YMCA BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
RECREATIONAL LEAGUE
GENERAL RULES
1.
YMCA basketball will follow current High School basketball rules except where altered by the YMCA.
2.
The YMCA Director of Youth Sports shall have FINAL AUTHORITY on all decisions and rule
modifications regarding the program.
3.
Every player plays a minimum of a half game. The YMCA will make every effort to place no
more than 10 players on a team.
4.
The coach can limit playing time for disciplinary or other reasons with the YMCA Director’s
approval.
5.
Players will wear T-shirts (reversible jerseys, grades 6-8) provided by the YMCA during the game
and the shirts will be numbered with different numbers for each player. Teams will not provide
their own uniforms.
6.
The YMCA will assign team names if no name is given by the coach prior to releasing the game
schedule.
7.
League standings or records will NOT be kept by the YMCA, but each coach, grade 4-8, must
report their record when asked in order to schedule the season ending playoff.
8.
Games may be started and continued with a minimum of 4 rostered players or a player may be
borrowed from the opposing team.
9.
There will be NO MAKE UP GAMES scheduled by the YMCA. A game may be made up, however,
without YMCA assistance if agreeable to both coaches. Games not played due to unforeseen
circumstances, i.e., acts of God, will be made up.
10.
OVERTIME: All games must be completed within the scheduled time. There will be no overtimes
for grades K-3. Grades 4-8 will have a maximum of 2 overtimes of 2 minutes each.
11.
SCORESHEETS must be used for grades 4-8 for tracking fouls. Each team must provide a
scorekeeper to sit at the score table for grades 4 & 5. Also for grades 6-8 if a YMCA scorekeeper is
not provided.
12.
Fighting or flagrant fouls (intentionally violent) will constitute automatic ejection from the game.
13.
Abusive or obscene language will not be tolerated from either the coach or a player.
Player: 1st Offense – Technical Foul
Player: 2nd Offense – Technical Foul & Ejection
Coach: 1st Offense – Technical Foul & Automatic Ejection
14.
Technical Foul: Automatic 2 points and ball out of bounds for the offended team.
15.
If a player sustains a minor injury (such as having the wind knocked our of him/her), she/he may
return to play when recovered. The player who replaced the injured must then leave the game.
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YMCA of the Inland Northwest
YMCA BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
RECREATIONAL LEAGUE
RULES OF THE GAME
1.
Hoop Height
Grade:
K-1 8 feet
2-3 9 feet
4-8 10 feet
2.
The game shall consist of four 8-minute quarters with the clock running except for foul shots,
official or team timeouts, or injuries. Grades 6 – 8 will operate a stop clock the entire game.
3.
Half time will be 2 minutes and there will be 1 minute between quarters.
4.
TIME OUTS:
K-4th Grade: Clock stops at the 4:00 mark of each quarter. No additional time outs.
5-8th grade: each team has 3 one-minute time outs and two (2) 30-second time outs per game.
7.
Defense shall be MAN-TO-MAN. Double-teaming is allowed inside only in the designated area
(illustration below). Sagging off in the key area will not be allowed and shall be considered a zone
defense if done. Penalty for violation of this rule shall be:
First offense – warning
Second offense – team foul. 4th grade and up - 2 points also awarded to offended team
EXCEPTION: Grades 7 & 8 may play zone.
*If the referee thinks a team is not playing man-to-man then he/she will stop play to have kids
match up. The clock will continue to run.
Designaged Area
Double teaming allowed in
this area only. No
Sagging!
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YMCA of the Inland Northwest
YMCA BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
RECREATIONAL LEAGUE
SPECIFIC RULES
Grades K, 1 & 2
1. Junior size (27.5”) ball is used.
2. There will be no foul shots. The team being fouled will take the ball out of bounds.
3. No full court press. Defense shall be man to man. 3-second violation not enforced
4. Ball may not be inbounded underneath the offensive end of the court. Ball must be inbounded
from the side.
5. Free inbounds pass out to 6 feet.
6. Traveling/Double Dribble will be called at the Referee’s discretion. 2nd graders will be called based
on advantage/disadvantage.
7. Substitutions are made between quarters and at the 4:00 stoppage.
8. No stealing the ball or reaching in while an offensive player is dribbling. A player may steal a pass
or block a shot. Excessive holding of the ball (referee’s discretion) by an offensive player will be a
turnover. Reaching in to force a jump ball is prohibited. This is referee’s discretion as well.
9. No official score will be kept
Grade 3
1. GIRLS – Junior size (27.5) ball is used. BOYS- Junior size ball is heavily encouraged.
Intermediate/Woman’s ball (28.5) can be used if both teams agree.
2. Traveling/Double Dribble will be called at the Referee’s discretion based on
advantage/disadvantage.
3. No full court press. Defense shall be man to man
4. 3-second violation can be called (referee’s discretion)
5. Foul shots can be shot from as close as 12 feet
6. Ball may not be inbounded underneath the offensive end of the court. Ball must be inbounded
from the side.
7. Free inbounds pass out to 6 feet.
8. No stealing the ball or reaching in while an offensive player is dribbling. A player may steal a
pass or block a shot. Excessive holding of the ball (referee’s discretion) by an offensive player
will be a turnover. Reaching in to force a jump ball is prohibited. This is referee’s discretion as
well.
9. No official score will be kept.
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YMCA of the Inland Northwest
YMCA BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
RECREATIONAL LEAGUE
SPECIFIC RULES
GRADES 4, 5, 6
SAME RULES AS GRADE 3 WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS
1. Intermediate/women’s size basketball will be used.
2. 3 second, 5 second and 10 second violations will be called as intended in the rules of
basketball.
3. Inbounding the ball occurs as intended in the rules of basketball. No free inbound passes.
4. Stealing the dribble is allowed.
5. (5th and 6th grade), Substitutions will be allowed at any dead ball. However, Players must have
checked in and sitting at the scorer’s table prior to the dead ball.
6. Score will be kept/displayed, but may be stopped at either coach’s request or referee’s
discretion (i.e. lopsided scores).
7. Foul shots will be shot and scored in a regular manner. 4th grade can be as close as 12 feet.
8. PRESSING:
Grades 4 & 5
When the defense secures the ball by rebound, steal or inbounding after a made basket, the
new defense may not in any way defend, press, obstruct, go otherwise go for the ball in any
case while in the backcourt. Players must immediately retreat past half court and pick up their
man in the frontcourt. VIOLATION: 1st offense, team warning, 2nd and subsequent offenses, 2
points to the offensive team and ball out of bounds at half court.
Traveling/Double Dribble will be called at the Referee’s discretion based on
advantage/disadvantage.
Grade 6
Full court press is allowed. The full court press may be a zone or man to man in the backcourt.
No zone defenses in half court play; only man to man. No press will be allowed by a team with
a 15+ point advantage
GRADES 7,8
1. Full size basketball appropriate to each gender is used.
2. Regulation High School rules of basketball apply.
3. No press will be allowed by a team with a 15+ point advantage.
4. Shot clock will NOT be used.
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YMCA of the Inland Northwest