Basketball Rules | Calgary Sport and Social Club

SSC Basketball League Rules

Updated – August 11, 2007

SSC LEAGUE RULES

GENERAL PLAYING GUIDELINES

Layout of the Game:

Before the Game: Teams meet and all players shake hands before the game

At the Half: Team captains meet with one another to discuss the game. Any issues should be brought up respectfully

End of the Game: All players shake hands and team captains meet up to discuss any issues with the game

Team jerseys: The SSC does not provide 'pinnies'. All players must bring both white and dark shirts to each game. The captains can decide prior to the game which team will wear which color. Teams may also pick their own color to wear in the games. Players who do not have shirts to match the majority of the team may be asked not to play by the GC or the opposing captain.

One basket is worth 2 points. There will be no 3-point shots scored (this is because some older schools don't have a three-point line).

Player substitutions may be made when play has stopped. (i.e. the ball has gone out of bounds or a foul or violation has been committed). When making a substitution players must return to their bench.

You can sub on the fly.
When subbing players must enter using the same area where the other player exits.

Checking the Ball: Players are to 'check' the ball on a turnover, when in the team's defensive half. When going from defense to offence, checking is not required. You should also check after a foul or ball out of bounds.

Shooting and Fouls: If a defensive player fouls an offensive player while a shot is being taken and the basket goes in, the basket counts. If an offensive player fouls a defensive player during a shot and the basket goes in, the basket does not count.

FOULS AND VIOLATIONS

Players are expected to know basic basketball rules and call their own fouls. Do not wait for the GC or your opponent to call it. If you are not calling your own fouls expect the GC to step in and start making calls and to receive low sportsmanship ratings from the GC and your opponent.

Multiple Offense Rule: The GC may eliminate any player from a game, match or competition that they feel is continually abusing the rules and the spirit of the game. An example would be a basketball player who fouls opponents several times in a game.

If players are not following the rules, the GC will take the following action:

Warning – GC can determine how long they would like a player to sit out.

o Penalty – The GC can give the player a penalty where they must sit out of the action and their team is short handed. Basketball = 5 minutes of playing time.

Ejection – The GC may choose to eject a player from a game or match. Once a player has been ejected they must leave the gymnasium/field immediately.

As these penalties can be a result of minor incidents, further action will not necessarily be taken by the SSC. The SSC reserves the right to review each situation on a case-by-case basis and if further action is warranted, it will be taken.

Fouls: All fouls result in loss of possession

Player fouled while shooting: When a player is fouled while shooting the ball, two resulting scenarios can take place.

Ball goes IN on shot: When a player is fouled while shooting the ball and they make the shot, the basket will count and the shooting team will retain possession of the ball. They will get the ball at half-court on the sideline.

Ball MISSES on shot: When a player is fouled while shooting the ball and they miss the shot, the player will go to the free-throw line and shoot 1 shot worth 2 points if made. This foul shot will be taken “Technical Free Throw” style (no rebounding, the ball is not live off of a miss). The shooting team will retain possession after the free-throw and get the ball at half-court on the sideline.

Multiple fouls during 1 possession: A player who commits multiple fouls during one trip down the floor (a possession), will serve a 2 minute minor penalty on their bench. The offender’s team is NOT short handed during this situation unless they do not have a player to substitute for the offender.

Personal Fouls:
These are in general violations of the non-contact principle and include: holding, pushing, reaching in, tripping, charging, physical impediment of the progress of an opponent (moving pick, moving block).

Technical Fouls:
These are infractions of the administrative rules that do not include the above:

Use of profanity (this includes a team’s fans or players on the bench), baiting or intimidating an opponent or the GC (this includes the team’s fans or players on the bench),
Questioning a call made by the GC or your opponent (this includes the team’s fans or players on the bench),
Hand-blocking (waving your hands in front of your opponent’s face to obscure his/her vision),
Improper substitutions (a player coming off the bench touches the ball before the person he/she is replacing is off the court)
Faking being fouled,
Intentionally or flagrantly contacting an opponent when the ball is dead.
Players can not intentionally kick the ball with any part of their leg (THE KEYWORD HERE IS INTENTIONALLY!!!!)
Players can not strike the ball with a fist (the ball must be passed with an open hand)
PLEASE NOTE: Depending on the severity of a technical foul, captains should be prepared to sit out their player who committed the foul AND/OR expect the GC to do the same or even eject a player from the game.

