Playing Rules

All divisions shall be governed by the NFSAA Basketball Rules of the current season except as provided below.

Timing

• Regulation games will consist of 4 nine (9) minute ‘running clock’ quarters. The clock will stop on the whistle ONLY in the last minute of each quarter.
• Each team will be allowed 4 timeouts of 60 seconds each during regulation time.
• 1 additional clock stoppage is allowed per team, per game, to be used ONLY during Freethrow Procedures. Teams are not permitted to huddle.
• Overtime rules:
  • A first overtime will consist of a 2 minute period. The last minute will be a stop clock. Each team receives one time-out. No timeouts are carried over from regulation.
  • If still tied, ‘sudden death’ format applies. First team to score wins the game. No time limit.
  • If still no winner, the game ends in a tie.
• A forfeit will be declared if a team is unable to field 5 eligible player within 10 minutes after the scheduled start of the game.

Offense

• Dunking is not permitted. Any slam-dunk will result in a technical foul, and any successful goal will be disallowed.

Defense

Half Court

• All teams are required to play Man-to-Man defense in the front court in the first half.
• Man or Zone may be used in the second half.
• When in Man, a defender cannot remain in the foul lane (paint) for greater than 3 seconds without guarding an offensive player.
  • 1st violation results in a verbal warning to the offending coach.
  • Each subsequent violation results in a technical foul charged to the team.
  • No ejections will result for multiple infractions.

Trapping

• Trapping should only occur during the normal rotation of help-side defense, normally in areas near the foul lane.
• Attempts to run and jump trap or intentionally send two defenders to double a dribbler in areas outside of the lane (i.e. after they cross midcourt or go to a corner) are not permitted.
  • 1st violation results in a verbal warning to the offending coach.
  • Each subsequent violation results in a technical foul charged to the team.
  • No ejections will result for multiple infractions.

Press

• Backcourt defense is permitted in the Senior Boys Division.
• A full court zone press may be used, but it must retreat into man-to-man once the press is broken and the ball is in the front court.
• Backcourt defense is not allowed for any team that is ahead by 15 or more points. Once a team’s lead drops below 15 points, backcourt defense is again allowed until a team’s lead again reaches 15 points.
• The 10-second backcourt violation will be enforced the entire game.
• The ‘over and back’ violation will be enforced the entire game.