According to the Herald Sun, North Korea follows most of the traditional basketball rules, but has rolled out its own system for how points get scored. Slam dunks — worth two points in American basketball — are worth three in North Korea, encouraging that country's basketball players to attempt more dramatic plays.

Similarly, shots from the three-point line are worth four points if the basketball doesn't touch the rim as it goes in — a reward for greater accuracy among players. Oddly, though, missing a free throw actually makes your team lose a point... so, if you don't want the fans to erupt in rage, you better not mess that one up.

Finally, and most dramatically, North Korea has completely altered how the game gets scored in the final moments. According to the Herald Sun, a field goal (i.e. any basket besides a free throw) is worth a grand total of eight points when scored in the last three minutes of the game. But Foreign Policy, quoting from Chinese media, reports that this eight-point rule actually applies to field goals scored in the last three seconds of the game.

Which of these is the real North Korean rule — three minutes or three seconds — is unclear. But, regardless, North Korean basketball fans must certainly be on the edge of their seat at the end of every game. If the United States wanted more dramatic sporting events, perhaps it could learn a thing or two from the North Korean scoring system.

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