Violations: All violations result in loss of possession

Traveling (i.e. holding ball and walking).
Over and Back: Once an offensive player has crossed half-court completely with the ball (two feet are over the half-court line), the ball can not be passed back into the back-court.
Double dribbling (i.e. dribbling the ball, stopping, and then dribbling again).
You may pivot on one foot while holding the ball. As soon as you lift your pivot foot up, and you have not passed the ball or started dribbling that is double-dribbling or traveling.
The “3 in the key” rule applies and must be honored. Our players have voted to have a 3-5 second range before it gets called.

Please note: The '3 in the key' rule is in effect for the entire time the offense has the ball. The rule simply states than no offensive player (with or without the ball) may remain in the key area (large rectangle in front of the basket) for more than 3 seconds. Any part of the offensive player in the key (one, booth feet or just a heel) is considered 'in the key'. The count restarts each time a shot is attempted. Situations occur when an offensive player is in the key attempting to score but keeps missing and getting their own rebound. Each time they attempt a shot, the count restarts. A player attempting to score, missing and rebounding their own shot could be in the key for an extended period of time, so long as they attempt that shot within 3 seconds.

If a player fouls or commits a violation (especially for a second time) and does not call themselves, it is OK for the fouled or violated team or player to (politely) inform them of the foul – some players may not realize they are committing a foul

CALLING FOULS AND INFRACTIONS

Players in possession of the ball (on offence) will be responsible for calling fouls (reaching in, blocking, shooting fouls) on the defending team.
Players on defense are responsible for calling infractions (traveling, over/back, lane violations) and offensive fouls (charging, illegal picks)
GC’s will step in to make calls when players are not. Players are encouraged to call their own fouls.

DIVISION/LEVEL SPECIFIC RULES

REC DIVISION:

In the recreational league, a back-court press is not allowed after a basket. Defenders may not pick up a player until they have crossed the half court line after a basket.
Defenders cannot put pass pressure on the offensive player throwing the ball in after a basket. *****This rule does not apply to turnovers where the offensive team will take possession in their defensive/backcourt end. *******

INTERMEDIATE AND REC PLUS DIVISION:

Back court press is allowed

GENERAL RULES (All Divisions/Levels)

SPORTSMANSHIP

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

Games Coordinators are required by the SSC to ask players to leave the gym if they are involved with any of the following acts:

• Challenging the GC by Questioning Calls or their ability to call a good game.

• Swearing directly at another player or the GC

• Intentionally pushing, shoving or making physical contact with another player

or the GC

• Making comments to instigate an altercation with another player or the GC

Any player disrespecting the GC will be suspended. Players, please control your actions by showing others respect.

Challenging the Games Coordinator:

The GC's monitor the games with the objective of making them safe and fun. They are not trained referees - they are sports enthusiasts who are familiar with the SSC Rulebook.

ALL PLAYERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS BY PLAYING WITH FAIRNESS AND CALLING THEMSELVES ON THEIR OWN FOULS. PLAYERS MUST TREAT EACH OTHER AND THE GC WITH RESPECT. The GCs will step-in when they feel players are not following these guidelines.

If a player is ejected from a game due to unsportsmanlike play, they must leave the gym immediately. If they are suspended by the SSC for additional games, they may not watch the game from inside the gym.

If you see any unsportsmanlike behavior from a team-mate the following will occur:

Remove your team-mate for 5 minutes
If behavior hasn’t improved after the 5 minutes, remove from game
GC is obligated to step in and handle the situation accordingly

We ask that you refer to the GC by their first name - do not call them "ref". Calling them “ref” could result in a loss of spirit points.

Reading the Rules and Understanding Sportsmanship

The SSC will hold in-person meetings for basketball players prior to the season start. Each team must send at least one player from their team to this meeting. If your team does not send a player, you will default your first game 10-0 and receive 0 sportsmanship points. You will not be charged the default fee if your team shows up. A friendly game will be played. Players can represent more than one team at the meeting.

