Basketball_at_the_1956_Summer_Olympics
Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Olympic Summer Games competition
Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport of basketball as an official Olympic medal event. Fifteen nations, an unusually low number for the basketball tournament, competed in the event, with 174 participants. A total number of 56 games of basketball were played.
Quick Facts 4th Olympic Basketball Tournament, Tournament details ...
| 4th Olympic Basketball Tournament | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne 1956 | |||||||||
| Tournament details | |||||||||
| Olympics | 1956 Summer Olympics | ||||||||
| Host nation | Australia | ||||||||
| City | Melbourne | ||||||||
| Duration | November 22 – December 1 | ||||||||
| Men's tournament | |||||||||
| Teams | 15 | ||||||||
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| Tournaments | |||||||||
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The teams were divided into four pools, with four teams in three of the pools and only three in the fourth. Every team played against each other team in its pool once. The top two teams from each pool advanced to the quarterfinals, where again they were split into pools of four. Teams again played every other team in their pool, with the top two in each advancing to the semifinal and the bottom two entering a pool for 5th through 8th places. Eliminated teams also played in consolation matches with the same structure as the quarterfinals and finals, but for 9th through 15th places. The games were held at the Royal Exhibition Building.
| Outright qualifier, World Champion | |
| Outright qualifier, World Runner-up | |
| Outright qualifier, World Bronze medalists | |
| Host nation |
More information Teams Participating by Region, Americas ...
| Teams Participating by Region | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Americas | Europe | Asia | Africa | Oceania |
 United States |
 Soviet Union |
 Philippines |
No team participated |  Australia |
 Uruguay |
 France |
 Japan |
— | |
 Brazil |
 Canada |
 South Korea | ||
 Chile |
 Bulgaria |
 Singapore | ||
| — | — |  Republic of China | ||
 Thailand | ||||
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For the team rosters see: Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's team rosters.
Group A
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States |
3 | 3 | 0 | 320 | 122 | +198 | 6 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 |  Philippines |
3 | 2 | 1 | 224 | 237 | −13 | 5 | |
| 3 | Japan |
3 | 1 | 2 | 171 | 225 | −54 | 4 | 9th–15th classification round |
| 4 |  Thailand |
3 | 0 | 3 | 134 | 265 | −131 | 3 |
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Source: FIBA archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Group B
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  France |
3 | 3 | 0 | 236 | 183 | +53 | 6 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 |  Soviet Union |
3 | 2 | 1 | 255 | 177 | +78 | 5 | |
| 3 |  Canada |
3 | 1 | 2 | 206 | 234 | −28 | 4 | 9th–15th classification round |
| 4 |  Singapore |
3 | 0 | 3 | 154 | 257 | −103 | 3 |
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Source: FIBA archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Group C
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Uruguay |
3 | 3 | 0 | 238 | 187 | +51 | 6 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 |  Bulgaria |
3 | 2 | 1 | 242 | 199 | +43 | 5 | |
| 3 |  Formosa |
3 | 1 | 2 | 216 | 249 | −33 | 4 | 9th–15th classification round |
| 4 |  South Korea |
3 | 0 | 3 | 194 | 255 | −61 | 3 |
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Source: FIBA archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Group D
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil |
2 | 2 | 0 | 167 | 125 | +42 | 4 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 |  Chile |
2 | 1 | 1 | 137 | 134 | +3 | 3 | |
| 3 |  Australia (H) |
2 | 0 | 2 | 122 | 167 | −45 | 2 | 9th–15th classification round |
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Source: FIBA archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
(H) Hosts
Group 1
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Formosa |
3 | 3 | 0 | 218 | 189 | +29 | 6 | 9th–12th classification playoffs |
| 2 | Australia (H) |
3 | 2 | 1 | 258 | 208 | +50 | 5 | |
| 3 | Singapore |
3 | 1 | 2 | 200 | 215 | −15 | 4 | 13th–16th classification playoffs |
| 4 | Thailand |
3 | 0 | 3 | 150 | 214 | −64 | 3 |
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Source: FIBA archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
(H) Hosts
Group 2
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada |
2 | 2 | 0 | 147 | 123 | +24 | 4 | 9th–12th classification playoffs |
| 2 |  Japan |
2 | 1 | 1 | 143 | 140 | +3 | 3 | |
| 3 | South Korea |
2 | 0 | 2 | 130 | 157 | −27 | 2 | 13th–16th classification playoffs |
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Source: FIBA archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Classification 13–15
| Classification Semifinals | 13th-place match | |||||
| 1 December | ||||||
| Thailand | 47 | |||||
| 1 December | ||||||
| South Korea | 61 | |||||
| South Korea | 79 | |||||
| Singapore | 92 | |||||
- Thailand was named as the final placers of the games because of their loss to the Koreans.
