Fox Chapel Winter League Basketball
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ADULT WINTER LEAGUE RULES
You can download a copy of the rules  HERE


TABLE OF CONTENTS


#1. PLAYING TIME & SUBSTITUTION RULES 1

#2. GAME TIMING 3

#3. OVERTIME 4

#4. PRESS RULES 4

#5. MERCY RULES 4

#6. FOULS & DISQUALIFICATION 4

#7. LEGAL GAMES & FORFEITS 4

#8. PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY 4

#9. UNIFORMS 5

#10. BEHAVIOR & PUNISHMENT 6


Where Winter League rules are not either clear or do not address a topic, follow NFHS rules.

#1. PLAYING TIME & SUBSTITUTION RULES

  • 7 PLAYER PLAYING TIME RULE 3 players will sit 4 times, and 4 players will sit 3 times.
  • 6 PLAYER PLAYING TIME RULE All players must sit twice per game. 
  • EXCEPTION: If your opponent has 2 players less than your team, every player on your team must play a minimum of half of the game and must sit a minimum of twice (i.e. 2/3rds of a quarter).
  • SUBSTITUTE TIMING Substitutions occur at 6:30 and 3:30 of each quarter at which time the clock will stop briefly for 15 seconds. Exception: 40OV. 40OV will sub at the 8-minute and 4-minute mark of each quarter.
  • You may not substitute during a timeout unless it was called at the same time as a substitution stoppage.
  • Injury substitutions: If a player is injured, and has to come out for some time, that time off the court, recovering, does not count as their sitting time, unless it is more than 1/2 time of that part of the subbing segment
  • The scorekeeper will keep track of fouls and player playing time. Breaking playing time rules results in a forfeit. The scorekeeper will FOREWARN any coach who is about to break this rule, to avoid a possible forfeit. Report violators to your commissioner.

HANDLING LATE-ARRIVING PLAYERS

  • A player who has arrived late is considered to have sat during those quarters during which they were not present and therefore did not play.
  • A team is required to meet the playing time rules based on the total number of active, eligible, non-injured players at the game. A team must follow the playing time rule based on this most up-to-date adjusted player count. Example: #1: A team begins the game with 5 players and a 6th player shows up late. They are now required to follow the 6-player playing time rule if logistically possible. Example #2: A team begins with 8 players at game time, one gets injured, and 1 gets disqualified early. They are now only required to follow the 6-player rule if logistically possible. Example #3: A team with 6 players has a 7th player show up late in the 3rd quarter. Since they cannot logistically follow the 7-player rule due to time left, they may continue to follow the 6-player rule. In addition, they may choose who will “legally” violate the 7-player rule and not sit twice.

FILL IN PLAYERS
Acquisition Procedure
No canceled games will be made up or rescheduled unless the cancelation is weather, or facility-related, and only space permitting. All league-scheduled games must be played or will be recorded as a forfeit. To avoid this, a team may request a legal Fill in(s) from their commissioner. The commissioner will seek to replace the player(s) who is missing with equally or lesser rated player(s). They must use the following procedure to obtain a fill-in.

  • They must contact their commissioner requesting a fill-in (s) while letting them know who they are missing. Specify if you are looking for a specific position.
  • You can never bring more fill-in players than original players to a game. A friendly may still be played.
  • The fill-in should wear a team jersey in the correct color, or a very similar color if possible. Extra jerseys are provided to each team to help facilitate this and are to be returned afterward. The commissioner may issue a shirt violation waiver in this case.
  • Only registered, paid, Winter League players may play or fill in.
  • The commissioner must notify both teams as to who the fill-ins are and they may not exceed the top-rated missing players rating in any case.
  • During the March Madness playoffs, teams may obtain players one rating point lower than the missing player. Exception: Players missing that are rated a 3, 4, or 5 may be filled in by the player of the same rating. The ratings may be determined by end-of-year ratings as long as the commissioner and league office have reviewed them before March Madness begins. If this has not occurred, beginning-of-the-year ratings must be used. The commissioner must seek guidance from the League Office. 
  • Injury in March Madness: If a player in March Madness, cannot play, you can replace that player rating for rating, however, that move ends the season of the player on injured reserve, and he is not able to play anymore. This cannot occur in-game.
  • Captains who use illegal players will be suspended for 2 games, and it could vanquish any wins from those games.

