Ledyard Youth Basketball League Inc. Rules 2018-2019
1. MEMBERSHIP: Boys and girls in 1st Grade through 9th Grade are eligible to participate in the League. Exceptions to this age range may be brought to the attention of the League Board. There shall be a membership fee for all children who participate in the League. Players who are not Ledyard residents will be allowed to participate if space is available in the league.
2. LEAGUE BOARD: The composition of the League Board is described in the League By-Laws.
3. DIVISIONS: The Divisions of the League are broken down as follows:
Mixed Ledyard Divisions
Bitty Division – Open to Boys and Girls in 1st and 2nd Grade
Instructional Division – Open to Boys and Girls in 3rd and 4th Grade
Juniors Division – Open to Boys and Girls in 5th and 6th Grade
Seniors Division – Open to Boys and Girls in 7th through 9th Grade
Girls Travel Division
Girls Micro Teams – Open to Girls Ages 8-9
Girls Juniors Teams – Open to Girls Ages 10-11
Girls Seniors Teams – Open to Girls Ages 12-15
4 RULES: Amendments to these League Rules shall be made by a majority vote of the League Board. Girls participating in the Southeastern CT Regional Girls Basketball League will follow the rules of that League.
5. FEES: The individual membership fee, charged to all children who participate in the League, will be based on the expenses the League plans to incur. These fees cover insurance for the League, full background checks for all coaches, payments for referees, equipment, etc. Scholarships are available, when the League budget permits, when requested by a parent for a child eligible for the school lunch program. Parents must provide documentation of the program.
6. VOLUNTEERS: Parents and interested adults are encouraged to participate in the program as head coaches, assistant coaches, division commissioners, uniform coordinators, webmaster, scheduler, timekeeper/scorekeeper, or any other positions determined by the board as needed by the League. A head coach is required per team. The League Board shall approve all coaches and assistant coaches. All coaches must agree to a background check.
7. CONDUCT: Violent, threatening or abusive behavior and/or language (including social media)
toward players, coaches, referees, or any League official shall not be tolerated. Anyone found in violation shall be banned from the League by a majority vote of the League Board. In the case of a spectator, they shall be removed from the school (per Board of Education Policy). A player and parent (spectator) code of participation shall be provided to all participants. These codes provide guidelines for appropriate player, parent, and spectator conduct and behavior.
8. PROGRAM SITES: Most practices, games, tournaments, and clinics will be conducted at Ledyard Schools. Some teams may travel to additional sites in other Southeastern CT area towns. Practice times will be assigned by Commissioners to each coach and will be conducted at Ledyard Center School, Juliet Long School, Gales Ferry School, Gallup Hill School, Ledyard Middle School, and Ledyard High School as well as any Board-approved out of town sites. The use of shower and locker room facilities will NOT be available. Participants must arrive at the gymnasium dressed and prepared to play basketball. Access to lavatories shall be available. A team coach MUST be present at all practices and games.
9. WEATHER CANCELLATIONS: In the event of inclement weather, cancellations will be posted on TV Channels WFSB and WTNH, on the League website and Facebook page, and on the GameChanger Team Manager application. If school is cancelled or dismissed early due to weather, there will be no practices or games.
10. SPECTATORS: According to Board of Education policy, spectators are not permitted. However, parents and relatives/friends of the program participants SHALL BE ALLOWED to watch, provided they remain in the gymnasium at all times during the program. Parents are welcome to assist the program at any time. Parents and spectators are expected to read and comply with the code for participation with regard to behavior at games and practices. Parents and other spectators whose behavior is judged to be inappropriate by the coaches and officials shall be issued a warning by both team coaches and the officials. A second infraction shall result in a technical foul on the team causing the incident, and a third or subsequent infraction shall result in an ejection from the gym. If the infraction resulting in an ejection is committed by a player or coach, the player or coach will be suspended for the following game. The responsible team coach shall inform the League President of the incident for further action.
