Rules, Summer 2016

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Rules, Summer 2016

RULE NO. 1 – EQUIPMENT

SECTION I

  1. Each basket ring shall be securely attached to the backboard with its upper edge 8.5′ above and parallel to the floor and equidistant from the vertical edges of the board.
  2. The ball shall be an officially approved Legacy League ball between 71⁄2 and 81⁄2 pounds pressure.

 

RULE NO. 2 – TIME

  1. Each quarter is 10 minutes in duration. Any overtime periods are 3 minutes in duration.
  2. Clock stops ONLY in the last 2 minutes of 4th quarter, and last two minutes of overtime.
  3. Every team gets two timeouts per half, lasting 30 seconds each. Timeouts do not carry over.
  4. Halftime is 3 minutes long.
  5. Breaks in between quarters are 30 seconds in duration.
  6. Clock stops for serious injuries and timeouts.

 

RULE NO. 3 – PLAYERS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

SECTION I – TEAM

  1. Each team shall consist of no more than 8 players with 4 players on the court at a time.
  2. To qualify to play in single-elimination playoffs, all players must appear in at least three regular season games.
  3. If a player in the game receives his sixth personal foul and all substitutes have already been disqualified, said player shall remain in the game and shall be charged with a personal and team foul. The opposing team will get two shots and then possession. All subsequent personal fouls, including offensive fouls, shall be treated similarly.
  4. In the event that there are only four eligible players remaining and one of these players is injured and must leave the game or is ejected, he must be replaced by the last player who was disqualified by reason of receiving six personal fouls. Each subsequent requirement to replace an injured or ejected player will be treated in this inverse order. Any such reentry into a game by a disqualified player shall be penalized by a technical foul.

SECTION II – SUBSTITUTES

  1. A substitute shall report to the scorer and position himself in front of the scorer’s table. The scorer shall sound the horn to indicate a substitution. The substitute shall remain in the Substitution Box until he is beckoned onto the court by an official.
  2. If a free throw(s) is awarded, substitutes are only permitted to enter the game prior to the final free throw attempt if the ball will remain in play or following the final free throw attempt if it will not remain in play unless necessitated by disqualification, injury, ejection or any other atypical situation.
  3. No substitutes may enter the game after a successful field goal by either team, unless the ball is dead due to a personal foul, technical foul, timeout or violation.

SECTION III – UNIFORMS

  1. Each player shall be numbered on the front and back of his jersey with a number contrasting with the color of the shirt.
  2. Jerseys must be worn at all times, if player does not have a jersey when they check in that player will be assessed a technical foul and teams loss of possession. If player starting game does not have jersey, a technical foul will be assessed to the player before jump ball.

 

RULE NO. 4 – TIMING AND SCORING

  1. The clock is allowed to stop only in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, and in overtime. The clock stops on the following: any whistle, and a made basket.
  2. Any shot made from inside the arc is worth two points. Any shot made from behind the arc is worth three points. All free throws are worth one point.

 

RULE NO. 5 – JUMP BALLS

  1. All held balls will result in a jump ball at the nearest circle on the court between the two players involved in the tie up at the referees discretion.
  2. The jump ball shall be between two opponents in the game at that time. If injury, ejection or disqualification makes it necessary for any player to be replaced, his substitute may not participate in the jump ball.

 

RULE NO. 6 – FREE THROWS 

  1. The non-shooting team is allowed to have a player in the closest position to the basket above the block. Players from both teams than alternate spots.
  2. All players inside the arc besides the shooter are allowed to enter the lane when the shooter releases the ball from his hand. The shooter, and any players behind the arc, are allowed to enter the arc once the ball hits the rim.

 

RULE NO. 7 – VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES

SECTION I – OFFENSIVE THREE-SECOND RULE

  1. An offensive player shall not remain for more than three seconds in that part of his free throw lane between the end-line and extended 4′ (imaginary) off the court and the farther edge of the free throw line while the ball is in control of his team.
  2. Allowance may be made for a player who, having been in this area for less than three seconds, is in the act of shooting at the end of the third second. Under these conditions, the 3-second count is discontinued while his continuous motion is toward the basket.
  3. The 3-second count shall not begin until the ball is in control in the offensive team’s front court. No violation can occur if the ball is batted away by an opponent.
    1. PENALTY: Loss of ball. The ball is awarded to the opposing team at the sideline at the free throw line extended.

SECTION II – DEFENSIVE THREE-SECOND RULE

  1. The count starts when the offensive team is in control of the ball in the front court.
  2. Any defensive player, who is positioned in the 16-foot lane or the area extending 4-feet past the lane end-line, must be actively guarding an opponent within three seconds. Actively guarding means being within arms length of an offensive player and in a guarding position.
  3. Any defensive player may play any offensive player. The defenders may double-team any player.
  4. The defensive three-second count is suspended when: (1) a player is in the act of shooting, (2) there is a loss of team control, (3) the defender is actively guarding an opponent, (4) the defender completely clears the 16-foot lane or (5) it is imminent the defender will become legal.
  5. If the defender is guarding the player with the ball, he may be located in the 16-foot lane. This defender is not required to be in an actively guarding/arms distance position. If another defender actively guards the player with the ball, the original defender must actively guard an opponent or exit the 16-foot lane. Once the offensive player passes the ball, the defender must actively guard an opponent or exit the 16-foot lane.
    1. PENALTY: A technical foul shall be assessed to the defending team, that does not count towards the individual technical foul count. The offensive team retains possession on the sideline at the free throw line extended nearest the point of interruption. The shot clock shall remain the same as when play was interrupted or reset to 14 seconds, whichever is greater.

