GBA Recreation Rules & Regulations
The GBA will follow the rules of the National High School Basketball Association with certain modifications. Some highlights of these High School rules are:
1. Each game will consist of four 8-minute quarters.
2. The game clock will stop when the official blows the whistle.
3. Games begin with a center jump. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters will begin with alternating possessions.
4. Each player is permitted five fouls. Upon the fifth foul, a player will be disqualified from the game. If a player or coach receives two technical fouls during a game, or is otherwise ejected from a game by the referees, then that player or coach is suspended from, and may not attend, the next game.
5. Each team is permitted six team fouls without penalty in each half. On commission of the seventh foul, the opposition will begin to shoot penalty shots (1 and 1). Upon commission of the 10th foul, the opposition will be awarded two foul shots.
League Modifications
The following adjustments to the High School rules will be made for all divisions:
1. Each player will play at least one half of every game. Optimally, each team will play with two squads. At about the 4-minute mark of each quarter, the referee will whistle a stoppage for squad substitutions only. In the event that 10 players are not available, at the end of the game, no player shall have played more than 1 session more than any other player who was present and eligible for the entire game. The session counting for this purpose will reset at the beginning of a first overtime, but will not reset for additional overtime periods. Overtime periods are 3 minutes long with a stoppage for substitutions at the 1:30 mark.
2. Each team may call a maximum of 3 time outs per game.
3. Flagrant fouls, if called, will result in immediate game disqualification for the player. Any repeat offender will be banned from the GBA upon review by the League Director and President. Naturally, fighting will be construed by the officials as a flagrant foul for purposes of this rule.
4. Profane or abusive language or actions are not acceptable. Such an outburst from a player or coach, will result in a technical foul. If a referee ejects a player or coach from a game under this rule, then that player or coach will serve a one game suspension for the next scheduled game.
5. Substitutions during a four minute shift are not permitted, except if a player currently playing becomes ill, is injured, fouls out, or is ejected. In the event that a player must leave play for these reasons, then the referee will stop time to permit a substitution. The following rules on substitution then apply:
A. The coach of the player leaving the game selects the partial shift substitute.
B. The substitute player selected should be of equivalent or lesser playing ability to the player being replaced unless no equivalent or lesser player is available, in which case the next best player is selected.
C. A player can only be a substitute once during the game unless they are the only player available who is of equivalent or lesser playing ability.
D. For all but the last 4 minutes of the game, a player that plays less than 2 minutes of a shift (a partial shift) is not considered to have played that shift. If the substitution is made at the two minute mark, the person who started the shift is considered to have played that shift. The second player is not.
E. During the last 4 minutes of the game, any player who starts a shift and any player who enters as a substitute are both treated as if they played a shift even if they play for less than two minutes.
F. During any overtime period, rules 5A, B, C and E apply.
6. The High School Rules which apply in GBA require a team to have 5 players at the start of a game. The referee may allow a delayed start of no more than 5 minutes to accommodate a team waiting for 5 players to arrive. If 5 players are still not ready to play after the permitted delay, then the other team shall be awarded a win by forfeit, assuming they have at least 5 players present. If neither team has 5 players, the game is a tie. Once the forfeit or tie has been decided, those players present should play an officiated game anyway, even if it is 4 on 4, or some other combination of players. The teams should share players as needed.
Divisional Modifications
1. In the 4th Grade League and Big East Division (5th grade), backcourt pressure is permitted only during the last minute of the game and the last minute of any three minute overtime period. At all other times, once possession has been established on a defensive rebound, or a basket is made and the ball is given over to the other team, the opposition team cannot contest the ball in that half of the court. All defenders must be instructed to drop back over the half court line. In the SEC Division (6th grade), backcourt pressure is permitted only in the last two minutes of the game and the last 1:30 minute of any three minute overtime period (after the substitution occurs). In the 7th grade, backcourt pressure is permitted only in the last two minutes of each half and the last two minutes of any three minute overtime period. If backcourt pressure is applied when not permitted, a warning will be given by the referees. On the next infraction, a technical foul will be called for an illegal defense. In all other divisions, backcourt pressure is permitted at will throughout the season.
2. In the 4th Grade, Big East (5th grade) and SEC (6th grade) divisions doubling on the ball is permitted inside the three point arc. Doubling on the ball outside of the three point arc is only permitted when backcourt pressure is permitted. Doubling on the ball outside the three point arc when when no back court pressure is permitted, doubling off the ball, or triple teaming are not permitted at any time and, if done, a warning will be given by the referees. On the next infraction, a technical foul will be called for an illegal defense. In all other divisions, normal basketball rules apply.
3. Zone defenses are permitted only in the Big Ten (7th), PAC 10 (8th) and NBA divisions (9th-12th grades). 4th, 5th and 6th grade teams must play man-to-man defense.
4. In the 4th Grade and Big East (5th grade) it is permitted for players shooting foul shots to jump past the foul line in the act of shooting as long as they stand behind the line at the commencement of the shot. If the player advances past the line they cannot continue towards the rim for the rebound until after the ball touches the rim.