11. EQUIPMENT: Soft-soled athletic shoes and the basketball uniform or t-shirt required by the specific Division is the required uniform. Soft-soled athletic shoes must be worn on the gymnasium floor. It is recommended that basketball shoes be carried to the gym site and put on directly before play. Adult coaches must wear basketball shoes or soft-soled shoes to be allowed on the court.
12. INJURY PROCEDURES: Coaches will be provided with a first aid kit by the league. For all practices and games, all bleeding that occurs must be stopped, the open wound covered, and if there is an excessive amount of blood on the uniform, it must be changed before the athlete may return to the game. Gloves must be used, and hands must be washed after removing gloves. Custodians must clean all contaminated surfaces and equipment before competition resumes. All possible concussions will be flagged as such by coaches, referees, and the LYBL Supervisor at Junior and Senior Division games. The LYBL Concussion Policy will be followed for return to play.
13. PARTICIPATION: Players may only participate in one Division of the League. Players may participate in Middle School, American Athletic Union (AAU), or other tournament teams and play in the Ledyard Youth Basketball League. Ninth grade players playing on any level of a high school team may NOT play in the Ledyard Youth Basketball League in accordance with Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) rules.
14. AGE LIMITS: The age limits for the Divisions and the number of players on a team shall be strictly enforced with the following exceptions:
a. In the event of a dire need for a coach in any division, the League reserves the right to make exceptions to the age limits pertaining to any division on a case by case basis if the parent of the child agrees to act as a head coach or co-head coach (neither coach can attend all the games due to travel commitments) of a team. The vote can be taken verbally by the League Board and recorded in the meeting minutes. A dire need is when there are not enough volunteer coaches to provide teams for all children who signed up by the last evaluation.
b. The optimum number on a team will be 8 players. Whenever possible with sufficient coaches, all divisions shall be balanced with the same number of players per team. Late sign-ups for the League will be put on a waiting list and will only be added to the League if the numbers of players on each team will be equal (i.e. 8 players on each team).
c. All attempts will be made to place players in the appropriate Division by their age. Players shall not be sent down to lower Division unless there is no room left in the Division above or unless his/her abilities warrant that he/she be moved into a lower league. A player from a higher Division shall not be moved to the lower Division to make room for a player from the lower Division. In the event that a player has special needs or is at a skill level that will disrupt the age group where the player would normally be placed, the League reserves the right to place a child in a different age group only if approved by the affected Commissioners and a majority vote of the League Board.
d. Players shall not normally be sent to older Divisions unless there are insufficient coaches in the lower League to meet the maximum 8 player per team rule, and there is room in the higher Division. The player may not be moved up to the higher Division unless he/she is playing at the same or better level than all players at that Division due to maturity of the players. Requests for movement to a higher Division must be made in writing to the League Board. The decision to move a player up to a higher Division must be approved by a majority of the Board.
15. TEAM SELECTION PROCEDURES: The Commissioners and Coaches of each Division shall determine teams of equal ability using the approved LYBL player evaluation and draft procedures. The Bitty players are not evaluated and are distributed into teams at the Commissioner’s discretion.
16. WAITING LIST: All late registrants are placed on a waiting list for their corresponding age level. A coach who permanently loses one player from his/her team must take the first player from the waiting list for the appropriate age group. A team does not have to take a waiting list player after half the season is complete. The coach must notify the Division Commissioner, and the Commissioner must notify the League President whenever a player is out for the season.
17. PLAYOFFS: A play-off for all teams in the Junior and Senior Mixed Leagues shall be conducted after the conclusion of the regular season. The Juniors and Seniors Division Commissioners will keep standings of wins/loses/ties. The standings will track Points For (PF), Points Against (PA), and Point Differential (PD). If there is a tie in the standings, the first tie breaker will be by Points Differential (PD). If Points Differential (PD) is tied, the tie breaker will be decided by coin toss. The Commissioners will supply weekly updates of the standings to the head coaches. There a total of 160 playing minutes in a game (calculated as follows: 5 positions on the court x 8 minutes/quarter x 4 quarters). There will be no playoffs held in the Bitty or Instructional Divisions.
