Meridian Parks and Recreation Men s & Women s BASKETBALL BY-LAWS Information: 888-3579 (M F 8 am 5 pm) PHILOSOPHY Meridian Parks & Recreation provides this activity for those who enjoy basketball and are interested in participating on an organized level. This is a recreation program and good sportsmanship is mandatory from those who participate. REGISTRATION 1. The team fees and player fees must be submitted by 5:00 pm, on the deadline date in order to secure a spot in the league for the upcoming season. Payment can be made in person or over the phone with a credit card. Teams will also be able to register during the late registration if spots are still available. Official rosters are due at the time of registration. Teams will be randomly selected to show proof of residency. If teams cannot provide a proof of residency, the team manager will receive a two game suspension and all games played will be considered a forfeit. Teams will be notified of a residency check one week before their next game. LEAGUE PLAY 1. All teams will play an 8 game season. In the Fall and Winter leagues, each team will be included in a double elimination tournament after the regular season. In the Spring season, there will NOT be an end of season tournament. 2. All games will be played Monday - Friday at Meridian Middle School Wes Lowe Gym, Cole Valley Christian School Gym, and the Meridian Homecourt from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. 3. Awards for each division: Post-Season Tournament 1) 1 st place Championship T-Shirts 4. League standings will be updated weekly and are available on the Meridian Parks and Recreation website, www.meridiancity.org/parks_rec. If a tie exists in the standings at the end of the regular season, the following tie-breakers will be used in order until the tie is broken: head-to-head competition, points allowed in head-to-head competition, points allowed during the season, points scored during the season, coin toss. TEAM 1. Each team shall have a manager responsible for: Completing registration forms and roster Collection and payment of all fees Covering the league rules with their team Notifying players of any schedule changes 1
Complete the Manager s Module assigned by the Sports Coordinator Conduct of their players and spectators 2. All players must be listed on the official team roster including signature. Roster additions or changes will not be accepted at the court. There is no maximum for the number of players on your roster but you will need at least 4 players to start the game. 3. Each team will be eligible to make roster changes or additions if they have two or more games remaining in the regular season schedule. At the start of a team s second to last game, the roster is frozen. 3. Each team must have a minimum of 4 players to start and end a game. 4. There will be no grace period after game time before a game is considered a forfeit. Game time is forfeit time. 5. All teams will be allowed two forfeits. After the third forfeit, a team will be out of the league for the remainder of the season. If a team drops from league competition before completing play of all scheduled games, all of their games will be deemed as losses and all opponents will be credited with wins. 6. A forfeit will be recorded with a score of 50-0, and the forfeiting team will receive 1 ¼ losses. Managers may attempt to reschedule 1 game during the season. Reschedule requests must be submitted to the coordinator with at least three business days notice. 7. A team may avoid a forfeit by canceling a game. Teams unable to play a scheduled game must notify the Parks and Recreation office at 888-3579 by 12:00 p.m. the day before the game (the Friday before for a Monday game) or it will be considered a forfeit. Canceled games will not be rescheduled. They will also be recorded as a 50-0 game, but the cancelling team will receive just a single loss. If a team has two cancellations they will be removed from the league. 8. Teams may use a total of 5 different pick-up players throughout the regular season. An individual pick up player can only play one time without being on the official roster. If a pick up player wants to play in two games, they will be required to pay the player fee and be added to the official roster (if still within the eligibility time period). Only rostered players are eligible for playoffs. NO SUBS FOR PLAYOFFS. 9. Team rosters freeze when there are two regular season games left. The Recreation Coordinator can give permission to add players after the deadline in the case of extenuating circumstances such as injury. If a team is granted permission to add a player after the deadline due to injury, the following policies come into effect. This rule can only be utilized for one player. a) The injured player being replaced will be removed from the roster and cannot participate for the remainder of the season or playoffs. Written proof of injury may be required. No refunds will be given to players that are removed from the roster. b) There will be a $20 replacement player fee regardless of residency. c) The replacement player must be of equal playing ability to the division or lower. d) If the Sports Coordinator deems the player is too skilled for the division, that player will be removed and no refunds will be given. No additional players will be added for that team. 2
