Indianapolis, IN.

The American Basketball Association (ABA) today announced FIRST TO 50, a major change to basketball designed to meet the needs of a dynamic new America where TIME is the major consideration. “Pro football, baseball, hockey, soccer are measured in quarters, halves, innings and periods, none are measured in scores,” stated ABA Co-Founder Joe Newman. “None are measured in making every minute count, none take into consideration “time,” fans’ most precious resource. Today, people are on the move, active, shorter time spans – an era of Iphones, Ipads, emails, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, the digital age.”

FIRST TO 50 changes the game of basketball from quarters and halves to SCORES; same exciting basketball with a variety of new rules to speed up the game as make it more in line with today’s fans, and equally important, the digital world.

FIRST TO 50 is exactly what the name implies; the first team to 50 points, winning by two, wins the game. FIRST TO 50 will take about one hour to play and will feature exciting new rules that will speed up the game and make it interesting from the first jump ball to the last shot.

“Think about it,” added Newman. “From the Model T Ford to today’s all electric, self-driving cars, from Alexander Graham Bell to today’s Iphone, IPads; from black and white movies to IMAX; from kalidascopes to virtual reality; from Kitty Hawk to the exploration of space; from the Pony Express to the internet. Change, initiative, creative, bold, forward thinking has become the signature of America…from the orange basketball to the red, white and blue ball, from skyhooks to slam dunks, from a peach basket to the NBA, from English Rugby to the NFL, from outdoor football and soccer to arena football and indoor soccer, things are always evolving, getting better – and that’s the way we see FIRST TO 50. Afterall, NASCAR and Indy Car race to the finish line; golf and tennis are measured in scores, not time -and it’s about time that basketball had a game of its own – and now it does, FIRST TO 50.”

The ABA will be testing the concept this summer in a series of exhibition games and tournament games. The regular ABA game, the most exciting in all of basketball will remain the same. But this will give an alternative and is definitely a “made for TV” product. New rules will be announced shortly.

For more information, visit www.americanbasketballassociation.org, www.abaliveaction.com or contact Joe Newman at [email protected].

Thanks,

Joe Newman