http://www.cpybl.com/sites/default/files/CPYBL%20Rules%2011-24-17.pdf

THE CINCINNATI PREMIER YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE GENERAL LEAGUE and GAME RULES

Set forth below are the General League and Game Rules for the Cincinnati Premier Youth Basketball League (CPYBL or the “League”). The CPYBL adheres to the rules of basketball as set forth from the OHSAA and the NFHS. Rules specific to the CPYBL are laid out in this rules document. Communities, by entering teams, agree to follow the rules, accept the penalties for noncompliance, and enforce them within their community.

GENERAL LEAGUE RULES PLAYERS

1. NO OHSAA TEAM MEMBERS (OHSAA ELIGIBILITY)

2. Players can play on only one CPYBL team. A player who is found playing on more than one team will be ejected from the league as well as the teams who used the illegal player.

3. Players are only allowed to play for a team within their school district, private school, or community area. Players who violate this rule will be deemed an illegal player, unless they are deemed an approved “nonorganization player.” The limit on non-organization players is expressed in the team section.

4. Players must play in at least 50% of regular season games to be eligible for the end-of-season tournament. Exceptions to this rule due to special circumstances such as injury may be granted by the League.

5. The League has the right to reject any player for any reason.

6. Each and every player must have a signed Liability Wavier submitted to the League before he or she is eligible to play in a CPYBL game. There are no exceptions to this rule. Players who are caught playing without a Liability Wavier will be removed from the team and not be allowed to play for the remainder of the season and the Post Season Tournament.

TEAMS

1. All teams will ideally be formed from one School District, Private School, or community area. The League will accept teams from its member community programs or teams from communities without an organized external program. Any independent teams wishing to play in the League may do so with approval from the League. The League gives right of refusal to the member community where the potential independent team resides.

2. The League has the right to reject any team for any reason.

3. All teams must have “80%” of its players from one Private School, School District, or community area. The “80%”is defined as if you have 10 players you can have 2 players from outside your community, if you have less than 10 players, you can only have one player from outside your community. To play for a team outside of a player’s home School District, the online release process must be executed with the approval of both communities involved and the League. Any player on a team outside of their community without a release will be ejected from the league and the head coach will be ejected from the league. This process must be completed before the first game. Private school students can only play for their school or the organization in their school district where they live. A player with parents that live in multiple districts can only play for the organization in the district where the player attends school. Players from a community without teams in the CPYBL are not eligible to play on a team in the league

4. Team Rosters must be completed and submitted with all required information to the League deadline prior to end of day November 27th. Teams without rosters by December 1 st will be removed from the schedule. Rosters will be audited the first week of December. If the League finds incorrect information, the team will have one day to correct. If noncompliant teams fail to correct, they will be removed from the schedule.

5. For any team in grades 4th -Varsity in any division, the roster maximum is 11.

For 2nd and 3rd grade, the roster maximum is ten (10) to meet the playing time requirement for these grades.

7. League reserves the right to move teams from one level of competition to another.

8. Teams will be placed based on the grade of the players comprising the team. If a team has players from different grades, they will play in the appropriate division of the oldest player/s. Exception to this rule may be made with approval of the League.

9. No player may be added to the roster of a team for any reason after December 31st. Exception to this rule may be made with approval of the League.

10. No team may use “guest” players or any player not listed on their roster. Any game where a nonrostered player participates will be a forfeit. Any team violates this rule more than once will not be eligible for the Post Season Tournament.

DIVISIONS The Cincinnati Premier Youth Basketball League is comprised of three main divisions: Athletic, Recreational and Instructional.

1. Athletic The athletic division is divided into 3 levels: A, B, and C. The Athletic Division will be comprised of Boys and Girls teams in 3rd through 6th grades only. To qualify for an athletic division level, the teams must be formed through a tryout or a formal process that organizes the players by skill level. Larger communities may place multiple teams in a level. For the development of the players, it is important to place the teams in the correct level. Here is a guideline to assist you in making the decision.