SECTION III – TEN SECOND RULE

  1. A team shall not be in continuous possession of a ball which is in its backcourt for more than 10 consecutive seconds.
  2. EXCEPTION (1): A new 10 seconds is awarded if the defense: (1) kicks or punches the ball, (2) is assessed a personal or technical foul, or (3) is issued a delay of game warning.
  3. EXCEPTION (2): A new 10 seconds is awarded: (1) if play is suspended to administer  (2) when a team gains control of a jump ball in the backcourt, or (3) during a front court throw-in into the backcourt.
    1. PENALTY: Loss of ball. The ball is awarded to the opposing team at the mid-court line.

SECTION IV – BALL IN BACKCOURT

  1. During a jump ball, a try for a goal, or a situation in which a player taps the ball away from a congested area, as during rebounding, in an attempt to get the ball out where player control may be secured, the ball is not in control of either team. Hence, the restriction on first touching does not apply.
    1. PENALTY: Loss of ball. The ball is awarded to the opposing team at the mid-court line.

SECTION V – BASKET RING, BACKBOARD OR SUPPORT

  1. An offensive player who deliberately hangs on his basket ring, net, backboard or support during the game shall be assessed a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul.
  2. A defensive player who deliberately gains or maintains height or hangs on his opponent’s basket ring, net, backboard or support shall be assessed a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul. If he touches the ball during a field goal attempt, points shall be awarded consistent with the type of shot.
    1. EXCEPTION: An offensive or defensive player may hang on the basket ring, backboard or support to prevent an injury to himself or another player, with no technical foul assessed.

 

RULE NO. 8 – BASKET INTERFERENCE / GOALTENDING 

SECTION I – A PLAYER SHALL NOT:

  1. Touch the ball or the basket ring when the ball is using the basket ring as its lower base or hang on the rim while the ball is passing through.
    1. EXCEPTION: If a player near his own basket has his hand legally in contact with the ball, it is not a violation if his contact with the ball continues after the ball enters the cylinder, or if, in such action, he touches the basket.
  2. Touch any ball from within the playing area when it is above the basket ring and within the imaginary cylinder.
  3. During a field goal attempt, touch a ball, which has a chance to score, after it has touched any part of the backboard above ring level, whether the ball is considered on its upward or downward flight.
  4. During a field goal attempt, touch a ball, which has a chance to score, after it has touched the backboard below the ring level and while the ball is on its upward flight.
  5. Trap the ball against the face of the backboard after it has been released. (To be a trapped ball, three elements must exist simultaneously. The hand, the ball and the backboard must all occur at the same time. A batted ball against the backboard is not a trapped ball.)
  6. Touch any ball from within the playing area that is on its downward flight with an opportunity to score. This is considered to be a “field goal attempt” or trying for a goal.
  7. Touch the ball at any time with a hand which is through the basket ring.
  8. Vibrate the rim, net or backboard so as to cause the ball to make an unnatural bounce, or bend or move the rim to an off-center position when the ball is touching the ring or passing through.
  9. Touch the rim, net or ball while the ball is in the net, preventing it from clearing the basket.

 

RULE 9 – FOUL BONUS 

  1. Each team is allowed four team fouls without penalty per quarter. On the team’s fifth foul of a given quarter, the player that fouled is awarded two free throws. This continues through the end of the quarter, and resets at the start of each following quarter.
  2. Any team fouls from the fourth quarter carry over into any following overtime periods.
  3. Once the clock hits 2:00 in any period or overtime, each team has one foul to give before being in the bonus for the remainder of the period or overtime. This only applies if said team has not already committed three team fouls in the given period.

 

RULE NO. 10 – CONDUCT

  1. An official may assess a technical foul, without prior warning, at any time. A technical foul(s) may be assessed to any player on the court or anyone seated on the bench for conduct which, in the opinion of an official, is detrimental to the game. The technical foul must be charged to an individual. A technical foul cannot be assessed for physical contact when the ball is live.
    1. EXCEPTION: Fighting fouls and/or taunting with physical contact.
  2. A maximum of two technical for unsportsmanlike acts may be assessed any player.
  3. Any of these offenders may be ejected for committing only one unsportsmanlike act, and they must be ejected for committing two unsportsmanlike acts.
  4. A technical foul called for a delay of game, having a team total of less or more than four players when the ball becomes alive, a player hanging on the basket ring or backboard, participation in the game when not on team’s active list, or shattering the backboard or making the rim unplayable during the game (
  5. A technical foul shall be assessed for unsportsmanlike tactics such as:
    1. Disrespectfully addressing an official
    2. Physically contacting an official
    3. Overt actions indicating resentment to a call
    4. Use of profanity
    5. A coach entering onto the court without permission of an official
    6. A deliberately-thrown elbow or any attempted physical act with no contact involved
    7. Taunting
  6. Cursing or blaspheming an official shall not be considered the only cause for imposing technical fouls. Running tirades, continuous criticism or griping may be sufficient cause to assess a technical. Excessive misconduct shall result in ejection from the game.

 

RULE 11 – COMMISSIONER DISCRETION

  1. The Commissioner has the right to apply these and any rules when needed in an attempt to do what is best for the players and the league as a whole.