1956 Olympic Summer Games competition
International basketball tournament
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.
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 .
Qualified Teams
Number of Berths Allocated for the Tournament
Region
Automatic
From the previous World Cup
Berth as Host nation
Total
Europe
4
N/A
N/A
4
Americas
2
2
4
Asia
5
1
6
Africa
No team participated
0
Oceania
N/A
1
1
TOTAL
11
3
1
15
Medalists
Squads
For the team rosters see: Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's team rosters .
Preliminary round
Group A
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
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.
Group B
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
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.
Group C
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
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.
Group D
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
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
Classification 9–15
Group 1
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
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
Group 2
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.
Classification 13–15
Thailand was named as the final placers of the games because of their loss to the Koreans.
Classification 9–12
Quarterfinals
Advance to the semifinals
Relegated to the 5th-8th classification
Group A
Pos
Team
Pld
W
L
PF
PA
PD
Pts
Qualification
1
France
3
2
1
195
187
+8
5[a]
Semifinals
2
Uruguay
3
2
1
221
209
+12
5[a]
3
Chile
3
1
2
221
220
+1
4[b]
5th–8th classification playoffs
4
Philippines
3
1
2
204
225
−21
4[b]
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:
^ a b Head-to-head record: France 1–0 Uruguay
^ a b Head-to-head record: Chile 1–0 Philippines
Group B
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
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.
Classification 5–8
Classification Semifinals
Seventh-place match
Fifth-place match
Final round
Semifinals
Bronze-medal match
Final
Awards
Final rankings
References
Tournaments
Qualifications
Squads
Tournaments
Qualifications