#2. GAME TIMING

  • Play is (4) 10-minute quarters, except 40OV (see below).
  • Intermission: 1 minute between quarters and 2:00 minutes at half time. (Please set the clock to keep games moving.)
  • Clock ONLY stops during injuries, foul shots, substitutions, and timeouts and on all whistles during the final 30 seconds of the 1st/2nd/3rd quarters and final minute of the 4th quarter, and OT. Exception: 40OV
  • 40OV play is 12-minute quarters, running clock. Clock ONLY stops during injuries, substitutions at the 8-minute and 4-minute marks, and on all whistles in the final 30 seconds of each quarter. 
  • Each Team has 3 timeouts per game. Two 60-second timeouts and one 30-second timeout. Unused timeouts carry over into overtime, no additional timeouts are given. 

#3. OVERTIME  

  • OT is 1 minute. 2nd OT is a 2-minute sudden victory. 
  • March Madness exception - no sudden victory. Additional OT periods will be played at 1 minute. 
  • No substitutions in OT. 

#4. PRESS RULES

  • 40OV may full-court team press in the final 3 1/2 minutes of each quarter and during overtime. Pressing is defined here as two or more defenders actively attempting to steal the ball in the backcourt before there is a loose ball. 
  • Adult leagues can press at any time unless up by 20 or more in the second half. 

#5. MERCY RULES

  • MERCY RULE: The clock runs, and doesn’t stop except for injuries, and substitutions when a team is leading by 20 points in the 2nd half. Both teams lose any remaining timeouts. 

#6. FOULS & DISQUALIFICATION

  • 5 fouls disqualify a player, with NO exceptions.

#7. LEGAL GAMES & FORFEITS

  • A minimum of 4 players are required to begin a legal game.
  • If a team has less than 4 players, 5 minutes after the scheduled start time they will forfeit the game. If there is a forfeit, a friendly game may still be played and officiated.

#8. PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY

  • All trades are strictly forbidden without prior commissioner approval.
  • Only players assigned to your team may play for you. Use of any other player will result in an automatic forfeit. (See legal Fill-Ins.)
  • All teams make the year-end “March Madness” playoffs. The season determines the seeding of those teams in the playoffs. No minimum number of games is required for a player to be eligible to play in the playoffs as long as they are registered and paid in full. 

#9. UNIFORMS

  • All players must have registered, paid, and be wearing the correct color Winter League jersey to participate. Captains may not override this rule. A shirt with no # is legal and can be a 00 and not subject to a technical foul.
  • If a player does not wear the correct team jersey, 2 points are put on board for each player in violation, plus personal and team foul, except for legal league fill-ins.
  • MEN’S 40OV and WOMEN’S REVERSIBLE RULES – The undershirt must be Red/Dark for the Red Side, & White/lighter color for the White Side. The purpose is to distinguish teams for both the referees and players. 1st Team listed on the schedule is the home team and must wear white.
  • No jewelry or casts may be worn at any time on the hand, forearm, or elbow as per NFHS rules.
  • Non-Fill In “Out of uniform player approval rule”: Any player who is out of uniform must have the opposing coach/captain, & commissioner’s approval to be eligible to play. This is in addition to the technical foul. The opposing coach must verify that the player is indeed on that roster, to be permitted to play.
  • If a team has players with the same numbers, the captain must inform the scorekeeper prior to the start of the game. If the officials and scorekeeper are not notified or do not catch the duplicate numbers before the tip, it will result in a uniform violation per that age group's rules.
  • Persistent uniform violations will result in a player not being permitted to play. Cutting the sleeves off must keep in adherence with the image of the league and be modestly altered. Alterations, should not expose undergarments.
  • If a player alters their jersey mid-game the referees may issue an administrative technical. This occurs if a player rips their jersey affecting the numbers or logo of the uniform. This is a team and personal foul as well as two shots and the ball for the opposing team. The player must change into a different shirt.
  • The league reserves the right to reject any uniform alterations, and require that player to purchase a replacement at the player’s expense.