Sportsmanship Ratings and Standings

Rating Sportsmanship: Each team will be given 3 sportsmanship ratings per game, one rating from the opponent and two ratings from the GC. The best rating you can receive per game is +3, the worst is –3. The rating judges Spirit of the Game as well as Accountability for calling your own Infractions and Penalties. The GC will rate each of these areas as separate scores while the opponent will rate them together. The ratings work as follows:

“Accountability” Rating:
This rating is based solely on how you felt your opponent took responsibility for calling their own fouls. A team that does well on Accountability either: committed few or no fouls so it was not an issue, or committed several fouls and made a genuine attempt to call most of them.

“Spirit of the Game” Rating:
This rating is based solely on how Fun your opponent was. A high rating would be for a team that appeared to put winning second and fun first, encouraged themselves or their opponent in a positive way.

Rating	Explanation
(+1)	The team was a lot of fun and made a genuine attempt to call their fouls.
(0)	This team was OK. There are two scenarios: (1) they were average in both Fun and Accountability; (2) They were strong in one area but weak in the other area.
(-1)	This team was not fun (too intense or aggressive) and generally did not follow the rules and call their own infractions/penalties.

The Sportsmanship Ratings that you receive from the GC and your opponent will affect your ratings and status in the league:

In any game, should you receive a -1 rating from BOTH the GC and your opponent, your team will automatically lose 1 point in the standings.

If the above happens a second time, you will lose another point in the standings AND automatically default/forfeit your next game. Your team will not be allowed to play and we will find a replacement team for your opponent.

If it happens a third time, your team will be ejected from the league. There are no refunds for teams who are ejected from the league.

At any time the SSC may penalize or suspend a team or player for unsporting actions regardless of the ratings given by your opponents or the GC.

The Sportsmanship Rating systems affect on the League Standings:

REC Divisions: Sportsmanship ratings will be combined with the game result for total points in the standings. The sportsmanship ratings you receive from the GC and your opponent will be added to the points your team was awarded for the win, tie or loss.

For example:

Team 1 Wins the Game = 2 Points
Full Spirit from their opponents and GC = 3 points
Total = 5 points

Team 2 Loses the Game = 0 Points
Full Spirit from their opponents and GC = 3 points
Total = 3 Points

Team 3 Wins the Game = 2 Points
                             GC and Opponents award a 0, -1, and -1 = -2 Points
                             Team will further lose another point for receiving two -1’s
                             Total = -1 Points

ALL Other Divisions: A team's ranking in the standings is determined first by the number of games you have won, tied or lost. A team gets 2 points for a win, 1 for a tie and 0 for a loss. Tiebreakers will be determined by sportsmanship ratings then point’s differential. For full sportsmanship policy, click here

Lady Bing Sportsmanship Award:
Each season one team will be presented with the Lady Bing Sportsmanship Award. This will be a team who was nominated for EXCEPTIONAL sportsmanship by their peers. The team will be given a few fun things for being such a great team to play! Would you like to nominate a team? Click here.

Reporting Sportsmanship Concerns:

If during the game you have an unresolved concern with the other team, address the issue respectfully with the GC
If at the end of the game you are required to make known any unresolved issues or concerns regarding the game with the opponent’s captain and the GC. At this time you must give the other team a spirit rating for the game.
If rate your opponent a ‘-1’, you are required to submit a formal complaint online by 5 PM the day. Click here. If you choose not to submit a report, the rating will be changed to a ‘0’.

The following is an outline of how the SSC handles complaints:

The captain of the team who was issued the complaint will receive feedback from the SSC based on comments from the GC and/or the opponent. This will be kept on file to compare any future complaints against the same team or player. At the SSC's sole discretion, the player or team may receive a warning, suspension, or removal from the league.

Teams who have been issued a complaint are always welcome to provide their own feedback on the game in relation to the GC or their opponent.

No refunds are issued to players or teams that have been ejected from the league.

GAME FORMAT

THE GYMS

The SSC rents gym time from the City of Calgary, Parks and Rec and some private facilities. Weekday rental times/game times can start anytime between 6:30-10:30pm.

ALL PLAYERS ARE EXPECTED TO TREAT EACH FACILITY WITH RESPECT. THE CLUB RENTS THESE FACILITIES WHICH MEANS THE FACILITY MAY REVOKE OUR RENTAL PRIVILEDGES AT ANY TIME. Any player or team who causes The Club to get a complaint may be removed from the league.