A Athletic • Players are the top players from the tryout. • Higher level of basketball experience relative to their grade • Practice multiple times per week. • Usually play in the offseason (AAU, Spring or Summer leagues)

B Athletic • Players are the next highest graded group from a tryout • Moderate level of basketball experience relative to their grade • Practice multiple times per week • May play in the offseason (AAU, Spring or Summer leagues)

C Athletic • Players are the next highest graded group from a tryout • Basic level of basketball experience relative to their grade • Practice at least once a week • May play in the offseason

2. Recreational The recreational division is divided into two divisions: High Recreational and Recreational In grades 2-6, High Recreational and Recreational teams must be formed from a draft process. Exceptions will be made for smaller communities that have one team either in total, in a grade, or of a gender. The intent is to have talent distributed evenly across the recreational teams. Coordinators will certify the creation process. Any team that is moved up and was not formed by a draft will be charged a fee of $50. Any team that is moved from the Recreational division to the Athletic division will be charged the difference in price between Athletic and Recreational. The High Recreational competitive division is for boys and girls comprised of Boys and Girls teams in 4th through Varsity grade. This division is for players who did not make a select or school team and want to play competitive basketball.

The High Recreational division will include a 3rd grade level for those teams that require a more competitive schedule. The Recreational division is for players who want to play but not in a competitive environment. The focus for the younger players, 4th -6 th grades, is to provide games where they can develop their skills at their own pace. For the older kids, 7th-Varsity grades, the focus is to provide an outlet for them to play without the competitive pressure. These players are typically playing more for social reasons than they are playing for competitive reasons. This division gives them that outlet

3. Instructional The Instructional Division is for 2nd grade. RIM HEIGHT 1.

2nd grade boys and girls will play on 8 ft. rims 2.

3rd grade Boys and Girls will play on 10 ft. rims 3. All others will play on 10 ft. rims SEASON SCHEDULE

1. Athletic teams play a 20-game schedule

2. Recreational teams can choose between a 20 or 10 game schedule where there are enough teams for a viable schedule. Instructional teams play a 10-game schedule

3. Grades 2-6 will begin play on the first weekend in December

4. Grades 7-Varsity will begin play the 2nd or 3rd weekend of December (depending on the holiday schedule) and no later than the first weekend after the Christmas break.

5. The 7th-Varsity Divisions season will be 9 weeks.

RESCHEDULING GAMES

1. No team may cancel a League game without approval from their community Coordinator and the League

2. The League will only reschedule games for sanctioned reasons: • School Event • Gym Closure • Inclement Weather • Illness resulting in less than five players

3. Teams may request the rescheduling of a game, if the request is made no fewer than (7) seven days in advance of their original scheduled date; no last-minute changes will be allowed. If a game is cancelled, fewer than 7 days before its scheduled date, the cancelling team will be responsible for the referee’s fees

4. Rescheduling games should follow this process: • Team requesting change contacts their coordinator • Coordinator approves change and sends request to the other community coordinator • Once affected teams agree on a reschedule date, requesting coordinator submits the change to the League. The League will coordinate all schedule changes with the Referee Coordinator. • Communication will be sent out on the change after the change has been executed on the website to those who subscribe to the affected teams. • It is up to each community to communicate schedule changes to those who are not subscribed to their team.

5. If coaches reschedule a game without the approval of the League and their Coordinator, the game will not be rescheduled and marked cancelled. The offending coach will be responsible for the referees’ fees. 6. All schedule conflicts and school events must be listed in the Schedule Conflict Portal prior to the start of the schedule process to be considered and sanctioned. Schedule conflicts may be rejected for being outside of the sanctioned reasons. GYM USAGE Organizations that have athletic teams, must provide 2 weekend days (Friday-Sunday), one being Saturday and communities that only have recreational teams must provide a Saturday or Sunday. For organizations without the ability to provide the proper gym time or those who are lacking a gym, arrangements have been made to place games in a sports facility for a charge of $55 per game.

GYM STAFFING

1. Each member community is responsible for opening gyms for their home games a minimum of 30 minutes before the start of the first game.

2. By vote, each member community will provide a clean and safe environment for its home games. Each member community will provide a gym monitor. By vote of the member communities, the gym monitor must be a person independent from a game. Coaches, scorekeeper, clock keeper, concession workers, or entrance table workes cannot serve as gym monitors. The role of the gym monitor is to oversee the operation of the event and be available, if needed, to manage the gym, protect the officials, and to manage the crowd, by controlling the behavior of all fans and assisting the officials in this area. The gym monitor should proactively manage the fans by reminding them of the Code of Conduct at the first sign of a violation. Each community will assign the gym monitor as they see fit. Each community is responsible for the training of any gym monitor. The League does not want anyone to be put in harm’s way. The League strongly suggests that any gym monitor should call the police in the event of an incident. The gym monitor must be an adult over 21 years of age. 6

3. Failure to have a gym monitor will result in the exclusion of teams from the CPYBL Tournaments and the community will be placed under review and inclusion in the league will be subject to a member vote.

