Policy

West Stanly Youth Basketball Organization

Rules and Regulations

  1. ONLY middle school aged (no younger than ten (10) years old and no older than fourteen (14) years old) students are eligible to participate in the league.  A fifth-grade student (no younger than 9 years old) may be allowed to play up into the league as an exception ONLY with the approval of the league’s board after a review of their skills and abilities to ensure that their skills and abilities are at a level consistent with the rest of the player’s in the league.  Conversely, a 9th grade student who has previously skipped a grade or for some other reason falls within the age limitations of the league will be eligible to participate in the league.  There are no other exceptions for 9th grade students to participate unless the board finds an abundance of special circumstances which would deem it appropriate and upon a unanimous board vote.
  1. Players suspended from school are NOT allowed on any Stanly County School owned property and, therefore, are NOT allowed to participate in any practice, game, or any other league sponsored activity and are NOT allowed on any property associated with the league for the entire duration of their suspension from school (beginning the day that the suspension is issued and ending on the day the player is allowed to return to school).
  1. Teams MUST have approval from the league’s board (consisting of officers holding the President, Vice President, and Secretary posts) before any pick-up games, scrimmages, and/or combined practices are held.
  1. Games will be on Saturdays beginning in January and will begin at 9:00 am.  The subsequent games will be scheduled on the hour (i.e. 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm). 
  1. Games may NOT begin prior to the scheduled start time unless agreed upon by the head coaches for both teams, the site supervisor, and the officials.
  1. In case of inclement weather, a decision on whether or not practices and/or games will be canceled or not will be made as soon as possible after a review of weather conditions, road conditions, and the weather forecast by the league’s board.  A member of the league’s board will contact coaches and/or officials, if necessary, and the coaches will then be responsible for contacting their players with the board’s decision.  Any decisions made as to whether or not practices and/or games will be canceled due to inclement weather will always be made with the safety of the players, parents, and coaches as the top priority.  As a general rule, if Stanly County Schools have canceled school for the day and/or canceled any after school activities due to inclement weather, league practices and/or games will likely be canceled as well.
  1. The home team/gym is responsible for providing two (2) volunteers who are capable of performing the required tasks to operate the scoreboard and keep the score, if needed.  The home team/gym will be responsible for keeping the official scoresheet for the game.  The visiting/away team is allowed one (1) unofficial scorekeeper to sit at the score table.  All volunteers and/or site supervisors at the score table MUST remain impartial (i.e. no cheering).
  1. Girls’ teams will use an official women’s 28.5 basketball.  Boys’ teams will use an official men’s 29.5 basketball.
  1. Teams MUST receive at least eight (8) minutes of warm-up time prior to the beginning of each game.  Warm-up time will NOT begin until the court is cleared and ready from the previous game. 
  1. Only two (2) coaches per team are allowed on the sideline during games.  All players and any assistant coach for a team MUST remain seated on the bench when not playing in a game.
  1. Teams MAY begin a game with no fewer than four (4) players.  “Picking up” players from spectators is not allowed.  Players may be “picked up” and/or “borrowed” from another team within the league so long as:
  2. There is prior approval of the borrowed player by the board
  3. The player being “borrowed” is properly registered with the league and their registration fee has been fully paid
  4. The player being “borrowed” plays at, or as close as possible to, the same skill level of the player that they are replacing
  5. A coach may only “borrow” the number of players needed to give the team six (6) total players for the game.
  6. The coach who is needing to borrow players must submit the names of the player(s) that will not be in attendance and the player(s) he/she wishes to borrow to the board by Tuesday 9 pm.  The board has until Wednesday 9 pm to approve or not approve the borrowed players.  If the board does not approve of the  borrowed players, they will give suggestions of other options based on stats and/or the coach can suggest another player they wish to borrow.  NO games will be rescheduled on the basis of a team not having enough players to play.
  7. If a team needs to “borrow” a player during tournament play, the name of the player that will not be in attendance and the name of the player that is being “borrowed” will need to be submitted to the board no later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the start time of the game for the board to review and approve to ensure that the player being borrowed is as close of a match in terms of size and skill level as possible to the player who will not be in attendance.  The board will notify both of the head coaches of their decision as quickly as possible.       
  1. A game MUST be played if both teams have at least four (4) players present.  If a team cannot play a scheduled game because they only have four (4) players present, that team will be forfeiting the game. 
  1. In the event that the head coach of a team is unable to attend a scheduled game, he/she MUST find an assistant coach or a qualified parent who has been approved by the league’s board to fill in.
  1. All games are to be played in eight (8) minute quarters. 
  1. All games will include a five (5) minute half-time in between the second (2nd) and third (3rd) quarters.
  1. The clock will be stopped only for time-outs, free throws, and four (4) minute substitution breaks, except for during the last one (1) minute of the game.
  1. The clock will be stopped on all fouls, violations, and whistles during the last one (1) minute of the game as prescribed by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules.
  1. An official’s time-out for substitutions will be granted at approximately four (4) minutes remaining in the quarter for the first three (3) quarters.  The officials will call for substitutes as close to the four (4) minute mark as possible, but will only do so on a dead ball or during a time of insignificant action in the game play during which a time-out for substitutions is unlikely to affect the results of the game (ex. substitutes will not be called for during a shooting attempt or a fast break).  Once the game resumes, possession of the ball will return to the team who had possession prior to the substitution time-out being called.
  2. At the substitution break and between each quarter, each coach MUST INSERT ALL AVAILABLE SUBSTITUTES into the game (clear the bench).
  3. NO player is to sit out two (2) consecutive four (4) minute periods. 
  4. All players MUST play at least twelve (12) minutes of the game.
  5. All players MUST sit out at least four (4) minutes of the game, unless a team has five (5) or fewer players present.
  6. If a player becomes ill or injured or arrives late for the game, the coach is NOT required to put said player in according to the above stated rules.
  7. During the fourth (4th) quarter, there will be no mandatory substitutions at approximately four (4) minutes remaining in the quarter.  Substitutions can be made during the fourth (4th) quarter with a coach’s time-out.
  8. All players MUST check-in and be recorded at the score table BEFORE entering the game.
  9. The PENALTY for a coach/team not following the above stated substitution rules will be the team being forced to forfeit their next scheduled game, even if that game is a tournament game, and the coach being suspended for a minimum of one (1) game.
  1. Each team is permitted two (2) full sixty (60) second charged time-outs per half.
  1. Teams may press at any time unless the team is leading in the score by fifteen (15) points or more.
  1. At the point that a team obtains a lead in the score by twenty-five (25) points, that team will be required to remove their player who has scored the highest number points during the current game.  This player can be returned to play once the lead in the score has been reduced to twenty (20) points.   At the point that a team obtains a lead in the score by thirty-five (35) points, that team will be required to remove their player who has scored the second-highest number of points during the current game.  This player can be returned to play once the lead in the score has been reduced to thirty (30) points.
  1. The “three (3) second” lane violation will comprise the entire lane from the true fifteen (15) foot foul line.
  1. If a team only has five (5) players in attendance and one of the players fouls out of the game, the coach will have to choose from the following choices:
  2. The player who fouled out will come out of the game and the team will play the remainder of the game with only four (4) players
  3. The player who fouled out will remain in the game, but it will be treated as a technical foul if that specific player has another foul called against them after that point
  1. In the event of a tie during a regular season game, a one (1) minute overtime period will be played.  If the score is still tied at the end of the overtime period, the final score of the game will be recorded as a tie.
  2. The clock will be stopped on all fouls, violations, and whistles during the overtime period as prescribed by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules.
  3. Each team is allowed one (1) sixty (60) second full charged time-out during the overtime period.
  1. In the event of a tie during a tournament game, a one (1) minute overtime period will be played.  If the score is still tied at the end of the overtime period, a second one (1) minute overtime period will be played.  The teams will continue to play one (1) minute overtime periods until there is no longer a tie and a winner is determined.
  2. The clock will be stopped on all fouls, violations, and whistles during the overtime period as prescribed by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules.
  3. Each team is allowed one (1) sixty (60) second full charged time-out during the overtime period.

