User Guide
Blindfold Basketball is a fully accessible basketball game, for both sighted and visually impaired people, designed for rapid audio play.
You control this game using iPhone movements and gestures.
You don’t need headphones or earbuds to play this game.
In this game, you will dribble the basketball, and shoot it at the basket, but let’s first get familiar with the basketball court.
The game of basketball is based on bouncing the basketball (called dribbling) as you move around the court, and then shooting it so that it lands in a basket located 10 feet above the ground.
The basket, or hoop, is attached to a wooden backboard at the top of a 10 foot pole.
Some players shoot the ball directly into the basket, others bounce the ball off of the backboard, so that the ball falls in the basket.
Some players can jump so high, they can dunk the ball directly into the basket.
You won’t have to jump that high when you play this game.
In the real game of basketball, the court has a basket on either side of the court,
one basket for one team, the other basket for the other team, and players try to sink the ball in their basket.
If a player drops his ball, a player from the opposing team will try to take it, run to the opposite end of the court, and sink it into their basket.
Halfway between the baskets, spanning right to left, is the middle of the court line.
When you play basketball with just one other person, or when you practice by yourself, you stay on one side of the court, and
run between the basket and the middle.
That’s called playing on a half-court.
Half-court is also used when playing with 3 people on each team.
Full court is used when playing with 5 people per team.
Getting around on the basketball court
In this game, you are playing on a half-court, so the end of the court will be called the back-court line.
The back-court line is just above your home button, and the basket is at the top of the phone, if you were holding the phone in portrait mode, vertically.
When you play this game, the phone will be flat in your hand, with the screen facing the ceiling.
When you start the game, you are positioned in the center of the back-court line.
The basket is 9 steps ahead of you, and the left and right sides of the court are 4 steps away.
While playing basketball, you can move forward, left, right or backwards, and when you stride, you travel five feet in that direction.
Remember, you are a tall basketball player, you have long legs, and a wide stride.
You are always told you position relative to the basket, and the zone of the court you are in.
Going to side to side on the court are left, center and right.
Going from the back-court line to the basket are back court, mid court and front court.
For example, when you are at the back court line at the start of the game, you’ll hear “basket at 12 o’clock, 40 feet away”.
If you are in the middle of the left side of the court, you’ll hear “basket at 1 o’clock, 28 feet away, you are in the left mid court”.
If you are close to the basket, but on the right side of the court, you’ll hear “basket is at 9 o’clock, 20 feet away, you are in the right front court”.
To move around the court, swipe in the direction you want to go.
Aiming and shooting
You must aim your shot before you shoot.
To aim, swipe 2 fingers left and right on the screen, until you hear a ding.
The ding means that, based on your position on the court, the ball line up with the basket.
For example, if you are on the left edge of the court, the basket is at about 10 o’clock from you, you will hear the ding when your fingers are at the left edge of the screen.
If you are in the middle of the court, the basket is at 12 o’clock from you; you will hear the ding when your fingers are in the center of the screen.
Once you hear the ding, pause for a second until you hear a double ding, and then swipe your fingers, or just lift them from the screen.
Lesson #1: Practice Moving and Shooting
In this lesson, you learn how to move around the court, and shoot the ball.
After each shot, you are moved back to the back court line.
Practice moving around on the court, and shooting from different angles before moving to the next lesson.
Lesson #2: Picking up the ball and dribbling
To pick up the ball, double tap the screen.
Each time when you move with the ball, you’ll hear the ball bounce. That’s called dribbling.
If you make a shot, and the ball misses the basket, it will bounce and come to a stop somewhere on the basketball court.
Unlike tennis, there’s no ball-boy or ball-girl to run and fetch the ball for you.
Once the ball comes to a stop, it’s location is announced.
Walk over to the ball, and pick it up by double tapping the screen.
After you picked it up, you must walk back to the back court line before you can make another shot.
You don’t have to dribble the ball when walking back to the back court line.
If your shot was successful, the referee will give the ball to you, instead of you having to fetch it.
This lesson has very considerate referees.
Lesson #3: More types of shots
In addition to the free throw shot that you’ve been making, there are several other shots you can make.
To change your shot, double tap on the screen after you move to the court position you want.
