Hanover School Division MY
2025–2026 Basketball Rules
Category: Grade 7 and Grade 8 – Blue & Green Division
1.1 Equipment & Facilities
Official Ball: Wilson Jet Evolution Leather, Size 6
Court: Grade 7 & 8 Boys & Girls – Full Court
1.2 Uniforms
- A school team shirt must be worn. Preferably a 4” number on the front and a 6” number on the back.
- Shorts or athletic pants must be worn. No jeans.
- Clean athletic shoes must be worn. No boots.
- Jewellery must not be worn.
- Religious or cultural exceptions apply.
- Rules will be enforced by either the Officials or Gym Supervisor.
1.3 Rules of Play
- Start Time: All games shall begin at 5:30 pm.
- Grade 7 & 8:
a. FIBA rules
b. HSD rule adjustments in effect (see next section)
1.4 Officials and Scorekeepers
- Home school is responsible for supplying competent Officials and Scorekeepers.
- Minimum 1 Official is needed. 2 is strongly recommended.
- Official FIBA score sheets must be used.
1.5 Playoff Structure
Grade 8
a. All teams are eligible for the playoffs. There will be a separate Green Division and Blue Division playoff.
b. Higher seeded team will host semi-final and finals.
c. Champion and Finalist banners to be presented for both divisions.
d. An inter-division crossover game can be arranged if time permits.
Grade 7
- There are no playoffs for Grade 7s.
HSD Basketball Rule Adjustments
Refs must announce these rules to both coaches and team captains before each game.
Game Times
- Games start at 5:30 pm (schools may arrange an earlier start time by mutual agreement).
- All games will be stop time this year.
- 4 × 8-minute quarters
- 1 minute coaching between quarters
- 3 minute half
Official Ball - Wilson Jet, Size 6 for all levels of competition
Substitution - Substitutions will be made at a stoppage in play around the 4-minute mark.
- Only injury substitutions are allowed outside of the 4-minute switch.
- Coaches must use Playing Time Tracker to keep track of lineups.
Time Outs - 1 timeout per half (Grade 8)
- 1 additional timeout for overtime (playoffs)
- Timeouts do not carry over
- Must be requested by the coach at the scorer’s table and granted at the next stoppage of play or after a score
3-Point Shots - Will count in Grade 8
Bonus - Double bonus (2 shots) on the 5th team foul per quarter
Free Throw Violations - Either team (excluding the shooter) violations are ignored if the free throw is successful
Blocked Shot - If a player returns to the floor without losing control of the ball, it is a traveling violation
5 Second Count - On a player holding the ball anywhere on the court or inbounding the ball
Half Court Count - 10 seconds to advance the ball into the front court
- Teams do not get a new count if the ball is knocked out of bounds
Back Over Centre - Once you cross the front court with both feet and the ball (if dribbling), you are in the front court (includes throw-in).
- All 3 ground contact points must be across centre (foot, foot, and ball if dribbling).
- If you are in the front court, you cannot throw the ball back over centre.
Basket Interference - The ball gets one chance to score.
- Once it bounces on the rim once, it may be touched by either team.
Technical Fouls - 1 shot and possession of the ball at centre court on all non-shooting fouls
- 2 shots if a player is in the act of shooting and misses, followed by possession at centre
- A technical foul towards the bench does not count as a team foul towards the bonus
Unsportsmanlike Foul - Any foul that is not a play on the ball or to stop the ball
- Examples include pushing a player in the back during a shot
- Fouls from the last defender on a player from behind or the side with a clear path to the basket
- Penalty: 2 shots and possession (unless a basket is scored, then 1 shot)
- 2 unsportsmanlike fouls, 2 technicals, or 1 of each results in disqualification
HSD General Rules for Grades 7 & 8 - Run time for 3-game tournament format; stop time for 1-game setting
- 4 × 8-minute quarters
- 3 minute halftime
- 1 minute coaching between quarters
- Line changes every 4 minutes at referee discretion (not a timeout)
- Foul shots: 5 players on the lane may rebound on release
- Shooter and players outside the 3-point line may rebound once the ball touches the rim
- Wide rectangle key preferred; trapezoid key as backup
- No overtime during regular league play
Rules Specific to Grade 7 - Score resets every quarter
- No timeouts
- Free throws taken 2 feet in from the regular free throw line
- Schools should provide a marker
- No playoffs
- 3-pointers do not count (made shots from beyond the arc count as 2)
Rules Specific to Grade 8 - Keep score and send to the convenor by noon the next day
- 1 timeout (1 minute) per half
- 3-pointers count
- 30-point mercy rule in effect
- Score will not advance or may be removed from the clock
- No stoppage of game time under any circumstances
- Man-to-man press allowed in final quarter of games within 10 points
- Trailing team may press
- Leading team may press only if lead is under 10 points
No Zone Defence - Players must guard their man within 6 feet unless playing help defence
- First violation: official warning
- Second violation: unsportsmanlike foul
- Offence chooses shooter for 2 free throws
- Ball inbounded from the side
- Illegal defence is a personal foul, not a bench technical
Help Defence & Double Teaming - Help defence allowed only below the free throw line extended
- Double teams allowed only on the ball carrier below the foul line
