MHAA Youth Basketball Rules
MHAA Youth Basketball Rules 3-4 Grade Boys & Girls 1. Game Length 1. 40 minutes total; EXCEPT for time-outs and free-throws. i. Consists of EIGHT – FIVE minute quarters 1. No time-outs between quarters, player substitutions and resume play immediately ii. 3 minutes for half-time iii. Game starts with a jump ball, but each quarter starts with alternating possession 2. Clock stops only on: i. Time-outs ii. Foul Shots iii. Last 2-minutes of games on whistle, if lead is less than 15 points. 3. Playing Time per the following: i. Referees will not be enforcing Playing Time rules. ii. Flagrant violation may result in game forfeiture. iii. Games will consist of EIGHT quarters, each Five Minutes long. iv. No substitutions will be allowed during a quarter, except for an injury. v. Substitutions will occur at Quarter breaks only. vi. Each player will play a set number of quarters depending on the number of players at the game, as provided below:
# OF PLAYERS a. 5 - 5 PLAY all 8 PERIODS b. 6 - 4 PLAY 7 PERIODS 2 PLAY 6 PERIODS c. 7 - 5 PLAY 6 PERIODS 2 PLAY 5 PERIODS d. 8 - 8 PLAY 5 PERIODS e. 9 - 4 PLAY 5 PERIODS 5 PLAY 4 PERIODS f. 10 - 10 PLAY 4 PERIODS 2. Time violations will be enforced for: 1. 10 seconds to get the ball past mid-court line 2. 5 second lane violations 3. 5 second closely guarded, if defender is within 4 feet, ball handler has 5 seconds to move with the ball. 3. Timeouts - two time-outs per game. One additional timeout in OT (playoffs only) 4. Games may end in a tie. 5. Basket height – 10 feet, 9 feet (girls). 6. Ball size – 28.5, 27.5 (girls) 7. Foul shots 1. Foul shots will be from Free-throw line. 2. No one-and-one foul shot on non-shooting fouls MHAA In-House Rules
2015-2016 Season
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MHAA Youth Basketball Rules 3-4 Grade Boys & Girls 3. Two shots for shooting fouls. 4. There will be no foul shots on team control fouls as well as player control fouls 5. Players are allowed to cross the free throw line when shooting (coaches should discourage 4th graders from doing this) (Girls may shoot foul shots from tan line) 8. A player will not foul out on her/his fifth personal foul, but coaches should substitute a player out for excessive fouling. Substitutions should be with a player of equal to or less playing ability 9. Three point shots are permitted and counted as 3. 10. Each team is required to provide one person for time keeping and scoring. 11. Referees will be provided 12. Player, coach, parent conduct – No arguing with Referees. Set a good example. 13. Person-to-Person defense is required. No Pressing and No Zone 1. Person-to-person defense is to be within 4 feet of your mark on the defensive half of the court. i. Off the ball, a player may be more than 4 feet from their mark, but cannot be inside the lane if the ball and their mark are outside the lane. ii. No double-teaming will take place except inside the lane or when the ball carrier is within 4 feet of any defender (e.g., if a defender is marking someone that is setting a pick for the ball carrier, that defender may double team the ball carrier as long as they remain within 4 feet of their original mark). iii. Once the ball enters the lane, a double or triple team is allowed. 2. Person-to-person defense does allow for help-side defense. Help-side allows for players on the weak/off-ball side of the court to be more than 4 feet from their mark and to come toward the middle of the floor, but not into the lane. The intention is to discourage teams on offense from isolating one strong player on one side of the court and to teach players good tactics of team defense. 3. When the ball is being in-bound, the defensive team can protect the basket by dropping into the paint or playing zone. Once the ball is inbound, players must convert to person-to-person defense. 14. Teams may not play a game with less than five players. A 5 minute grace period from the scheduled start will be allowed before a forfeit is declared (the game will be forfeited if there are less than 5 players at the start OR there are less than 5 at any point in the game.) Teams may scrimmage during the allotted time if a team forfeits.
MHAA In-House Rules
2015-2016 Season
Page 2 of 2
# OF PLAYERS a. 5 - 5 PLAY all 8 PERIODS b. 6 - 4 PLAY 7 PERIODS 2 PLAY 6 PERIODS c. 7 - 5 PLAY 6 PERIODS 2 PLAY 5 PERIODS d. 8 - 8 PLAY 5 PERIODS e. 9 - 4 PLAY 5 PERIODS 5 PLAY 4 PERIODS f. 10 - 10 PLAY 4 PERIODS 2. Time violations will be enforced for: 1. 10 seconds to get the ball past mid-court line 2. 5 second lane violations 3. 5 second closely guarded, if defender is within 4 feet, ball handler has 5 seconds to move with the ball. 3. Timeouts - two time-outs per game. One additional timeout in OT (playoffs only) 4. Games may end in a tie. 5. Basket height – 10 feet, 9 feet (girls). 6. Ball size – 28.5, 27.5 (girls) 7. Foul shots 1. Foul shots will be from Free-throw line. 2. No one-and-one foul shot on non-shooting fouls MHAA In-House Rules
2015-2016 Season
Page 1 of 2
MHAA Youth Basketball Rules 3-4 Grade Boys & Girls 3. Two shots for shooting fouls. 4. There will be no foul shots on team control fouls as well as player control fouls 5. Players are allowed to cross the free throw line when shooting (coaches should discourage 4th graders from doing this) (Girls may shoot foul shots from tan line) 8. A player will not foul out on her/his fifth personal foul, but coaches should substitute a player out for excessive fouling. Substitutions should be with a player of equal to or less playing ability 9. Three point shots are permitted and counted as 3. 10. Each team is required to provide one person for time keeping and scoring. 11. Referees will be provided 12. Player, coach, parent conduct – No arguing with Referees. Set a good example. 13. Person-to-Person defense is required. No Pressing and No Zone 1. Person-to-person defense is to be within 4 feet of your mark on the defensive half of the court. i. Off the ball, a player may be more than 4 feet from their mark, but cannot be inside the lane if the ball and their mark are outside the lane. ii. No double-teaming will take place except inside the lane or when the ball carrier is within 4 feet of any defender (e.g., if a defender is marking someone that is setting a pick for the ball carrier, that defender may double team the ball carrier as long as they remain within 4 feet of their original mark). iii. Once the ball enters the lane, a double or triple team is allowed. 2. Person-to-person defense does allow for help-side defense. Help-side allows for players on the weak/off-ball side of the court to be more than 4 feet from their mark and to come toward the middle of the floor, but not into the lane. The intention is to discourage teams on offense from isolating one strong player on one side of the court and to teach players good tactics of team defense. 3. When the ball is being in-bound, the defensive team can protect the basket by dropping into the paint or playing zone. Once the ball is inbound, players must convert to person-to-person defense. 14. Teams may not play a game with less than five players. A 5 minute grace period from the scheduled start will be allowed before a forfeit is declared (the game will be forfeited if there are less than 5 players at the start OR there are less than 5 at any point in the game.) Teams may scrimmage during the allotted time if a team forfeits.
MHAA In-House Rules
2015-2016 Season
Page 2 of 2
