Spring Hoops (Town League) Rules

POLICIES

1.           Players assigned to a team must play for that team.  NO TRADING PLAYERS for any reason.

2.           There is one practice each week  NO EXTRA PRACTICES are allowed.


 

EQUIPMENT

             Boys grades 3 use junior ball 27.5 inches in circumference
Boys grades 4 - 6  use standard women's ball 28.5 inches in circumference
Boys grades 7 & 8 use standard men’s ball 29.5 inches in circumference

Girls grades 3 and 4 use junior ball 27.5 inches in circumference
Girls grades 5 - 8 use woman's ball 28.5 inches in circumference
 

GAME RULES

1.         Ten minute running time per quarter. Last two minutes of the game are stop time.  Overtime play will be two minutes of stop time and only one overtime is to be played.

2.         Four timeouts per game and one extra for overtime.

3.         Players will play man to man defense. No zone defense is allowed.  Players are allowed to switch off on picks.  Players in grades 5 through 8 only may leave their man to double team, but this cannot just be a one man zone.

4.         No back court pressing. The 7th and 8th grades only will be allowed to press during the last two minutes of the game. The ten second rule is in effect which allows players ten seconds to get the ball across half court.

5.         Be aware of 3 seconds in the key, traveling, double dribble and the 5 seconds in bounds limit. This will be stretched early in the season for the younger players.

6.         Our philosophy in this league is that players must play equal time regardless of ability.  With that in mind we have developed the following plan to be implemented each week.

Teams with ten or more players:  Improving team plays quarters 1 & 3 and strong team plays quarters 2 & 4.  Do not balance out teams with a mix of strong and improving.  There is no substituting during a quarter.  Groupings may change from week to week but do not change during a game.

Teams with 11 players need to be aware to balance playing time over the course of the season if it is not possible to do so in an individual game.  Substitututions in the middle of quarters is not allowed.  The Wellesley Basketball Board voted to allow larger rosters on teams because they didn't want to exclude players AND because there are frequent absences at games.

Any time a team has less than ten players, the goal is that each player plays equal time over the six week season. We realize that absences may make this impossible, but this is the goal.

Seven player teams rotate 7 players equally throughout each game.  All players, except one, will play three quarters during the game. Each week a different player will play only two quarters.  A seven player team will be given two extra time outs per game. 

When a 7 player team plays a 10 player team, the 10 player team should balance the team so that there are two teams of equal ability playing each set of quarters.

Teams with 8 players must determine ahead of time four strong and four improving players.  One player from the strong team will join the improving players in the 1st quarter and another strong player will join them in the 3rd quarter.  In the 2nd quarter one of the improving players joins the strong team and another joins them in the 4th.  UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, NO PLAYER SHOULD EVER PLAY MORE THAN 3 QUARTERS IN A GAME.  Also, players who do play 3 quarters in one game will not do so again until ALL players on the team have done the same.

A nine player team chooses one strong player to join the improving team in teh 1st quarter and another in the 3rd.  Again, no player shall play 3 quarters in one game until everyone else has done so.

            During overtime the coach MUST play a BALANCED team.

Coaches need to communicate with each other and abide by the strong/improving  philosophy. This is important! Please bring any issues to the attention of a Board Member.

7.         There is to be NO SUBSTITUTING during a quarter except for injury.  An injured player must be substituted for with a player of equal ability. If the injured player is entitled to foul shots, the substituting player shoots them.

8.         Foul shots will be shot from the following lines: Grade 3: dotted circle; Grade 4: halfway between dotted circle and foul line; Grade 5-8: foul line.

9.         Players will foul out with SIX personal fouls.

10.       "1 and 1" begins on the fifth team foul in each half.

11.       A jump ball will occur at the beginning of the game and then teams will alternate possessions on held balls and at the beginning of each quarter.

12.       Teams will change baskets at half-time.

13.       Respect the referees and remember they are only high school students.