18. TOURNAMENTS: If a coach in any Division is interested in participating in a local tournament with League sponsorship, that coach must send a written request to the Board to request sponsorship. Open tryouts will be held to select players for the tournament team. Team selection is based on the decision of the coach and designated staff. The League Board shall approve the selection of tournament coaches and players.
19. AWARDS: Awards must be approved by the League Officers. The Bitty and Instructional Mixed Division players and the Girls Micro Team players shall receive participation awards. In the Junior and Senior Mixed Division, trophies shall be awarded to the playoff champions.
20. END OF YEAR CELEBRATION: The League shall make arrangements for end of year celebrations for all members and their parents after the completion of the season. Awards shall be presented at this event. The events will be separated into the different Divisions of the League. The Girls Travel Teams will plan an individual celebration for each team.
21. GAME RULES:
a. STANDARD – National Federation of State High School Association Rules shall generally be applicable, with the designated exceptions listed. Rule books listing these rules will be provided to coaches.
b. OFFICIALS
1) Bitty Division coaches shall act as referees for their games. The Instructional, Junior, and Senior Divisions shall have paid referees. All Junior and Senior Division games and Southeastern CT Regional Girls Basketball League games held at Ledyard Public School gyms will be observed by a LYBL Game Supervisor hired by LYBL to ensure the games are run smoothly. The LYBL Game Supervisor shall not act as the scorekeeper.
2) One referee and one timer/scorekeeper are needed as a minimum to play each Instructional, Juniors, or Seniors game. Each team must provide a timer/scorekeeper of 12 years of age or older for each game.
3) Teams must have at least one coach present at each game.
c. COURT USE AND BASKET HEIGHT – The Bitty Division shall use the half court gym at Gales Ferry School with 8½-foot baskets for all games. The Instructional, Junior, and Senior Mixed Divisions shall use full-court and regulation 10-foot baskets for all games.
d. TEAMS – All Divisions shall play FIVE on FIVE persons on the court for each team. Forfeits shall be called against teams without a minimum of FIVE players at starting time for all Divisions other than Bitty.
e. GAME TIMES – Games shall begin and end promptly at the scheduled time for the age group. PLAYERS ARRIVING AFTER THE START OF THE GAME WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY UNTIL THE START OF THE SECOND HALF. PLAYERS ARRIVING
1) AFTER THE START OF THE SECOND HALF WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY. All games for all Divisions are planned for a one-hour time period. Referees and coaches shall be responsible to keep their games on schedule. Coaches will ensure that the time between periods for substitutions is kept to a minimum. In the Bitty and Instructional Divisions, no period shall start if there is less than four minutes remaining in the game’s scheduled hour. The game shall be considered complete at the end of the previous period.
2) Instructional and Junior Divisions shall play eight, 4-minute periods using running time with two-minute time outs between halves. The clock will only stop for halftime, free throws, time-outs, between periods, or on a referee's command. The first four periods are to be considered the first half, and the final four periods are to be considered the second half. All teams must be on the court and ready to play within 30 seconds between periods, or a technical foul may be assessed. Teams are allowed four 30-second time outs. The Senior Division shall play four, 8-minute periods using running time with two-minute time outs between halves. All other clock procedures will be the same as Instructional and Junior. The Bitty Division will hold games for a 50-minute period in order to maximize the on-court learning experience. Instructional games that end in a tie will remain so. In the event of a tie in the Junior or Senior Divisions, one 4-minute overtime period shall be played. If there is no winner after the overtime period, the game is called a tie. Play-offs will have overtime periods until games are decided (time permitting).
f. PLAYER SUBSTITUTIONS AND ROTATIONS:
1) BITTY – The Bitty Division will rotate players equally and as needed to maximize learning on the court.
