North Korea's 1990s basketball experiment introduced bizarre scoring rules

In October 1996, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il mandated the expansion of basketball across educational and military institutions, later publishing a manifesto titled “We Must Put Efforts to Developing Basketball.” The campaign forced high schools, military squads, and local governments to establish teams and construct facilities, including gymnasiums at military academies. From this effort emerged an independent rule book aimed at showcasing the country's independence and popularizing the game.

The scoring system awarded three points for a dunk, four points for a clean three-pointer or any shot from beyond a 6.7-meter line—shorter than the NBA’s corner three—while missed free throws and missed dunks each subtracted a point. After eleven turnovers, each additional turnover cost another point, zone defenses were prohibited, and any basket in the final two seconds counted for eight points. The only documented use of these rules was at the Paektu Mountain Prize tournament in February 1997, with possible later use in elite school matches, though no full copy of the rulebook survives.