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Fort Bend Basketball Association · Official Playing Rules

Division 0 Rules

1. The game begins with a coin toss to determine possession.

2. All players line up and match up before the start of the game.

3. All players who start a quarter remain in the game for that quarter. No substitutions are allowed except for injuries. The only exception is the last 4 minutes of the fourth quarter, when substitutions are permitted.

4. All players play man-to-man defense at all times. Double-teaming is not allowed.

5. There is no stealing or swiping at the ball while the offensive player is dribbling. A steal is allowed only during a pass or when a player is holding the ball.

6. When the defense grabs a rebound, the opposing team must get back down the court before playing defense.

7. Games are four 8-minute quarters with a running clock. The clock runs during free throws and stops only for timeouts and injuries. In the fourth quarter, the clock stops on every whistle during the final 2 minutes.

Playing time: Every child must play at least 1.5 quarters per game. Additional playing time is determined by the coach.

Divisions 1 and Up — UIL Rules

Divisions 1 and up play by UIL rules.

Timeouts

• Regulation: each team is permitted three (3) full timeouts per game.

• Overtime: each team has one (1) full timeout per overtime period, regardless of timeouts taken during regulation.

• Sudden death: no timeouts are permitted.

• Full timeouts are one minute long.

Tie Scores and Overtime

Games are played until a winner is determined. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, a 4-minute running-clock overtime period is played, with the clock stopping at the 1-minute mark. If a tie still exists after the overtime period, a final sudden-death overtime of 2 minutes is played, in which the first point(s) scored by either team win the game. If no points are scored, the game ends in a tie.

Starting Possession

Each full-court game (and each overtime period in a full-court game) begins with a jump ball. Cross-court games begin with a coin toss to determine which team gains first possession. Possession at the beginning of each quarter is awarded on an alternating basis. When play resumes to start a quarter, the ball is given to the team next due possession; the possession arrow points to the basket of the team due the next possession.

Bonus Situations

The bonus begins after five team fouls per quarter. Two free throws are awarded per foul. The team foul count resets at the end of every quarter.

Minimum Players to Start

A team may start a game with 4 players present, but the opposing team must start with 5 players if they are available. If both teams have only 4 players, the game may be played.

Player and Parent Conduct

A. Player Harassment of Other Players or Referees

During a game, any player who displays inappropriate conduct — such as harassing other players or referees — is subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the general rules of basketball.

• The referee warns the player of the specific unacceptable behavior. If it is not corrected, the player receives a technical foul.

• If the player continues the unacceptable behavior after a technical foul, he or she is ejected from the game.

B. Spectator or Coach Harassment or Unacceptable Behavior

If, during a game, any spectator or coach displays inappropriate conduct — such as harassment or loud yelling at a player, referee, or other spectators — the following steps apply:

• The referee warns both coaches of the specific problem (the issue and the person) and advises of the potential for a technical foul if it is not corrected.

• Each coach advises the spectators from their team of the identified behavior and warns that the next offense — whether by the original offender or a new person — will result in a technical foul against that team.

• If the situation is not corrected, the referee calls a technical foul against the team whose coach or spectator continued the behavior, regardless of who first offended.

• The coach must advise the individual(s) in question that they will be asked to leave if the harassment persists.

• If the situation remains uncorrected, the referee may call a referee's timeout and require the individual(s) to leave the gym for the remainder of the game.

• If the individual(s) refuse to leave, the referee declares the game a forfeit by the team with which they are associated.

• If a coach is assessed two technical fouls, the coach is ejected from the game and must leave the gym.

C. Use of Obscene or Offensive Language

Unacceptable language used to harass officials, or spoken in the presence of players, will not be tolerated. The first occurrence results in a technical foul as a warning. A second occurrence results in ejection from the game and the gymnasium. If a coach receives a technical foul for unacceptable language in a later game, that coach is ejected immediately and banned from coaching in the league for the balance of the season.

D. Coach Bench Decorum

1.  The head coach may stand or sit within the designated coaching box (marked by contrasting-color lines). The coach should not be on the court at any time the clock is running. During timeouts, the coach may come onto the floor to:

1. Confer with personnel and players within the bench area during a charged timeout or the intermission between quarters.

2. Confer with personnel at the scorer's table to request a timeout to prevent or correct a correctable error, such as a scoring, alternating-possession-arrow, or timing mistake.

3. Attend an injured player when beckoned onto the court by an official.

2.  Assistant coaches may give instructions to players on the court and may move freely within the bench area only (excluding the coaching box). Assistant coaches may not address referees or question calls during the game.

General

• Uniforms must be worn to participate in a game. The final decision is left to league administrators.

FBBA reserves the right to expel any player, coach, or parent it deems necessary.

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