League Rules

1. Start your game on time – this is the coaches responsibility. Each gym has games scheduled 1 hour & 15 minutes apart and keeping ALL games on time is important for everyone.

a. If games are running late, keep your pre-game warm-ups to 3 minutes and reduce the half-time break to 2 minutes (or enough time for a water break).

b. If there is no referee, please recruit a coach or parent to get the game started.

c. If a team is unable to field five (5) players at start time, it will be listed officially as a forfeit, but try to recruit players from the opposing team or another team so that the kids will get to play, which is our main purpose.

d. Play CAN continue with less than five (5) players if a player fouls out or is injured during the game

Games CANNOT be postponed or re-scheduled by coaches without prior approval of the Commissioner; generally, this only occurs for bad weather.

2. Game Time: all games consists of two halves of 20 minutes each with running time for first 18 minutes (clock STOPS only for time-outs and substitutions during these 18 minutes; it runs during foul shots); then clock will stop on the whistle AND for foul shots in the last 2 minutes of each half.

3. Playing Time: all players MUST play at least half of every game (4 shifts) and NO MORE than 75% of a game (6 shifts) unless a team has 6 or less players. No player can play more than 1 shift more than another teammate, i.e. no player can play 6 periods unless all other teammates have played 5 periods --- the intent is to spread out the extra shifts amongst all players so that the top players don't play substantially more than his/her teammates. It is the coach’s responsibility to abide by this rule and keep track of the number of shifts each player has played.

a. Time keeper and Referee should stop the game at 15, 10 and 5 minute marks of each half to allow for substitutions; they should use their judgement when stopping play for these substitutions (i.e. don’t stop a fast break)

b. At these times, ANY & ALL players sitting on the bench MUST be substituted into the game; this mandatory substitution is not to be used as a time out.

c. Except for injuries, this is the only time that substitutions can be made (i.e. coach may not call time out with 2 minutes remaining and make a substitution);

d. Players in foul trouble must continue to play until the next scheduled substitution (so they can learn to play in this situation)

e. The only exception to the “must play half of the game” rule would be if a player repeatedly (3-4 consecutive times) misses practices and games; if after a warning to the player AND parents this condition persists, the coach may reduce playing time accordingly.

5.   Defense:
            a.   must start at half-court or below (no defense in the backcourt; see #12
                 "Pressing" below for exceptions)
            b.  must be man-to-man (no zones allowed EXCEPT IN BOYS CADET)
            c. DOUBLE TEAMING OR TRAPPING IS NOT ALLOWED (Except in Boys
                Cadet) or only in the following 2 instances in all other divisions:
                      * inside the key in "help" situations and
                      * for 1-2 seconds to help a teammate defend a pick; then defenders
                         should either stick with their own player or "switch" players

                         NOTE: the goal is to get all players to learn how to play man-to-man
                         defense; no defense should be used as a means to leave a weak player
                         unguarded & pressure a more skilled player. Coaches should
                         immediately correct any of their players who "wander" over to double
                         team so that we remain true to the spirit of these rules

             d. If the offensive team chooses to spread out to the corners beyond the
                  3 point arc, the defense is NOT required to defend them closely. The same
                  spirit behind our rules regarding zone defenses should apply to any
                  offensive alignment seeking to unfairly take advantage of the rule requiring
                  man-to-man defense (i.e. no isolating an offensive player on one side of the
                  court while his/her teammates "clear out" on the other side). Let the kids
                  learn how to play TEAM basketball. Refer to #16 below for Midgets rule

6. Technical Fouls (New in 07-08)
Coaches, parents and players in the in town program are expected to conduct themselves appropriately and not engage in unsportsman-like conduct with teammates, coaches, parents or referees, or use abusive or foul language. Coaches and parents especially have the responsibility to serve as role models of respect and good sportsmanship, and should reinforce that players should not talk back to and/or argue with referees, and should not be disparaging to any teammate or opposing players.

SYB will follow high school rules for technical fouls as follows:

7.   Penalty/Bonus Foul Shots:
      Teams shoot one-on-one foul shot when opposing team is assessed its 7^th team foul of
      the half.  There is NO two foul shot rule on the 10^th team foul, just one-on-one foul shots

8.   Overtime: if scored is tied at the end of regulation, a 3 minute running time period will be played;
     a.   start OT period with jump ball
     b. coach can use any eligible players during OT (but not a player who has fouled out)

c. clock stops on the whistle and foul shots in last 2 minutes of game; pressing is allowed in last 2 minutes of game

b. if the score is still tied at end of first overtime, then keep playing until the first team scores (sudden death), even a foul shot

9. Game Results: the coach of the WINNING Team is responsible for emailing game score to the division coordinator by Sunday night after the game.

10. Season Ending Tie Breaker: Any ties in team records at the end of the regular season will be decided first by head-to-head record and secondly by a coin flip; since all teams get into the post-season “March Madness” tournament, this will only effect the seedings for that tournament

a. In Midgets: not strictly enforced – use common sense; in first few games of the season, it is suggested that travel violations called during the first half of the game are explained to the player & that player’s team is allowed to take the ball out of bounds and during the 2^nd half of the game, a travel call results in a turnover.

12. PRESSING (Updated in 07-08)
otherwise known as full-court man-to-man (no double teaming or zones or "floating defenders"); when pressing, defender must be next to an offensive player):

a. In Midgets: allowed ONLY in last 2 minutes of the 2^nd half IF (a) your team is losing OR (b) your team is leading by less than 10 points

b. In Bantams: allowed ONLY in 2^nd half IF (a) your team is losing OR (b) your team is leading by less than 10 points

c. In Cadets: allowed anytime during the game IF (a) your team is losing OR (b) your team is leading by less than 10 points

13. 3-point shots: (Updated in 07-08)
Only count in the last 2 minutes of the game (to discourage players from taking during regular course of the game)

a. In Midgets: use a 12-foot foul line (2-3 steps in front of the actual foul line); shooter cannot take advantage of this rule by running in for rebound.

b. In Bantams: should be taken at the foul line but shooter is able to cross over the foul line as part of his/her shot; shooter cannot take advantage of this rule by running in for rebound.

c. In Cadets: use regular foul line and shooter should NOT be able to cross over the foul line

a. In Midgets & Bantams: called only when an offensive player is gaining an unfair advantage

NOTE: this rule is designed to encourage team play and involvement of all players in the offense, and to prevent one player from dominating the game at the expense of his/her teammates and/or consistently taking advantage of mismatches created during that period or caused by available/missing players that day.

All other rules default to standard MIAA High school rules

Coaches: In sensitive areas including playing time, press intensity, defensive pickup, coaches should talk prior to game to insure the spirit of fair play and balance - the coaches must take responsibility for creating a good experience in the games as well! Also, coaches should huddle with the officials prior to each game to remind refs of division rules and any special circumstances.