Official Basketball Rules

Red = Rule Changes Effective Summer 2022

Team

  1. Team rosters shall include a minimum of 8 players.
  2. The maximum number of players on the court is 5. 
  3. The minimum number of players on the court is 3.  When playing co-rec format, there is no gender minimum.
  4. All players present for the game must have playing time on the court.
  5. All players must be registered with the team to play with that team, except in situations in which the team is short the minimum number of total players.  Unregistered substitutes are not permitted.  Any team found to be playing with an unregistered player will forfeit the game.  See: Late Registration below.
  6. Late Registration: a team may add players to the roster through the 4th scheduled game provided the team captain approves. The league fee shall be pro-rated for the remainder of the season. All players must be formally registered with the League and paid in full prior to playing.
  7. If the team has fewer than 5 players available, that team may invite a registered player from another team other than their opponent as a substitute.  This is permitted only during regular season games, and only if the team is short.  A substitute from another team may only be used in the event of absence, not for the purpose of allowing rests or breaks for individual players.

Officials

  1. Each game shall be officiated by 2 League-assigned referees who will be responsible for on court calls.
  2. Each game will be scored by 1 League-assigned field manager who will keep the game time, score, and track fouls by players/teams.
  3. The referees may eject a player that engages in unsportsmanlike conduct.
  4. The ejected player must leave the gym immediately; failure to do so may result in removal from the league and/or a ban from all future leagues.

Equipment

  1. All equipment shall be provided by the League.
  2. Players must wear their League-provided jerseys of the appropriate color for their team.
  3. Tennis shoes are required. No sandals, bare feet, or dress shoes.
  4. No jewelry or hats of any kind. 

Game Clock

  1. Each game shall contain two 20 minute halves and a halftime of approximately 5 minutes.
  2. The clock shall be a running clock until the last minute of the first half and the last two minutes of the second half unless the score gap is at or more than 15 points. The clock will also stop during time outs.
  3. Overtime- 2 minute overtime to determine a winner. Each team will be awarded an extra timeout.

Gameplay

  1. Each game will commence with a jump ball. The team that does not receive the initial possession will be the first to receive possession during a tie up called by the referee. There will only be one jump ball per game.
  2. The following penalties will result in an automatic turnover:
    1. Walking- Taking more than two steps without dribbling.
    2. Double Dribbling- Dribbling with two hands or restarting a dribble after you have picked up the ball.
    3. Carrying the ball.
    4. Back Court Violation- Taking the court back across the half court line once you have crossed into offensive territory unless it has been touched by the defense.
    5. 3-Second Violation- An offensive player spends more than 3 seconds in the lane.
    6. Offensive Foul- Including, but not limited to, charges, elbows, or over the back rebounds.
  3. Scoring
    1. Three Point field goals will be in affect when a line is present. Referees will signal the score keeper when a 3-point field goal is scored.
    2. All other field goals will be 2 points.
    3. All free throws will be worth 1 point.
  1. Goal-Tending will be called.
  2. Fouls
    1. Fouls occur when unnecessary contact occurs between players.
    2. Fouls will be tracked by the score keeper. A player will foul out upon committing their 6th foul.
    3. Team fouls will be tracked per half and will reset at halftime. 7 team fouls will result in a 1-And-1 Bonus, 10 team fouls will result in a two free throw Bonus.
    4. A foul committed on a shooter will result in free throws. 2 for regular field goals; 3 for 3-pointers.
    5. Players may not cross into the lane until the ball leaves the hands of the player attempting the free throw.
    6. Fouls committed on non-shooters will result in restart of play. This included over-the-back rebounding fouls.
    7. A player who has committed a 2nd technical foul during a game shall be ejected from that game plus receive an additional one game suspension.  A second such offense during the season shall result in a game ejection and a permanent suspension from the current and all future seasons.
  1. Out-of-Bounds
    1. The team that last touches the ball before it goes out of bounds will lose possession of the ball.
    2. The team awarded possession will inbound the ball from the spot it goes out of play.
  2. There are no defensive restrictions concerning half-court or full-court defense. Teams may set up any defensive strategy they wish.
  3. Substitutes may not occur on the fly. They must occur during stoppage of play or during a time out. The scorekeeper shall buzz in all substitutes or be notified of the sub during time outs.
  4. Time Outs- Each team receives two 30-second time outs per half. They can only be called when you have possession of the ball. Timeouts may advance the ball to half court.

Mercy Rule

  1. A game shall be called if a team is down by 30+ points with 10 minutes remaining in the 2nd half.

Forfeits

  1. Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements at the posted game time. Any team not ready to play at this time shall forfeit, and the opposing team shall take a default win.  The team that is present will win 30 - 0.
  2. If neither team is ready to play, both teams shall forfeit.
  3. Any team found to be playing with a player not registered with the League or team shall forfeit the game. 

Cancelation Policy

  1. Our cancelation and make-up policy is explained our FAQ.

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