4. Gym monitors are responsible to have a copy of the rules at the scorer’s table.

5. Gym monitors are asked to report any incident to the League immediately.

6. Coaches and referees are to report violations of the League Codes of Conduct to the League.

ADMISSION

1. Maximum admission charges for all CPYBL games for team without an off-duty police officer will be: $3.00 per person $7.00 per family. Maximum two adults for the family rate. For communities that employ an off-duty police officer, the maximum admission charge will be: $5.00 Adult $3.00 Student $9.00 per family. Maximum two adults for the family rate.

2. Admission fees may be charged at the discretion of each member community. Admission fees, if charged, shall apply to all non-participant spectators. A participant is a player, a coach, assistant coach, or referee.

3. Entrants to a CPYBL game who verbally abuse or refuse to pay will be subject to discipline up to a two game suspension for the first violation and expulsion for the remainder of the season on the second violation. PLAYER,

COACH AND PARENT/SPECTATOR CONDUCT

1. All players, coaches and parents/spectators are required to comply with the CPYBL Codes of Conduct and the CPYBL General League and Game Rules.

2. Failure to comply with the CPYBL Codes of Conduct may result in expulsion from the gym, suspension of the right to participate in the CPYBL and/or to attend CPYBL games. Additional disciplinary action will be determined by the Community who had the infracting parent, player, or coach and the League. The CPYBL reserves the right to impose discipline to any player, coach, parent, or fan, associated with a team participating in the CPYBL, in any situation the CPYBL deems appropriate.

3. Member communities will support and impose, immediately and without complaint, the disciplinary actions of the League. Member communities will take no action that challenges or undermines the authority of the League to impose discipline on players, coaches, parents, spectators, or member communities.

4. Member communities will support and impose, immediately and without complaint, the disciplinary instructions of the game referee of the League.

5. Any person involved in an incident resulting in police involvement will be suspended for the remainder of the season and can only be reinstated upon review of the CPYBL.

6. Coaches, parents. spectators, or players who are suspended are prohibited from attending games for their team during their suspension period. If a suspended person attends the game, the suspended person will be expelled from the league and the head coach will be suspended one game.

7. If a parent/spectator, scorekeeper, clock keeper, assistant coach, head coach (for after game incident) or gym monitor is ejected or suspended for any reason including approaching an official after the game, the player associated with that parent/spectator, scorekeeper, clock keeper, assistant coach, head coach, or gym monitor will be suspended the same length of games.

8. Any head coach, assistant coach, parent/spectator, scorekeeper, clock keeper, or player is ejected twice in one season is suspended from the remainder of the season and the post season tournament.

9. The CPYBL reserves the right to impose discipline on any player, coach, parent, spectator, or community organization associated with a team participating in the CPYBL, in any situation the CPYBL deems appropriate.

10. The Member Community agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the CPYBL (and its officers, directors, employees, members, and agents) from and against any and all, actual or threatened, third party claims, liabilities, losses, damages, injuries, or expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) directly or indirectly arising from or relating to (i) any breach by the Member Community of the terms of this agreement, or (ii) the violation by any coach or assistant coach of the Member Community of the Coach Code of Conduct, or (iii) the violation by any person of the Parents/Spectator Code of Conduct for games played in a facility provided by or through or made available by the Member Community. The following conduct will result in automatic suspensions for coaches, players, and parents:

Level 1 Infractions: Threatening an official: Remainder of the Season Spectator Fighting (Physical altercation): Remainder of the Season Coach Fighting (Physical altercation): Remainder of the Season Playing an illegal player: Remainder of the Season Gym Monitor Ejection: Remainder of the Season Spectator Entering the gym floor during game play: Remainder of the season Level one infractions will be reviewed by the league and an unaffiliated coordinator.

