​Official Gym Policies and Basketball Game Regulations (revised on 9/3/26)

Purpose
This handbook establishes consistent gym policies, participant expectations, playing-time standards, and division-specific basketball rules for National Youth Sports Events (NYSE). Coaches, players, officials, staff members, and spectators are expected to understand and follow these regulations.

1. Gym Regulations
• Only squeeze-style water bottles are permitted on the team bench. Bottles with flip-top or screw-top lids are prohibited.
• Basketballs are not permitted inside the gymnasium on Saturday game days except when authorized for scheduled team warmups or game play. Players may warm up at the outdoor courts or in designated hallway areas, as directed by NYSE staff.

2. Coach and Player Expectations
• Players and coaches must arrive early for all practices and games and be fully prepared to participate at the scheduled start time.
• Attendance is expected at all scheduled practices and games. When an absence is unavoidable, the player or parent/guardian must notify the coaching staff in advance.
• Participants are expected to approach athletics as an opportunity to develop basketball skills, teamwork, discipline, sportsmanship, and enjoyment of the game.
• All participants must follow team and league rules and communicate respectfully with coaches, teammates, opponents, officials, staff members, and spectators.

3. Playing Time and Substitution Policy
• Regulation games consist of two 14-minute halves, unless otherwise directed by NYSE for a specific event or facility schedule.
• Coaches are responsible for providing equitable playing opportunities to all eligible players throughout the game.
• Mandatory substitution intervals occur at 10:30, 7:00, and 3:30 of each half. At each interval, every available player on the bench must enter the game (the “clear-the-bench” rule).
• After the 3:30 mark of the second half, substitutions are made at the coach’s discretion.
• Substitutions must be completed promptly and may not be used as an unofficial timeout. Players should report to the scorer’s table before entering the game.
• Final substitutions may be made after the 3:30 mark of the second half. Officials will not call a timeout solely to permit a substitution. Unless a coach calls a charged timeout, substitutions will be permitted at the next dead-ball opportunity.
• Each team is allotted three charged timeouts per game. One additional timeout is granted for each overtime period.
• When a team has nine or fewer available players, each player must remain in the game for at least two substitution segments before being removed, subject to injury, disqualification, or other safety considerations.
• A player may not play an entire half unless the team has only five or six available players.

4. Game Clock Procedures
The game clock runs continuously except in the following situations:
• A coach is granted a charged timeout.
• An official stops play because of an injury, equipment issue, administrative matter, or another circumstance requiring the clock to stop.
• During the final minute of each half, the clock stops for out-of-bounds plays, made baskets, free throws, and other official stoppages, and restarts in accordance with the game official’s direction.

5. Division-Specific Game Rules

5.1 Jr. Ballerz Division
• Zone defense and double-teaming are prohibited. Teams must play person-to-person defense.
• Defenders may attempt to steal the ball while maintaining legal person-to-person defensive positioning.
• Each defender must remain within three feet of the offensive player the defender is assigned to guard. The first team violation will result in a technical warning. Any subsequent violation by the same team will result in a technical foul charged to the defense, and the offensive team will be awarded one free throw.
• After securing a defensive rebound, the opposing team must retreat to the half-court area before establishing its defense.
• Full-court pressing is permitted during the final 30 seconds of each half and during the final minute of the game.
• Team fouls reset at the beginning of each half. Beginning with the seventh team foul of a half, the offended team is awarded a one-and-one free-throw opportunity. Beginning with the tenth team foul of a half, the offended team is awarded two free throws.
• The first overtime period is two minutes. Player participation during overtime is at the coach’s discretion.
• If the score remains tied after a second overtime period, the game will proceed to sudden death. The first team to score wins.
• During the final 30 seconds of regulation and any overtime period, the offensive team may elect to advance the ball following a granted timeout.

5.2 Rising Stars Division
• Both zone defense and person-to-person defense are permitted.
• Full-court pressing is permitted during the final minute of each half and during the final minute of the game.
• After securing a defensive rebound, the opposing team must retreat to the half-court area before establishing its defense.
• Team fouls reset at the beginning of each half. Beginning with the seventh team foul of a half, the offended team is awarded a one-and-one free-throw opportunity. Beginning with the tenth team foul of a half, the offended team is awarded two free throws.
• The first overtime period is two minutes. Player participation during overtime is at the coach’s discretion.
• If the score remains tied after a second overtime period, the game will proceed to sudden death. The first team to score wins.

5.3 All-Stars Division
• Standard middle school and high school basketball rules apply except where this handbook provides a specific NYSE modification.
• Zone and person-to-person defenses, including full-court pressure, are permitted throughout the game.
• Team fouls reset at the beginning of each half. Beginning with the seventh team foul of a half, the offended team is awarded a one-and-one free-throw opportunity. Beginning with the tenth team foul of a half, the offended team is awarded two free throws.
• The first overtime period is two minutes. Player participation during overtime is at the coach’s discretion.
• If the score remains tied after a second overtime period, the game will proceed to sudden death. The first team to score wins.
• The ball may not be advanced to the frontcourt following a timeout.

5.4 HS Hoopers Division
• The HS Hoopers Division follows the same game rules as the All-Stars Division.
• Standard middle school and high school basketball rules apply except where this handbook provides a specific NYSE modification.
• Zone and person-to-person defenses, including full-court pressure, are permitted throughout the game.
• Team fouls reset at the beginning of each half. Beginning with the seventh team foul of a half, the offended team is awarded a one-and-one free-throw opportunity. Beginning with the tenth team foul of a half, the offended team is awarded two free throws.
• The first overtime period is two minutes. Player participation during overtime is at the coach’s discretion.
• If the score remains tied after a second overtime period, the game will proceed to sudden death. The first team to score wins.
• The ball may not be advanced to the frontcourt following a timeout.

6. Conduct and Discipline
• Unless a division-specific rule states otherwise, a technical foul results in two free throws for the opposing team and possession of the ball. The penalized player must remain on the bench for the remainder of the current substitution segment. If the technical foul occurs near the end of a segment, the sitting requirement carries into the next segment.
• A coach who receives a technical foul must remain seated on the bench for the remainder of the game, except as permitted by the officials for recognized coaching duties. A second technical foul results in ejection from the game.
• Only rostered players, approved coaches, game officials, and authorized NYSE staff may occupy the team bench area. Spectators are not permitted in the bench area.

7. Pressing Rules Summary

• Jr. Ballerz: Full-court pressing is permitted during the final 30 seconds of each half and during the final 30 seconds of the game.

• Rising Stars: Full-court pressing is permitted during the final minute of each half and during the final minute of the game.

• All-Stars: Full-court pressing is permitted throughout the game.

• HS Hoopers: Full-court pressing is permitted throughout the game.

 

NYSE reserves the right to clarify or modify these regulations when necessary to promote safety, fairness, sportsmanship, and orderly league administration.