Girls’ & Boys’ 8-10U Rules

GBA League Rules

I. ROSTERS & PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY:

A) AGE CUT-OFF RULES APPLY – FOLLOW THEM OR BE PENALIZED – SEPT 1 cutoff – read here. All 10U kids are NOT the same (as an example – all 11U, all 12U, all 13U are not the same). The player must turn 10 AFTER the cutoff month of Sept 1. If you have kids who are close and need to stay in this division, you must receive approval in writing to do so. Do not have a parent or coach run up to the table and scream, “But my kid is 12.” He must be 12 AFTER SEPT 1 to play in the 12U division.

B) Problems? Coaches have the right to raise eligibility questions via email each week up until the first weekend in January. Any coaches or players who continue to break very clear and fair rules will be penalized by not being allowed to play, given forfeits or being eliminated from playoffs.

C) Rosters are due by Jan 3 latest – name, age, date of birth. No adding to rosters without special, written permission.

– Players must play or show up (if injured) to at least five games to be eligible for playoffs. If the league cannot find proof that a player in question participated in at least half of the games, league has right to not allow player into playoffs.  

D) ONE TEAM PER DIVISION ONLY. NO PLAYER can play for two different teams in the same division unless special (rare) exception by the commissioner. A player who is 11 and under (grade 5) can play both grade 5 and “up” age-wise in the next division higher. NO DIVISION I players are allowed to play in DIVISION II games unless the opposing coach and a board member approves of the player PRIOR to the game.

II. STRUCTURE OF GAMES:

A) Games must start on time or it’s a forfeit, late team does not get a make-up. Forfeit fee attached. Team that was stood up gets to add another game. BE ON TIME.

B) The 8-10u Divisions are 4-on-4 ONLY, rosters are no more than 12 players, rosters must be emailed with name, number, date of birth by Week 3—first week of January

C) Players use 28.5-inch ball in this division.

D) NO BACKCOURT due to the small size of gyms.

E) Free throw is ONE giant step in (ref helps with this) but the player cannot chuck and run in.

F) PRESSING: No pressing EXCEPT for the last minute of the half, last two minutes of the game (use good judgment).

G) DURATION: Two 20-min running halves except clock STOPS on the whistle last minute of the first half, last two minutes of the second half. Clock only stops on time outs and emergencies except a) the last minute of the first half when it stops on the whistle and b) the last TWO MINUTES of the game on the whistle.  FOUR timeouts per team.  Must use 1 in the first half. 

H) FOULS and FREE THROW LINE: Five per player. Seven fouls = 1&1, 10 fouls = bonus. Free throws are ON THE RELEASE. Ages 10&Under again get to STEP IN (but cannot run in) IF THEY WANT TO, and Ages 11 and up – regulation. Ages 11-12 we do not strictly enforce the going over the line. Ages 13 and up – we DO.

I) TIMEOUTS: 4 total per game. 1 needs to be used in the first half, 3 in the second. Two full, two 30-second total. One extra for OT. OT is two minutes.

J) COACHES: One coach UP on the sideline, and the second one DOWN, seated on the bench or floor if there is no bench. No more than three coaches total.

K) TECHS: Two techs and you are out of the league – two total for the season – applies to players and coaches.

L) STALLING: No intentional stalling of games, meaning there is a shot clock under five minutes where a referee will count down 30 seconds by the clock or on the scoreclock if it allows for shot clock and let teams know that time is running out – they need to shoot the ball as if there was a shot clock.  Table must remind referees that they must count down to the kids as if there is a shot clock, especially in the last two minutes of a tight game.

M) MAKE THE GAMES PLAYABLE: NO forfeits. Why? So many kids, parents, coaches, fans are excited and go out of their way to get to games. If you need to move up a younger player or have someone’s younger sibling play, then do it. NO forfeits. You can admit to the coach what you had to do, let the kids play, then email the office with the outcome if the team with the patch players won. It is going to be a forfeit, but we don’t want the kids to know prior to the game. Just get the kids out there and play ball.

I) TIMEOUTS: 4 total per game. 1 needs to be used in the first half, 3 in the second. Two full, two 30-second total. One extra for OT.

J) COACHES: One coach UP on the sideline, and the second one DOWN, seated on the bench or floor if there is no bench. No more than three coaches total.

K) TECHS: Two techs and you are out of the league – two total for the season – applies to players and coaches.

L) STALLING: No intentional stalling of games, meaning there is a shot clock under five minutes where a referee will count down 30 seconds by the clock or on the scoreclock if it allows for shot clock and let teams know that time is running out – they need to shoot the ball as if there was a shot clock.  Table must remind referees that they must count down to the kids as if there is a shot clock, especially in the last two minutes of a tight game.

M) MAKE THE GAMES PLAYABLE: NO forfeits. Why? So many kids, parents, coaches, fans are excited and go out of their way to get to games. If you need to move up a younger player or have someone’s younger sibling play, then do it. NO forfeits. You can admit to the coach what you had to do, let the kids play, then email the office with the outcome if the team with the patch players won. It is going to be a forfeit, but we don’t want the kids to know prior to the game. Just get the kids out there and play ball.

III. UNIFORMS
a) Players must be in matching top and solid color, same color shorts.
b) If not, it’s a max of four total techs at the beginning of the game or at the half.
c) Late players – must be in the book or it’s a tech.
d) Duplicate numbers are a tech, as is missing uniform.
e) Duplicate numbers MUST be corrected with tape or it is confusing to the other team when falling back on defense, and confusing to the table.
f) Uniform techs are strictly enforced starting Jan-March.

IV. PLAYOFFS
a) Teams and commissioner agree to seed the teams in an A and/or B final – even C bracket if there’s room
b) All teams make playoffs. Winners advance, losers are out.

V. BEHAVIOR

  1. PRESSING: If a team is up by 25 points, the team must take off the press – MERCY RULE . Clock stays on.
  2. WIDE MARGINS: If a team is up by 25+ points and clearly dominant, coaches are expected to put the weakest players on the floor and control the margin the best they can – via passing goals, boxing out goals, etc. There is no need to win by more than 25-40 points MAX. Any teams that win by sizable margins will receive an email and warning to not do it again.
  3. PARENTS need to stay in the bleachers and in their parenting lane. Coaches, Refs, Managers work together while parents parent and cheer. Parents are NOT to harass referees, managers or opposing coaches (or their own). If they do, they will be asked out of the building.
  4. All coaches, refs and parents – all adults – must have ID in order to enter the gyms.
  5. If player eligibility is a chronic issue, then we have the right to ask some players for ID.
  6. STALLING – No intentional stalling of games, meaning there is a shot clock under five minutes where a referee will count down 35 seconds by the clock or on the scoreclock if it allows for shot clock and let teams know that time is running out – they need to shoot the ball as if there was a shot clock.  Table must remind referees that they must count down to the kids as if there is a shot clock, especially in the last two minutes of a tight game.
  7. Cleaning up the BENCH after your game is over, and helping pick up trash at the end of the day is something we ask of all the kids, teams, coaches, staff and parents. Please assist us.
  8. HARD OUT ON THE CLOSING OF GYMS. We have permits, they have end times. We must hustle out of schools when the management is saying “Hustle” or else we get penalized for it and risk our gym space.
  9. Protests or issues must be called or emailed in within 24 hours or less of the game.
  10. The ref schedule is set usually by MONDAY night for the upcoming weekend. It is very difficult to make changes after it is locked. All requests need to be made by Monday 9am so that there’s a chance adjustments can be made for that following weekend.

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