Then swipe left or right through a list of shots, and double tap when you find the shot you want.
Consult the Advanced guide for more info on each shot.
The advanced guide also includes alternative settings for moving around the court and shooting.
For long distances, use a jump shot. For medium distance, use a free throw.
For close distances, use a hook shot. At the basket, use a dunk or post shot.
After your shot, you’ll have to pick up the ball for the next shot.
Sounds
If you are visually impaired and play sports such as Goalball or Beep Baseball, you are probably familiar with the rattle or beep that the ball makes.
There’s a setting to turn on that sound when you dribbe the ball in this game as well.
Games
Games include coaching games and real basketball games.
Please see the Games guide.
Playing For Free – How to use coins
To start a game, you will use one coin.
This game comes with 10 coins, so you can play 10 full games of basketball.
When you run out of coins, you don’t buy more coins; instead you purchase one or more of the games.
For more info, consult the Common Features Guide.
Settings
The SETTINGS screen has several sections. For more info, consult the Common Features Guide.
Advanced User Guide
Types of Shots
The free throw is made when you are halfway between the basket and back court line.
In real basketball, you face the basket, bend your knees and then shoot the ball gracefully at the basket.
A jump shot is for mid- to long-range shots.
In real basketball, you jump up, facing the basket, and in mid-jump, propel the ball in an arc so that it lands in the basket.
A hook shot is for shots close to the basket.
In real basketball, you are perpendicular to the basket, and you gently throw the ball with a sweeping motion of your arm in an upward arc with a follow-through which ends over your head.
A dunk shot is for shots when you are at the basket, and you are a good jumped.
In real basketball, you jump high into the air and throw the ball down into the basket.
A post shot is also for shots when you are at the basket.
In real basketball, your back is to the basket, then jump away from the hoop while leaning back and simultaneously pivoting about 180 degrees to face the basket before you shoot.
Gestures to change your shot
In addition to swiping right and left to pick your shot, you can also draw a one finger gesture on the screen. For example, to select a jump shot, which is useful when you far away from the basket, draw the letter vee. Change the option SELECT SHOT in the SETTINGS screen.
When you have the ball and you double tap, you can draw one of the following shapes. While you are in drawing mode, you will hear a kettle drum.
Once your shot is understood, the kettle drum stops, and you can aim and shoot.
Free throw: draw straight line from the bottom to the top of the screen.
Jump shot: draw the letter vee starting on the left. Draw a line down to the right followed by a line up to the right.
Hook shot: draw an upside down letter vee starting on the left. Draw a line up to the right, followed by a line down to the right.
Dunk shot: draw an upside down letter vee starting on the right. Draw a line up to the left, followed by a line down to the left.
Post shot: draw a circle. Start your circle on the left side of the screen.
Using the phone to move and dribble
Instead of moving by swiping the phone with one finger in the direction you want to go, you can point the phone in that direction and swipe.
Change the option DRIBBLE BY WRIST SNAP in the settings screen. This requires an in-app upgrade.
The first time you play a game,you will be asked to calibrate the phone so the game knows which direction is straight ahead.
To move when you are not holding the ball, aim the phone in the direction you want to move, and then swipe your finger towards the top of the screen.
For example, to move forward, hold the phone in your hand, screen facing the ceiling, like you did when you calibrated it, and swipe towards the top of the screen.
To move left, point the phone to the left, and swipe up.
To move right, point the phone right, and swipe up.
To move diagonally left, point the phone slightly to the left, and swipe up.
To move backwards, point the phone straight ahead, with the screen facing the ceiling, and swipe down towards the home button.
When you are holding the ball, you must dribble to move around the court.
The best way to hold the phone so you can dribble the ball, and move around on the court at the same time, is to cradle the phone in your hand with your palm hovering over the screen.
If you are right handed, your thumb holds the left edge of the phone, and your other fingers wrap around the right edge of the phone, and the base of your hand is at the bottom of the screen.
If you are left handed, your thumb holds the right edge of the phone, and your other fingers wrap around the left edge of the phone, and the base of your hand is at the bottom of the screen.
To dribble, cradle the phone in your hand with the screen facing the ceiling, and snapping your wrist down.