Ejections:

  1. Coaches:
  2. Any coach ejected from a game will be suspended for the remainder of the game and the next scheduled game. 
  3. If any coach is ejected twice in the same season, that coach will be suspended for the remainder of that season.
  4. Players:
  5. Any player ejected from a game will be suspended for the remainder of the game and the next scheduled game. 
  6. If any player is ejected twice in the same season, that player will be suspended for the remainder of that season without the option for a refund of  the registration fees they paid to participate in the league.
  7.  Parent/Spectators:
  8. Any parent/spectator ejected from a game will be suspended from all practices, games, and any other league activities for the remainder of the season.

Rev. 11/15/23

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Michael Jordan

Draft Rules

Approved by board vote November 13, 2019

To ensure fair and healthy competition within the league, the following draft parameters must be followed:

  1. There will be no late registration. However, the league board may allow late registration upon a board vote if participation numbers are low.
  • If a child is unable to be present on observation day, they will either be assigned an observation day at a later time to attend or will be assigned to a team without an observation day.  If the child is assigned an observation day at a later time, the league board will evaluate the child’s skills and evaluate overall team numbers in order to assign players.
  • Each team is allowed one (1) official head coach and one (1) official assistant coach of record.  Parents who are not the official head coach and/or assistant coach of record for their child(s)’s team may still help with the team as long as the official head coach and/or assistant coach of record allow them to do so.  The league board should be notified of any parent who is volunteering to help with the team in an unofficial capacity and all rules regarding coaches must still be followed (ex. Code of Conduct for coaches/volunteers must be followed; only two coaches and/or assistant coaches may be on the bench/sideline during games, so the parent volunteer who is helping the team in an unofficial capacity would not be allowed on the bench/sidelines with the team during games unless either the official coach and/or assistant coach for the team is absent for that game).
  • If you volunteer as a Head Coach prior to the league observation day and draft, the following applies:
  • As a Head Coach, your child is automatically assigned to your team prior to the league draft.
  • If a Head Coach has two children, they must forfeit their 3rd round draft pick.
  • If you volunteer as an Assistant Coach prior to the league observation day and draft, the following applies: 
  • If you volunteer as an Assistant Coach, you must be present on the bench, keeping score, or operating the game clock for at least 75% of your team’s games.
  • If the Assistant Coach has an 8th grade child, the Head Coach must forfeit their first round draft pick. 
  • If the Assistant Coach has a 7th grade child, the Head Coach must forfeit their second round draft pick. 
  • If the Assistant Coach has a 6th grade child, the Head Coach must forfeit their third round draft pick. 
  • If the Assistant Coach has a 5th grade child, the Head Coach must forfeit their fourth round draft pick.  The board must approve any 5th grade participants prior to them being registered to play.
  • The league board has the authority to require a Head Coach to forfeit any draft pick if a board vote determines that an unfair advantage has been gained by a Head Coach / Assistant Coach pairing prior to draft.  The league board also has the authority to modify the above forfeiting of draft picks if a player’s skill level is below the average skill level for their grade/age level.
  • The draft order will be decided by a computer generated randomizer application.  A board member who is not also serving as a coach in the draft will conduct the electronic draft order randomization. 
  • The only situations in which a request for two players to play on the same team will be taken into consideration is if those players are related (i.e. siblings, step-siblings, cousins, etc) and/or live in the same household.