Level 2 Infractions: Spectator Ejection (without physical altercation): 2 games Games are for the kids. The spectators are to be positive and support their team. A spectator ejection stops the game and is an embarrassment for players. Player Fighting: 2 games Fighting includes shoving, slapping, punching, unwanted touching, or any other action that an official would deem fighting, leading to the ejection. Disciplining or commenting to an opposing player: 2 games Coaches and parents need to only concern themselves with their team. It is inappropriate for a coach or parent to discipline, reprimand, or council an opposing player. If someone has an issue with an opposing player, the appropriate action is to report it to the coach or to your coordinator and allow them to handle it. Touching or disciplining the opposing team’s players or coach: 2 games Coaches are prohibited to touch an opposing player in any manner other than to shake their hand after the game. Any coach is never allowed to discipline a player from the opposing team regardless of the reason. Approaching an official after a game: 2 games -4 games for gym monitors No one, which includes coaches, parents, fans, players, coordinators, and is allowed to approach an official after a game for any reason, including debating calls or voicing their opinion over the performance of the officials, either positively or negatively. The gym staff is charged with protecting the officials after a game. This rule is in place since an official does not safe haven after a game. If a gym monitor approaches the official after the game, other than providing protection, the suspension is 4 games.

Guest Players: 1 game for player, 2 games for offending coach A guest player is defined as any player who participates in a game for a team and is not on their roster. The Head Coach will serve the coach suspension Ejection from Scorer’s table: 2 games Scorekeepers are part of the officiating team and are prohibited from cheering, coaching, or engaging anyone other than the referees or the coaches when passing information pertinent to the game. Scorekeepers that do not adhere to this rule will be removed from the scorer’s table and ejected from the gym. If the bench technical accessed results in a coach ejection, the coach will be suspended according to the rules.

Level 3 Infractions: Game ejections: 1 game After game incident (without physical altercation): 1 game- player involved, 2 games coach or parent All parties deemed by CPYBL to be involved will be automatically suspended. Typically, we do not have a third party, unbiased witness to after game incidents. While we gather evidence from all parties involved, we rely on the evidence and testimony of unbiased third parties. It is different in every case and sometimes there is nobody in the gym that is unbiased. The referees are an extension of the league. Please note that the League will not consider anonymous statements as evidence. If you want to provide a statement, the League needs the ability to ask questions and obtain a complete understanding. Anonymous statements do not allow for the aforementioned requirements. Failure for a team or a community to enforce a suspension will lead to additional penalties up to expulsion from the league. The aforementioned suspension are the minimum suspension imposed by the League. The League reserves the right to increase the suspension.

REFEREES

1. All referees are required to have a league coordinated background check performed before being allowed to work CPYBL games. Incidents of child abuse, drug crimes, sex crimes or other offenses deemed inappropriate for contact with children, at the League’s discretion, will disqualify a referee from eligibility for assignment to League games.

2. The league will strive to place the highest caliber referees available for the grade level playing. The goal will be to use OHSAA certified officials exclusively

3. Only OHSAA level 2 or higher referees will be used for Athletic division games and Grades 7 – 12 games REFEREE FEES Referee fees must be paid before the game. Each team pays one referee. Fees will be as follows: • $30 2 nd Grade Instructional. One ref is paid $15 per team • $30 Grades 3 – 6 Recreational. Two refs each paid $30 per team • $30 Grades 4 – 6 Athletic, and all 7 –Varsity games. Two refs each paid $30 per team

FORFEITS

1. When a team does not show up for a scheduled game, it will show as a forfeit loss in their record and standings. The “no show” forfeit fee is $100 per game plus ref fees and the team must pay the League before the next game.

2. In the event of a forfeit, the forfeiting team will be responsible for the ref fess. The League will collect from the forfeiting Community and pay the officials.

3. If the game is made up at a later date, the forfeiting team is responsible for both referees’ fees, and possibly gym fees (if applicable)

4. At the discretion of the League, teams in Grade 4 – Varsity that have unpaid referee fees from forfeited games may be excluded from participation in the end-of-season tournament.

5. Teams will be given a ten (10) minute grace period from the scheduled start time. If a team is not present at the end of the grace period, the game will be forfeited and the missing team will be responsible for the ref fees.

SCORE REPORTING

1. All game scores must be entered by the winning coach using the Score reporting process as outlined on the League web site. Scores should be submitted no later than Monday, 8 PM, following a weekend of play. Scores not submitted within 7 days of the game date will result in a win for the team with the better record in the standings.