#10. BEHAVIOR & PUNISHMENT 

FOUL LANGUAGE & QUESTIONING CALLS

  • Captains, players, and spectators are not permitted to question a referee's call.
  • Captains who wish to discuss something with a referee should be polite and ask the opposing captain to be present as well during the discussion. This should take place during a timeout, or normal stoppage in play.
  • Swearing, foul, or abusive language will not be tolerated. Referees may call technical fouls if this rule is violated.
  • Spectators must not engage in verbal harassment of players, fans, or officials. 

League Discipline & Behavior


  • Spectator Conduct: Spectators must stay off the court unless beckoned by the referees. Unauthorized entry results in automatic ejection and a one-year ban. A second offense results in a lifetime ban. The Advisory Committee has the power of review.
  • Ejections: Referees may eject a player or spectator for misconduct. Ejected individuals must leave the facility grounds immediately or face further punishment.  All ejections result in a minimum two-game suspension, subject to Advisory Committee review. Scorekeepers, referees, and team captains must report all issues, including technical fouls, to the league. 
  • Fighting: Any physical altercation results in immediate ejection from the facility and a life-long ban as a player or spectator. Fighting is defined as any physical altercation outside recreational basketball. The Advisory Committee and on-court officials have sole jurisdiction to enforce this rule.
  • Suspensions: Regular season and March Madness suspensions carry over to the playoffs and future seasons. Two ejections in one season result in a season-long suspension and a review of future eligibility. All ejections result in a minimum two-game suspension, subject to Advisory Committee review.
  • Technical Fouls:
    • 1st Technical: No penalty.
    • 2nd Technical: Warning.
    • 2 Technical Fouls in 1 Game: One-game suspension and warning.
    • 3rd Technical: Two-game suspension and warning.
    • 4th Technical: Season-long suspension (minimum 5 games), one year on zero tolerance, and Advisory Committee review.
  • Zero Tolerance: One technical foul results in a season-long suspension, one-year ban, and Advisory Committee review. To be removed from zero tolerance, a player must be tech-free for one year.
  • League-Wide Penalties: All technicals and suspensions apply across the league and all age groups. Suspensions ban individuals from all league activities (games, practices, and events) while being served. For example, if suspended in one league, the individual is banned from all FCWL activities until the suspension ends.
  • Serious Issues: Serious issues may result in a lifetime ban.

Adult League Disciplinary Levels:


  • Level 0: Administrative technicals, such as non-aggressive dead ball fouls. No after-game consequences. Not tracked in the league database.
  • Level 1: Audible swearing or non-aggressive behavior causing technicals. No carryover from year to year.
  • Level 2: Aggressive behavior, foul language directed at others, arguing with officials, aggressive taunting, flagrant fouls, and postgame technicals. Three Level 2 technicals in a year result in a two-game suspension. A fourth Level 2 technical results in a one-year suspension.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE:

  • The Advisory Committee has the power to review any instance that involves behavior, sportsmanship, code of conduct, or persistent rules violations. Advisory has full power to suspend, add to suspension, or take away suspension. The Advisory Committee can use the previous year's technicals, suspensions, etc to calculate further disciplinary action for an individual based on the committee’s judgment. This shall be interpreted as full and broad power. 
  • Advisory can suspend based on length of time, number of games, or indefinitely.  
  • Appeals of suspensions may only be in writing to the advisory_committee@fcarea.org email address. The appealer should give in writing and in detail their reasoning for the appeal. Phone calls and meetings are not part of the committee’s protocol for appeals, only if prompted by the committee. 
  • The Advisory Committee is overseen by the league board.