Apply for the .basketball top level domain — FIBA to

Organization taps Minds + Machines to assist with registry services.

FIBA, is an independent association formed by 213 National Basketball Federations, has applied for the .basketball top level domain, the organization disclosed this wee.

FIBA partnered with ROAR Domains, LLC and Top Level Domain Holdings (AIM:TLDH) for the application. TLDH subsidiary Minds + Machines will provide the backend registry services for the domain name ought to FIBA’s application be successful. I suspect the application will be filed as a community application.

So far plans for .Rugby and .Basketball have been disclosed. TLDH is involved with both. I suspect we’ll also see .futbol (or some variant) and .cricket. Maybe .baseball and .golf as well.

This reminds me of an amusing request two years ago from one of the planned applicants for .sport. .Sport Policy Advisory Council wrote:

We cannot accept ICANN approving any applications for top-level domains that could diminish the solidarity implied with .SPORT.

The group suggested that no one ought to be able to apply for a specific sport as a top level domain.

.Sport is a fundamentally flawed idea for a top level domain, as most people associate with a particular sport instead of “sport” in general. I suspect .sport applicants want to offer third level .sport domains, e.g. name.basketball.sport. But registrants will much more likely favor a shorter name.basketball domain.