2. Scores submitted and/or recorded incorrectly can be changed within 7 days of the game date. If you are reporting outside of the 7 day window, then the score should be reported to the League for correction. The League President is responsible for ensuring the web site schedule and standings are correct.

GAME PROTESTS

1. The League will recognize game protests for the following reasons: • Player eligibility (must be noted no later than before the start of the second half) • Playing time (must be noted prior to start of 4th quarter) Playing time may only be protested if the protesting team has documented in detail the playing time of all players. This documentation should be done from the bench area by an individual other than the coaches. All protests should be submitted to the League and will be resolved within one week of the submission date. The one-week deadline may be extended with the approval of the coordinators involved.

2. In accordance with the OHSAA and the NFHS, there are no protests for judgement calls made by a referee. END-of-

SEASON TOURNAMENT

1. All 3rd grade through Varsity are eligible to play in an end-of-season single-elimination tournament provided they have no outstanding league or forfeit fees.

AWARDS All Grade 3 Rec – Varsity - tournament 1st and 2nd place teams will receive individual player awards. GAME RULES UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED IN THESE RULES, ALL TEAMS WILL PLAY BY OHIO HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION RULES AND THE RULES OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF HIGH SCHOOLS BASKETBALLS

1. ALL Girls teams and Boys grades 2nd – 8th will use an intermediate size ball; 28.5-inch diameter

2. Boys grades 9th – Varsity will use a full-sized regulation ball

UNIFORMS

A. JERSEY COLOR

1. The “torso” is the portion of the jersey from an imaginary horizontal line at the base of the neckline extending to each armhole, down to the bottom hem of the jersey and from side seam to side seam.

2. The torso of the jersey must be a single solid color (white for home and dark for visitor).

3. Team jerseys shall include the team member’s number on the front and back.

4. The number(s) shall be centered vertically and horizontally on the portion of the jersey that is intended to be visible.

5. The number(s) on the front and back of the team jersey shall be the same color and style.

B. JERSEY NUMBERS

1. Each team member shall be numbered on the front and back of the team jersey with plain Arabic numerals. The following numbers are legal: 0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 00, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55. A team member list shall not have both numbers 0 and 00.

2. Any player with an illegal number will not be permitted to participate. Exceptions will be made for the 2018-2019 season. The number 69 and 3 digit numbers will not be granted an exception. Member communities must have any exception approved by the League.

3. Tape is not permitted to correct illegal numbers.

C. JERSEY LETTERING

1. The name of the Community is the only wording permitted on the front of the jersey. Nicknames are not permitted. The name of an organization is considered the name of the district and the official Nickname. For example, the name of a team from the Sycamore School District is the Sycamore Aviators. Sycamore or Aviators can be on the jersey.

2. The last name of the player is the only wording permitted on the back of the jersey. Nicknames are not permitted.

3. The official logo for your organization is also permitted.

4. Any team that violates the rules for jerseys will be expelled from the league.

D. SHORTS

1. All players must wear the same color shorts without any lettering other than the name of the community. E.

HEADBANDS AND WRISTBANDS

1. Headbands and wristbands may be white, black, beige or the predominant color of the jersey and must be the same color for each item and all participants. They must also be the same color as any sleeve/tights worn.

2. A headband is any item that goes around the entire head. It must be a circular design without extensions. It cannot tie, form a knot, or be braided. If worn, only one headband is permitted, it must be worn on the forehead/crown. It must be nonabrasive and unadorned and may be a maximum of 2 inches wide

3. The official has the right to cancel the game if a team’s jersey or uniform is deemed inappropriate or not in compliance with the rules concerning uniforms.

F. JEWELRY

1. No jewelry or hair beads can be worn in any game at any time. Covering jewelry or hair beads is not an option. SCOREBOOKS / SCOREKEEPERS 1. Both teams will exchange name rosters before the start of all games.

2. The Home team scorebook will be official

3. In the absence of a Home scorebook, the Visitors scorebook will be official

4. In the absence of a Home or Visitor scorebook, the gym scoreboard will be official

5. Scorekeepers are part of the officiating team and are prohibited from cheering, coaching, or engaging anyone other than the referees or the coaches when passing information pertinent to the game. Scorekeepers that do not adhere to this rule will be removed from the scorer’s table and ejected from the gym. A bench technical will be accessed on the offending team.

