Elam Ending

The Elam Ending, also known as final target score or winning score, is a rules format for basketball. Unlike traditional basketball rules, in which the game is played with four timed quarters, teams end the game by playing to a target score. The game is played in its traditional format up until a certain point (for example, until the fourth quarter or the last few minutes of the fourth quarter). Then, the clock is turned off and the teams play to a target score, which is the leading team's score plus a predetermined number of points. A variation used by the NBA G League implements the Elam Ending in games that go into overtime.

While the format has been used for years in many sports (for example, ultimate Frisbee), it is named for Nick Elam, a professor at Ball State University, the Elam Ending was first used by The Basketball Tournament in 2017. The Elam Ending received widespread attention in 2020 when it was chosen as the format for the NBA All-Star Game. It has since been adopted by other leagues, such as the Canadian Elite Basketball League later that year, as well as the NBA G League (which uses it as its overtime format). The organizers of TBT announced that they would adapt the concept for a spin-off soccer tournament in 2023. More recently, the Unrivaled women's 3-on-3 basketball league announced it would adopt the ending for its first season in 2025.