The SSC provides one high quality Wilson game ball at each gym. This ball will be left at the schools in a box marked "Property of SSC". If a SSC GC is not present, the caretaker can assist you in finding the ball and storing it after the last game.

GAME TIMES

Please arrive at the time suggested on your schedule, usually 15 minutes prior to the scheduled game time. This will allow some warm-up time so the games can start on time.

Games consist of two 24-minute halves, with a 2-minute half time. The captains and GC should use this half time to discuss any sportsmanship issues in the game. The conversation should be open and two-way with the captains making a commitment to each other to keep a great game staying great or to improve their teams play to make it more fun for the rest of the game. The GC should mediate this conversation and provide feedback for both teams.
In regular season games, ties are allowed - no overtime or shoot-outs.
Scores and time keeping are usually managed by the SSC Games Coordinator who will be present to monitor most games. If there is no GC present, captains are responsible for these duties.
Should a playoff game be tied at the end of regulation time, a 5-minute OT period will be played to determine a winner. If the game is still tied at the end of the 5 minutes, there will be a jump ball and play will continue until the next basket is scored.

GAMES COORDINATORS

Games Coordinators (GCs) are SSC employees. Their main role is to set-up the facility so it is ready for game time, keep score and keep the time. They are not trained referees. They are there to encourage sportsmanlike play and to help to keep the games running smoothly. If players are not calling their own fouls the GC reserves the right to step in and call these fouls.

In some cases a GC may not be present to monitor the game. In this case the team captains are responsible to keeping time, keeping score and making sure that their own players are playing within the guidelines of the SSC.

WAIVER

All players must sign a waiver before playing in our leagues. This can be filled out online or copies can be requested from the club. All subs must also sign waivers. Captains are responsible to ensure that this is done.

The waiver covers liability and sportsmanship.

Refunds are generally not issued for players who sustain an injury and are unable to continue play in the league.

ROSTERS

A full team is five players. Two players must be female.

Minimum of FOUR players needed to start and continue a game. One must be female. Zero females will be recorded as an automatic default but the SSC recommends still playing for fun!

Rosters: Complete and accurate team rosters must be submitted for each team. You can have as many players on your roster as you want to, your decision should be based on player commitment. The SSC recommends between 9-12 players.

SUBS and DEFAULTS

The SSC feels that defaults should be prevented whenever possible. Teams pay to PLAY! So what are the rules for bringing in subs?

A team may bring in subs that are not listed on the roster. Subs at any time must not have, or play at, a higher skill level than the player(s) they are replacing.
If you are playing in a league where games may be played before yours, you may only borrow players from the previous games to prevent your team from defaulting. You can not add players from a previous game if it increases the number of players on the roster beyond a minimum full roster which is 5 players including 2 females.
Teams may bring in subs for playoff games but these players must have played during the regular season with the team. There is one exception to this rule: Your team is going to default due a lack of players. In this case, only, new players will be allowed to play but teams may only field a minimum full roster (see above).
It is each team’s responsibility to NOT bring in ‘ringers’ – respect your opponent and the league by making it a fair game!

A sub-list can be requested from the office or you can recruit subs on the player forum. If you recruit a sub, it is your responsibility to ensure they are ready to play (know the rules and have submitted a waiver).

DEFAULTS

All teams are to be ready to play at the time listed on the schedule (varies gym to gym)
At game time any teams not meeting the minimum player requirements will default the game.

Minimum player requirements (to avoid a default) for all SSC leagues:

At least 1 female and 3 other players (4 total players)
Default scores are recorded as 0-40 and -3 for sportsmanship.
The $50 default will be owed each night a team defaults. Teams must provide the fee before being allowed to play their next games. If a team defaults on a second night, their status in the league will be under review. The team defaulted against will receive a $50 refund onto the credit card used to register the team.

REPORTING RESULTS

When a GC is present to monitor the games, the captain will report a sportsmanship rating and confirmation of the score will occur with the GC.

If no GC is present at the game, players must keep time and score during the game. Captains should confirm the score often during a game, after each goal, at half time and at the end of the game. Any discrepancies must be dealt with at the game so that the captains report the same score to the SSC the following day by noon. This can be done by phone or online by clicking on Basketball and then GAME REPORTS. Teams also report their sportsmanship for their opponent at this time.