GAME TIME / CLOCK

1. Teams will be given a minimum of five (5) minutes for Pre-game warm-up and a minimum of three (3) minutes for halftime

2. No game will begin early unless both coaches agree

3. Grades 2 boys and girls and 3rd grade boys and girls recreational games will play four (4) quarters with an eight (8) minute running clock. The clock will be stopped for free throws and timeouts.

4. For Grades 2 (8 ft rim), score should not be kept.

5. For Grade 3rd -6 th grade Athletic - games will play four (4) six (6) minute quarters Stop and Go clock.

6. For Grades 4 – Varsity High Rec and Rec games will play two (20) minute running clock halves with stop and-go clock for the last two minutes of the game.

7. For Grades 3 boys Recreational (10 ft rim) and Grade 4 Recreational games, after a dead ball, the clock will not start in the last minute of the 4th quarter or overtime until the ball crosses half court.

8. For grades 4-Varsity, athletic and recreational games, when a 20-point lead is attained, the clock will run until the lead is less than 20 or if a timeout is called. 10. The clock operation is the responsibility of the home team.

9. Clock keepers are part of the officiating team and are prohibited from cheering, coaching, or engaging anyone other than the referees or the coaches when passing information pertinent to the game. Clock keepers that do not adhere to this rule will be removed from the scorer’s table and ejected from the gym. A bench technical will be issued to the offending team.

10. A clock keeper must be at least 16 years old. A clock keeper can be under 16 only if an adult is present and actively managing the clock operation.

OVERTIME

1. There will be one Overtime period will be played for all grade 3 High Instructional (10 ft rim) – grade 12 games. The Overtime period will be (2) TWO minutes. If no team establishes a lead at the end of overtime the game will end in a tie.

2. Each team is granted only one timeout per overtime period.

3. Overtime for 3rd Recreational will result in a free throw contest. Each team will get a shot from the free throw line. The first team to have the lead after the completion of a round of shots will be deemed the winner. A round is completed after 5 players from each team has shot one free throw. If a tie still exists after a round, the next group of players, who did not participate in the previous round, must shoot. The number of shooters for each team will be equal to the number of players on the team with the least number of players.

COACHES / BENCHES

1. All teams are allowed one head coach and one assistant coach on the bench during games. The game will not begin until there are only two coaches on each bench. Only the Head Coach may be standing at any time during the game. Only the Head coach may speak to the referees during the game. Excessive comments to the referees from multiple coaches of a team will result in one warning for that team. Continued comments from multiple coaches after the team has been warned will result in a technical foul for

Grades 3 High Instructional (10 ft rim) and Grades 4 – Varsity teams. Continued comments from multiple coaches after the team has been warned will result in a change of possession for Grades 2 and 3 Instructional (8 ft rim) teams. Per OHSAA rules, any coach assessed a technical foul will result in all coaches on that team’s bench remaining seated for the balance of the game.

2. All coaches for teams in grades 2-8 must be a minimum of 21 years old.

3. All JV and Varsity teams must have an adult coach that is on the bench. “Adult” is defined as being 25 years old or older. Teams that violate the adult coach rule will forfeit any games played without an adult coach, and, will be prohibited from playing in any future CPYBL games until proof that an adult coach has been established with the league. Having an adult sitting on the bench, while a coach under 25 actually coaches is a violation of this rule.

4. “Coaches” on the scorebook cannot enter their team huddle or speak to their team during a game stoppage, meaning a timeout or between quarters. Participating in halftime huddle is allowed.

PLAYING TIME

1. All players in 2nd grade recreation divisions must play all players 2 quarters (or equivalent minutes) per game.

2. All players in 3rd grade recreation divisions must play a minimum of 1.5 quarter (or equivalent minutes) per game.

3. All Recreational team players in grades 4th – Varsity are required to play a minimum of 1 quarter (or equivalent minutes) per game.

4. All Athletic division team players in grades 3 – 6 are required to play a minimum of 1 quarter (or equivalent minutes) per game.

5. All players listed in the Official Scorebook, for grades with a scorebook, are governed by the playing time rule.

6. An exception to these rules will be allowed in the event of injury or illness. If a player cannot play due to injury or illness, the player should not be listed in the scorebook. In the event an ill or injured player sits on the bench during the game, the opposing Head Coach should be informed that the player will not participate.

7. These are the minimum playing time requirements of the League. Each local community program’s playing time requirements may override this rule if they require more playing time; but not less.