This is similar to the real-world action of dribbling.
Lessons and Games
The lessons teach you how to move around the court, dribble and shoot.
When you practice the lessons, when you hear the ding, your shots will usually make the basket.
When you play for real, you can set the difficulty level of the game.
With easy level, when you hear the ding, your shots will usually make the basket.
With medium or hard level, even if you hear the ding, your shots won’t always make it.
Coaching Games
In the coaching games, coach will call out a court position. You need to move to that position, and take your shot.
There are three games in this set.
The coach will call positions such as left mid court, or right back court or center mid court.
Coach may also call positions directly under the basket, or near the basket (which is one step away from the basket in any direction).
To find out which zones you are in, swipe down with 2 fingers.
The coach will also repeat the shot you must make.
Swiping down with 2 fingers will also repeat the results of your shot.
Move to the position called by the coach, and then take your shot. The coach will call out the next position.
The goal is to earn 10 points to move to the next level, and there are 5 levels in the game.
Each successful shot gives you 2 points, so you need to make 5 good shots per level.
As you move up levels, the basket is a little smaller than the prior level.
You lose the game if you take more than 12 shots in the level.
In the Coach Game: Same shots and positions each level, coach will repeat the shots as you move from level to level.
In the Coach Game: Different shots and position each level, coach will come up with a new combination for each level.
In the Coach Game: Different positions, coach will tell you the position; it’s up to you to figure out the correct shot.
In position-only games like this one, you can select either STRICT or LUCKY in the SETTINGS screen option called Exact shots for position-only games.
If you select LUCKY, and you pick the wrong shot, and you are lucky, sometimes you’ll make the shot.
For example, a hook shot made when you are directly under the basket has about a 50% chance of making it, assuming you aimed correctly.
If you select STRICT, and you pick the wrong shot, the shot won’t make it.
Lesson 4: Other players on the basketball court
In many of the more advanced games, players from the other team will try to block your moves.
To determine where the other players are, keeping the phone screen facing the ceiling, point the phone left and right.
The first time you play this lesson, you will be asked to calibrate the phone so the game knows which direction is straight ahead.
When you point the phone straight ahead, and there’s a player in front of you, you’ll hear the squeaking of sneakers.
When you point the phone to the left, and there’s a player at about 10 o’clock, or directly on your left, or,
when you point the phone to the right, and there’s a player at about 2 o’clock, or directly on your right, you’ll hear sneaker squeaks.
The more squeaks you hear, the closer the play is.
If you hear one squeak, the player is two steps away.
If you hear three squeaks and the phone vibrates, the player is one step away.
Each time you move, you are also told if you are about to run into a player.
If you swipe left, and there’s a player that’s to the left of you, you’ll hear sneaker squeaks.
Likewise, if you move right or straight ahead, and there’s a player in that same direction, you’ll hear sneaker squeaks.
After your shot, you’ll have to pick up the ball for the next shot.
Coaching with Players
Like the Different Shots Each Level, coach will call out your moves, but you must avoid bumping into the players.
When you bump into a player, you lose the ball, and you must pick it up at the back court line.
There are six games in this set.
In Different Shots, Fixed Players, coach will call different shots on each level and the players will be in different positions in each level, but the players don’t move around.
There are 10 players on the court.
That’s more players than real basketball, but they don’t move around at all.
In Different Positions, Fixed Players, is just like the prior game; it’s up to you to figure out the correct shot.
You can use the STRICT or LUCKY options in this game.
In Different Shots, Slow Players, coach will call different shots on each level and the players move around slowly between shots.
There are 10 players on the court, but they don’t move much.
In Different Positions, Slow Players, is just like the prior game, but coach will call different positions; it’s up to you to figure out the correct shot.
Players move around slowly between shots.
You can use the STRICT or LUCKY options in this game.
In Different Shots, Defense Players, coach will call different shots on each level.
Each time you move, one of the players will move towards you and will try to block your shot.
When a player is one step in front of you, he will always block your shot.
There are 5 players on the court, but only one of them will move towards your position each time you move.
In Different Shots, Defense Players, is just like the prior game, but coach will call different positions; it’s up to you to figure out the correct shot.
You can use the STRICT or LUCKY options in this game.