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 2
#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 5

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. Exception: Team League
  • 6 PLAYER PLAYING TIME RULE All players must sit twice per game. Exception: Team League. 
  • 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. OHS Team League may substitute on any whistle, but the clock does not stop. All substitutes must be at the table ready to substitute, having told the scorekeeper that they want to substitute, and the referee must beckon them in. If substitutes are not ready, the referee may forbid them from entering the game.
  • You may not substitute during a timeout unless it was called at the same time as a substitution stoppage. Exception: Team League
  • 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 the 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.
  • The maximum number of legally obtained fill-in (s) allowed at any game is 2 for Men’s OHS, and 3 for Men’s 40OV, & WOHS teams. Teams needing more than three, officially forfeit the 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. Commissioner may issue a shirt violation waiver in this case.
  • Only registered, paid, Winter League players may play or fill in.
  • 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. 
  • During March Madness, the total number of adult players must not exceed 5 when using a fill-in. Men’s OV40 may have 6 players.
  • Captains who use illegal players will be suspended for 2 games, and vanquish any wins from those games.

#2. GAME TIMING

  • Play is (4) 10-minute quarters.
  • 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: OHS Team League
  • 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.

#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. Exception: Team League

#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 REVERSIBLE RULES – Undershirt must be Red/Dark for Red Side, & White/lighter color for 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

  • Spectators must stay off the court unless otherwise beckoned by the referees.
  • Anyone coming onto the court unless summoned by the official will be automatically ejected from the building and banned from all league activities for 1 calendar year, second offense is a lifetime ban. Advisory has the power of review. 
  • Referees may eject a player or spectator.
  • Referees and captains are to report all issues including technical fouls to the league.
  • Any player or spectator who is ejected, must immediately and quickly leave the facility, or face further punishment.
  • Regular season and March Madness suspensions carry over to the playoffs and into future seasons.
  • 2 ejections in one season will result in a season-long suspension and a review of future eligibility (see 4th technical below).
  • 1st technical = no penalty 2nd technical = warning
  • 2 technical fouls in 1 game = 1 game suspension + warning
  • 3rd technical = two-game suspension + warning
  • 4th technical = season over (min 5 games) + 1 year on zero tolerance + advisory review.
  • ZERO TOLERANCE – 1 Technical = season over + 1-year suspension + advisory review Note: To get off Zero Tolerance – you must be tech free for 1 year. Players remain on Zero Tolerance until they are cleared.
  • All technicals and suspension penalties will be league-wide. The accumulations of technicals in one age group also apply to other age groups. Suspensions result in the individual being banned from being present in any league activities (games, practices, and any other league events) in all age groups and leagues while the suspension is being served. Example: Player A plays on Monday and gets suspended in Team league and their next game is the following Tuesday. They are suspended from all FCWL activities until the following Wednesday and that includes any/all other FCWL adult leagues or youth leagues they may play or coach in.
  • Serious issues may result in lifetime banishment.

ADULT LEAGUE

Level 0: Administrative T’s, such as a dead ball nonaggressive foul. No after games consequences. Not tracked in the league database.

Level 1: Swearing “audibly.” Behavior that causes technicals by the book, but no ill intent or non-aggressive in the judgment of the officials or Advisory Board. No carryover from year to year. 

Level 2: Aggressive behavior towards another person, opponent, official, coach, scorekeeper, or fan. Foul language directed at an opponent, official, coach, scorekeeper, or fan. Arguing with officials. Slamming, tossing, or kicking the ball in frustration with a call. Aggressive taunting (ie. in the opponent's face, making contact for the purpose of intimidation, stepping over someone, etc). Any flagrant fouls. Postgame technicals or referee confrontation. 3 level 2 technicals in a year is two-game suspension. A 4th level 2 technical is a calendar 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. This shall be interpreted as full and broad power. 
  • Appeals of suspensions may only be in writing to the advisory@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.