FREE THROW LINE

1. All 2nd and 3rd grade teams will shoot free throws at 9 feet (the bottom of the circle)

2. All grade 4th grade teams will shoot free throws at 12 feet

3. All 5th grade through Varsity will shoot free throws at the regulation 15-foot line

4. All grades shooting free throws from 9 or 12 feet will line up along the lane beginning with the spot on the basket side of the block

5. All grades shooting free throws from regulation 15 feet will line up along the lane beginning with the spot on the free-throw line side of the block

6. It is the responsibility of the home member community to have the free throws lines marked for the players.

DEFENSE

The following defensive rules apply to: 2 nd Grade Instructional

• Must play man-to-man defense with no full court pressing

• Coaches may line up their players at half court prior to the start of play at the beginning of a quarter and after a timeout to point out the opposing player their players are assigned to defend.

• No zone defense is allowed

• Trapping outside the lane is not allowed

• Defensive players may trap in the three (3) second lane only.

• “Help” defense and “Switching” on screens is allowed if done quickly to avoid an illegal zone.

1) To make sure every coach and referee is clear on this..........If the defensive team is helping, the help player must leave the ball when the original defender recovers. If the team is switching, the original defender must pick up the other defender's player immediately and not continue after the ball. Switching and helping should not result in two defenders pressuring the ball simultaneously trying to force a turnover. In the spirit of teaching the kids’ man-to-man defense, they should stay with the player they are matched up with. A favorite tactic of coaches in this age group every year is to tell their players to play a certain spot on the floor, match up with the offensive player that comes in that area and just stay in the same spot regardless of where the original player they were guarding goes; in effect, just wait for the ball to come to you. That is a zone principle, not a man-to-man principle.

• Defenders may not “camp out” in the lane unless the player they are guarding is in the lane.

• Defenders may not deliberately leave their assigned player to pressure or chase the offensive player that has possession of the ball

• On Ball Legal Guarding Position is six feet. Meaning a defender guarding the ball must be within 6ft of the player they are guarding.

• On sideline out of bounds plays at or near mid-court the defensive team may stay back at three point line and then pick up the offensive player once the ball is inbounded.

• On out of bounds play under the offensive team’s basket, the defensive team may not just place a player under the basket to “protect” it. They must defend the out of bounds thrower but CAN BE placed at an angle to take away the direct throw to the area in front of the basket. This defender must be within 2 ft of the out of bounds line.

• Once possession is established by the defensive team, the offensive team must fall back.

• Defense must allow three (3) feet for the offense to get the ball across the half court line before applying pressure

• NO CLEARING OUT OR SPREADING THE FLOOR TO GAIN AN ADVANTAGE FOR ONE OFFENSIVE PLAYER IS ALLOWED.

• A 5-out offense with no motion is prohibited.

• No double picks on the player with the ball.

• No Isolation plays in any manner

• No placing players on one side of court or beyond the three-point line Failure to adhere to these rules will result in a warning on the first violation; and a turnover on each violation thereafter. Blatant disregard for these rules in the judgment of the referee will be reported to the referee coordinator and the President so the team may be watched to ensure they adhere to the rules. Repeated violations may result in a forfeit or dismissal from the league. The following defensive rules apply to: 3 rd Athletic 3 rd Recreational 4 th Recreational teams

• Must play man-to-man defense with no full court pressing

• Referee will hold the ball until players are matched up

• On-Ball Legal Guarding Position is six feet as long as the player is an offensive threat. Meaning a defender guarding the ball must be within 6ft of the player they are guarding unless their player is outside the realm of being an offensive threat in the judgement of the official. Any player outside three feet of the three-point line is considered not an offensive threat. An example is that a player 35 feet from the basket is not an offensive threat.

• No zone defense is allowed

• Trapping outside the lane is not allowed

• Defensive players may trap team in the three (3) second lane only.

• Defensive players are allowed to play help defense. • Defenders may not “camp out” in the lane unless the player they are guarding is in the lane.

• Defenders may not deliberately leave their assigned player to pressure or chase the offensive player that has possession of the ball

• Once possession is established by the defensive team, the offensive team must fall back.

• Defense must allow three (3) feet for the offense to get the ball across the half court line before applying pressure

• “Switching” on screens is allowed if done quickly to avoid an illegal zone

• Natural traps will occur (pick and roll) Players will have 3 seconds to recover from such an occurrence.

