Infinite Energy Arena, Atlanta

Playoffs: Friday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m.

American Airlines Center, Dallas

Championship: Friday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m.

Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.

BIG3 rosters

The BIG3 rosters are composed primarily of retired NBA players. Rosters are made up of six players.

3 Headed Monsters

Coach: Gary Payton

Roster: Rashard Lewis (captain), Reggie Evans, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Kwame Brown, Salim Stoudamire, Qyntel Woods

3's Company

Coach: Michael Cooper

Roster: DerMarr Johnson (captain), Baron Davis, Drew Gooden, Andre Emmett, Jason Maxiell, Derrick Byars

Ball Hogs

Coach: Rick Barry

Roster: Brian Scalabrine (captain), Josh Childress, DeShawn Stevenson, Andre Owens, Corsley Edwards, Jermaine Taylor

Ghost Ballers

Coach: George Gervin

Roster: Mike Bibby (captain), Ricky Davis, Carlos Boozer, Marcus Banks, Lee Nailon, Mario West

Killer 3's

Coach: Charles Oakley

Roster: Chauncey Billups (captain), Stephen Jackson, Metta World Peace, Alan Anderson, Ryan Hollins, Mike James

Power

Coach: Nancy Lieberman

Roster: Corey Maggette (captain), Cuttino Mobley, Glen Davis, Ryan Gomes, Quentin Richardson, Chris Andersen

Tri State

Coach: Julius Erving

Roster: Jermaine O'Neal (captain), Amar'e Stoudemire, Nate Robinson, David Hawkins, Bonzi Wells, Robert Hite

Trilogy

Coach: Rick Mahorn

Roster: Kenyon Martin (captain), Rashad McCants, Al Harrington, James White, Dion Glover, Dahntay Jones

How to watch the BIG3

You can watch all BIG3 games on Fox Sports 1, FoxSportsGo.com and the FoxSportsGo app, and you can also live stream all the action on fuboTV (7-day free trial). 

BIG3 rules

• Games are played on a half court.

• Baskets count for the normal two and three points, with the 3-point line at the same distance as in the NBA.

• There are also three, 4-point zones — circles placed 30 feet from the basket. A player can score four points if his foot is touching any part of the circle. One zone is on the midline of the court; the other two are set up 40 degrees away from the midline.

• The "home" team is decided by a 4-point shootout. The winner inbounds the ball to start the game. 

• The shot clock is 14 seconds.

• Foul shots are worth the number of points corresponding to where the foul occurred. Fouls on 2-pointers are taken from the standard free throw line, 3-point shots from the 3-point line, and 4-point shots from the middle 4-point circle.

• All fouls are team fouls so players can't foul out. After a team's fifth foul of the half, opponents are awarded two, one-point free throws and possession of the ball.

• A team's first technical foul results in the opposing team receiving a two-point free throw and possession. Any additional technical fouls or flagrant fouls will result in two, two-point free throws and possession.

• The first team to score 50 or more points and lead by at least two points, wins.

• Halftime occurs after one team gets to 25 points.

• Teams get two timeouts per half — a 60-second and a 30-second. Unused timeouts don't carry over.

• Substitutions are made by calling a timeout or on a dead ball.

• A referee must touch the ball after a score. The defense gets three seconds to set up, and then the opposing team must take the ball beyond the top out-of-bounds line. A player has five seconds to pass the ball inbounds.

• Defensive rebounds require teams to take the ball out beyond the 3-point line if the ball touches the rim. The ball doesn't have to be cleared on steals or if the ball doesn't touch the rim.

• The defensive rebounder who clears the ball with a pass must clear the lane before his team shoots or a pass hits the rim; otherwise, it's a turnover.

• The normal offensive three-second rule applies, but there is no defensive three-second rule.

• Instant replay can be used to determine 3- and 4-point shots, out-of-bounds calls, flagrant fouls, goaltending, basket interference and clearance.

• All defensive strategies are allowed, including hand-checking.