Classification 9–12
| Classification Semifinals | Ninth-place match | |||||
| 1 December | ||||||
| Formosa | 61 | |||||
| 1 December | ||||||
| Japan | 82 | |||||
| Japan | 60 | |||||
| 1 December | ||||||
 Canada | 75 | |||||
| Australia | 38 | |||||
| Canada | 83 | |||||
| Eleventh-place match | ||||||
| 1 December | ||||||
| Formosa | 87 | |||||
| Australia | 70 | |||||
| Advance to the semifinals | |
| Relegated to the 5th-8th classification |
Group A
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France |
3 | 2 | 1 | 195 | 187 | +8 | 5[lower-alpha 1] | Semifinals |
| 2 | Uruguay |
3 | 2 | 1 | 221 | 209 | +12 | 5[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 3 | Chile |
3 | 1 | 2 | 221 | 220 | +1 | 4[lower-alpha 2] | 5th–8th classification playoffs |
| 4 | Philippines |
3 | 1 | 2 | 204 | 225 | −21 | 4[lower-alpha 2] |
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Source: FIBA archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Notes:
Group B
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States |
3 | 3 | 0 | 283 | 150 | +133 | 6 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Soviet Union |
3 | 2 | 1 | 208 | 209 | −1 | 5 | |
| 3 | Bulgaria |
3 | 1 | 2 | 182 | 224 | −42 | 4 | 5th–8th classification playoffs |
| 4 | Brazil |
3 | 0 | 3 | 192 | 282 | −90 | 3 |
Close
Source: FIBA archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal average; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.
Classification 5–8
| Classification Semifinals | 5th-place game | |||||
| Chile | 64 | |||||
| Brazil | 89 | |||||
| Brazil | 52 | |||||
| Bulgaria | 64 | |||||
| Philippines | 70 | |||||
| Bulgaria | 80 | |||||
| 7th-place game | ||||||
| Chile | 68 | |||||
| Philippines | 75 | |||||
Classification Semifinals
30 November 15:00 |
| Chile |
64–89 | Brazil |
| Scoring by half: 33–55, 31–34 | ||
| Pts: Ostoic 13 | Pts: dos Santos 27 | |
30 November 16:30 |
| Philippines |
70–80 | Bulgaria |
| Scoring by half: 43–50, 27–30 | ||
| Pts: Badion 27 | Pts: Radev 21 | |
Seventh-place match
Fifth-place match
| Semi-finals | Gold-medal match | |||||
| 30 November | ||||||
| (A2) Uruguay | 38 | |||||
| 1 December | ||||||
| (B1) United States | 101 | |||||
| (B1) United States | 89 | |||||
| 30 November | ||||||
| (B2) Soviet Union | 55 | |||||
| (A1) France | 49 | |||||
| (B2) Soviet Union | 56 | |||||
| Bronze-medal match | ||||||
| 1 December | ||||||
| (A2) Uruguay | 71 | |||||
| (A1) France | 62 | |||||
Semifinals
30 November 20:00 |
| France |
49–56 | Soviet Union |
| Scoring by half: 19–25, 30–31 | ||
| Pts: Antoine 12 | Pts: Krūmiņš 27 | |
Bronze-medal match
Final
1 December 21:30 |
| Soviet Union |
55–89 | United States |
| Scoring by half: 27–56, 28–33 | ||
| Pts: Semyonov 15 | Pts: Jeangerard 16 | |
More information 1956 Olympic Basketball champions ...
| 1956 Olympic Basketball champions |
|---|
 United States Fourth title |
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More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
 |  United States | 8−0 |
 | Soviet Union | 5−3 |
 | Uruguay | 6−2 |
| 4th | France | 5−3 |
| 5th | Bulgaria | 5−3 |
| 6th |  Brazil | 3−4 |
| 7th | Philippines | 4−4 |
| 8th | Chile | 2–5 |
| 9th | Canada | 5–2 |
| 10th | Japan | 3–4 |
| 11th | Formosa | 5−3 |
| 12th | Australia | 2–5 |
| 13th | Singapore | 2–5 |
| 14th | South Korea | 1–6 |
| 15th | Thailand | 0–7 |
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