- Double teams on players without the ball are never permitted
- Triple teaming is never permitted
Grade 8 Playoffs - Quarterfinals & Semifinals:
- 4 × 8-minute quarters
- Fair play substitutions at 4-minute mark
- Finals (Green & Blue):
- 8-minute stop time
- Fair play subs at 4-minute mark
- 30-point mercy rule if needed (run time)
- Equal playing time for first three quarters
- Final quarter & overtime: any lineup allowed
- Man-to-man defence only
- Full or half court pressure allowed in fourth quarter
- 5-minute overtime (1 timeout per team)
- Pressing allowed in overtime
2025 HSD Volleyball Rules | Grade 8 Category | |||||||||
Season Begins in the first week of October and is completed at the last week | Season Begins in the first week of October and is completed at the end of | |||||||||
| of November. | November. | |||||||||
Game Day Warm-ups begin at 5:15, games begin at 5:30. Plan to be in the | The official Game Ball is the Mikasa VQ2000 | |||||||||
| gym at 5:15. | Warm-ups begin at 5:15, games begin at 5:30. Plan to be in the gym at | |||||||||
| Triple Ball | 5:15. | |||||||||
1. Score will be kept, games up to 25 points, win by 2 with no cap. Do | 1. Score will be kept, games up to 25 points with no cap. White Division | |||||||||
not send scores for grade 7 games | plays 2 sets. Blue Division plays 2 sets to 25 points with no cap. | |||||||||
2. One – 30 second timeout is allowed per set | 2. Athletes have 8 seconds to serve | |||||||||
3. Equal playing time. We will use the following format for | 2. Two 30-second timeouts allowed per set | |||||||||
substitutions: If you have more than 6 players on the team, once a player | 3. Playing time during the season for the White Division: Players who | |||||||||
has completed a full rotation on the court, they MUST substitute off the | did not start in the first set of a match MUST play in the second set of the | |||||||||
court and a bench player must take their place. | match. Subs can only be made in set 1 or set 2 in the case of an injury. | |||||||||
4. Each coach is encouraged to train 1-2 parents from your team as | Playing time during the season for the Blue Division. Due to the number | |||||||||
‘ball tossers’. The ‘ball tosser’ must step onto the court and toss the ball | of Blue teams with more than 12 players on a team. Set 1, 6 players, Set | |||||||||
underhand with 2 hands so the ball crosses above the height of the | 2, 6 new players. A third set is played with the remaining players on the | |||||||||
antenna and must be bumped by the player in position 6 (middle back). | team plus substitutes. Remaining players are not subbed off during the | |||||||||
The coach is encouraged to stay on their team’s side of the net to coach | third set. | |||||||||
| their players. | 4. Host school - please send scores to the convener for all grade 8 | |||||||||
5. Touch on the net rule interpretation: we will continue to allow | games as soon as possible. | |||||||||
incidental contact on the net that does not affect the result of a rally | 5. 5 serve rule is in effect. | |||||||||
(anywhere except the tape). Rationale: to increase the number of rallies | 6. Touch on the net rule interpretation: we will continue to allow | |||||||||
| in a match. | incidental contact on the net that does not affect the result of a rally | |||||||||
6. The official Game Ball is the Mikasa VQ2000 | (anywhere except the tape). Rationale: to increase the number of rallies | |||||||||
7. Net Heights: Boys: 2.20m, Girls: 2.15m | in a match. | |||||||||
8. Playoffs – There will be no formal playoffs, but if any school wishes to | 7. Net Heights: Boys: 2.20m, Girls: 2.15m | |||||||||
host a ‘final tournament’ the following week, they are free to do so | 8. Playing time during the playoffs for the White Division: Players who | |||||||||
A reminder for good sportsmanship in all games. | did not start in the first game of a match MUST play in the second game | |||||||||
All Grade 7 players, coaches and referees should be able to enter the first | of the match. Subs can only be made in set 1 or set 2 in the case of an | |||||||||
week of games understanding how to play and officiate triple ball. | injury. If a 3 rd game is needed, teams can field any lineup they choose | |||||||||
Based upon HSD’s Middle Years Sports philosophy, there are no playoffs, | throughout the third set. Third set, the score goes to 15 with no cap. | |||||||||
ribbons or team championships banners at this grade level category. | Playing time during the playoffs for the Blue Division: Set 1, 6 players, | |||||||||
Set 2, Remaining players of the team will all receive fair time on the | ||||||||||
Coaches – The web-site below from Volleyball Manitoba gives some good | court. Suggest to coaches to sub extra players at the 12 point mark in | |||||||||
information on Triple Ball. | the set. Set 3 coaches can field any lineup they choose throughout the | |||||||||
| third set. | ||||||||||
content/uploads/2018/01/Tripleball_Rules_VCDM_Aug_2014.pdf | ||||||||||
Here is a helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrTClx9MyzY | HSD – MY Sports Program HandbookPage 11 | |||||||||
Winners of the White Division Finals have the option of competing against | ||||||||||
the Blue Division Champions to earn a spot in the Volleyball Manitoba | ||||||||||
Provincial Championships. | ||||||||||
Volleyball Canada Rulebook | ||||||||||