• On sideline out of bounds plays at or near mid-court the defensive team may stay back at three point line and then pick up the offensive player once the ball is inbounded.

• On out of bounds play under the offensive team’s basket, the defensive team may not just place a player under the basket to “protect” it. They must defend the out of bounds thrower but CAN BE placed at an angle to take away the direct throw to the area in front of the basket. This defender must be within 2 ft of the out of bounds line.

Illegal Offensive

• NO CLEARING OUT OR SPREADING THE FLOOR TO GAIN AN ADVANTAGE FOR ONE OFFENSIVE PLAYER IS ALLOWED. • A 5-out offense with no motion is prohibited.

• Motion is defined as a player without the ball making a move to engage in an offensive or scoring play. Simply, running to another spot on the court is not motion.

• A 5-out offense with motion is permitted as long as both sides are balanced. In this case, two pass away defenders are permitted to help on the block. That defender does not have to follow his/her defender to corner.

• Isolation offensives sets are prohibited.

• No simultaneous double picks on the player with the ball. Meaning picking each side of the player with the ball.

• No Isolation plays in any form

• No placing players on one side of court or beyond the three-point line Help defense is defined as a defensive player must be guarding an offensive player but may rotate to provide help side defense when appropriate. For example, if an offensive player is in the corner of the court and the ball is on the opposite side of the court. The defensive player can slide into the help position. In the example, the player would slide and “put a foot in the lane”. The man to man defensive principle of one pass away be in deny, two passes away be in help is the intent of this rule so the players in 3rd grade will be afforded the opportunity to advanced their defensive skills. To make sure every coach and referee is clear on this..........If the defensive team is helping, the help player must leave the ball when the original defender recovers. If the team is switching, the original defender must pick up the other defender's player immediately and not continue after the ball. Switching and helping should not result in two defenders pressuring the ball simultaneously trying to force a turnover. If in the judgement of the officials, players are instructed to stop a fast break or players who will not stop pressing once instructed to do, current OHSAA rules for delay of game will be enforced. A warning will be issued for the first offense. Further offenses will result in bench technical fouls. After two technical fouls the head coach would be ejected. The officials to be aware that these are young players. Some may simply not know what to do which would not mean they are intentionally trying to impede the progress of the offensive player in the back court. The rule of thumb will be if one player or multiple players make an intentional move to stop the fast break, delay of game will be called. The coaches who are doing this are violating the spirit of the rule and we need to define that this is illegal. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in a warning on the first violation; and one point and the ball and a bench technical on each violation thereafter. Free Throws will not be shot for the technical. The point awarded will take place of a free throw. Blatant disregard for these rules in the judgment of the referee will be reported to the referee coordinator and the President so the team may be watched to ensure they adhere to the rules. Repeated violations may result in a forfeit or dismissal from the league.

The following defensive rules apply to:

4 th grade High Recreational

5 th Grade High Recreational

5 th Grade Recreational

6 th Grade High Recreational

6 th Grade Recreational

7 th Grade-Varsity

• Teams may play any defense.

• Full court pressing for 4th grade boys and girls is not allowed.

• Full Court Pressing is allowed for teams in grades 5-6 until a 10-point lead is achieved

• Full Court Pressing is allowed for teams in grades 7-Varsity until a 15-point lead is achieved

• Teams that lead by more than the allowed differential for full court pressing must allow the trailing team three (3) feet in the frontcourt for the ball handler to clearly get both feet and the ball across before applying pressure

The following defensive rules apply to:

4 th -6 th Athletic Teams

• Teams may play any defense

• Full court pressing for 4th grade Boys AND 4th grade girls athletic is allowed only in the 4th quarter.

• Full court pressing for 4 t h , 5 th and 6th grade Athletic teams is not allowed once a team achieves a 20- point lead

• Teams that lead by more than the allowed differential for full court pressing must allow the trailing team three (3) feet in the frontcourt for the ball handler to clearly get both feet and the ball across before applying pressure

THREE SECOND LANE

1. The upper boundary of the three second lane will be defined by the respective free throw line for the age group

TIMEOUTS

1. Grades 2 – 3 teams receive four full (4) timeouts per game

2. Grades 4 – Varsity teams receive four full (4) timeouts per game.

3. If overtime occurs, each team will have only 1 full timeout for the overtime period regardless of how many timeouts they had remaining at the end of regulation.