2.) INSTRUCTIONAL AND JUNIOR – Substitutions for the Instructional and Junior Division shall be done on a rotating basis in accordance with the
Ledyard Youth Basketball League Official Line-Up Rotation Sheet (see Attachment # 1). All Division coaches must present a Ledyard Youth
Basketball League Official Line-Up Rotation Sheet of players in the order they shall play to the opposing team's coach and the scorekeeper
before the start of the game. The players must be listed in order on the official rotation sheet. The order of the line-up is left to each coach's
discretion. If a player fouls out or is injured, the rotation is moved up. If the period is half over, the new player remains on the court for the next
period. Once line-up cards have been submitted, they are final and shall apply for the duration of the game. Violation of this rule will result in
forfeit of the game. If a game results in an overtime for Instructional or Junior teams, each team may play any five of their players
3.) SENIOR – The Senior Division will use a more advanced level of play time. Each Player in attendance will have a required minimum playing time of 12 minutes (approx. 35%). The intent of the rule is to foster more competitive basketball, reward hard work, and give some flexibility by the coach for disciplinary reasons. Substitutions will be made like a real game where players report to the scoring table for entry into a game. The Game Supervisor will record the time the starting players and substitutions enter and exit the game using the tracking log sheet. It is encouraged that each team also keep their own log for in-game management of time. The official tracking log sheet is to be retained by the league commissioner at the completion of the game until the season is complete. It is the responsibility of the head coach to ensure each player meets the minimum 12-minute playing time rule. Failure to comply will result in a forfeit of the game and a 1 game suspension of the head coach. Multiple violations will be subject to review by the league board to determine if further disciplinary action is necessary. Each starting player must be substituted for at least one during a game. If a player fouls out of the game, the 12-minute minimum playing time rule does not apply.
g. SCORING – In the Junior and Senior Division, normal scoring will be calculated. In the Instructional Division, scoring will be calculated normally until one team is ahead by 10 points. At that point, the leading team will not be given additional points until the deficit is reduced below 10 points. The Bitty Division does not keep score or use a game clock.
h. FOULS AND REFEREES – An official basketball scorebook will be used for all Junior and Senior Division games. Team fouls will be recorded. At the seventh team foul per half, a one-and-one free throw situation will apply. At 10 team fouls, two free throws will be given to the opposing team. Free throws for shooting fouls will be allowed regardless of the number of team fouls. Individual fouls will be officially recorded. In the Instructional, Junior, and Senior Divisions, a player with five personal fouls will be ejected from the game. Team and individual fouls will not be recorded in the Bitty Division. Coaches in the Bitty Division can call fouls to help the players understand how to play the game. At this age level, free throws may be used for particularly egregious fouls. If used, the free throw line will be moved 2 feet closer to the basket. Normal referees will be used for Senior, Junior, and Instructional Division games.
i. ALLOWED DEFENSE – Man-on-man defense only will be used in the Bitty Division. In the Instructional, Junior, and Senior Divisions, both
man-on-man and zone defense are allowed. Full court defense (back court pressing) is NOT allowed in the Bitty or Instructional Divisions.
In the Junior and Senior Divisions, pressing is allowed unless a team is up by 10 or more points. In the Junior Division, trapping (double-teaming) is not allowed in the backcourt. However, double-teaming and trapping ARE allowed for Juniors once the ball is moved over half court. Teams will be given a warning for the first offense of these pressing rules at any Division level. After the warning, a technical foul will be issued by the referee.
j. CONDUCT – Unsportsmanlike conduct by coaches, players, parents. or spectators is not condoned by the League and shall result in the following: First offense is a warning. Second infraction shall result in a technical foul, and a third or subsequent infraction shall result in an ejection from the gym. If the infraction resulting in an ejection is committed by a player or coach, the player or coach will be suspended for the following game.
k. PLAYER ATTIRE – The referee shall not permit any player to wear equipment or apparel that is dangerous or not appropriate. Examples of illegal items include, but are not limited to, a cast or brace made of hard and unyielding leather, plaster, pliable plastic, metal or any other hard substance, head decorations, hats, and jewelry.