GAME REGULATIONS 1. All games will consist of two 20-minute running halves. The clock will stop on all whistles the last two minutes of the second half, unless there is a point spread of 15 or more. 2. Warm up: Five-minute period before each game. Halftime will be five minutes. 3. Overtime: the first period will be two-minutes. The clock will stop on dead balls. During the regular season if the score is still tied after the first overtime, the first team to score in the second overtime is the winner. During the tournament, teams will continue playing two-minute overtimes periods until one team is ahead at the end of a period. 4. Each team will be allowed three, one-minute time-outs per game. Left over time-outs will carry over into overtime, but no additional time-outs will be given during overtime. 5. Players will be allowed 5 personal fouls (technical fouls count toward personal foul total). 6. Personal and technical fouls are combined to reach the bonus, which begins with the 7th team foul of each half. 7. During free throws, players will be allowed to enter the key upon the release of the shot. 8. There is no shot clock, stalling is not allowed. 9. Respect all officials and their officiating. Teams that show continued disrespect for the officials and/or un-sportsmanlike conduct will be removed from the league. 10. Parks & Recreation will provide two referees and one scorekeeper each game. ELIGIBILITY 1. A player who is currently participating, whether active or red-shirted, on an intercollegiate team, is currently under professional contract, or is participating on an organized high school team is ineligible. 2. Players must be at least 16 years old to participate and must have a parent sign a release form if under 18. Release forms are available on the website, www.meridiancity.org/parks_rec. 3. Players may not participate on more than one basketball team in the same division. A player may participate on a maximum of two teams, as long as those two teams are in adjoining divisions. 4. Teams using an ineligible player or falsifying the line-up will be assessed the following penalties: a) Each game played by the offending team in which the ineligible player participated will be recorded as a forfeit. During the tournament, only the game in which the ineligible player was found will be a forfeit and the offending team will be given the loss. b) The ineligible player will be removed from the offending team s roster. c) The team manager will receive a 2-game suspension. A suspended manager cannot participate in the match in ANY manner. Equipment 1. Meridian Parks and Recreation will provide the game ball. 2. Jewelry (watches, necklaces, earrings, etc) may not be worn. 3. Court shoes, with non-marking soles, must be worn. 4. Players on each team shall wear matching jerseys, with different numbers permanently printed on the front or back. Teams must have these jerseys with numbers by their second game. Failure to do so will result in the scheduled game being played but counted as a loss. 3
SUSPENSION/ PLAYER RULES 1. Any player, manager or coach ejected during a game for any reason will receive an automatic one game suspension. Failure to sit out the team s next game will result in a forfeit and the ineligible player rules will apply. A minimum penalty of ejection plus suspension for the next game will be automatic for the following: a) Use of profane language or actions b) Use of unnecessarily rough or dangerous tactics c) Any unsportsmanlike conduct d) Smoking in the facility before, during, or after the game. e) Consumption of alcohol while participating in the game or appearing in an intoxicated condition f) Attempting to arouse spectators against an official. g) Other illegal, dangerous or combative acts. h) Any other acts the Coordinator deems inappropriate. 2. Any player, manager or coach ejected during the post-season tournament will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament. 3. Penalties for such time as deemed proper (one game to life) may be assessed by the Recreation Coordinator for misconduct of players, coaches, managers or other team representatives while participating in or present as spectators at the game. 4. All ejected players must leave the premises immediately if asked to do so or the game will be forfeited. Team managers are responsible for the conduct of their players. 5. In the judgment of the Recreation Coordinator, if an individual warrants additional penalties, the Recreation Coordinator reserves the right to suspend or place individuals on probation from other Parks and Recreation activities. 6. Players that display or continue to display un-sportsmanlike conduct, derogatory remarks or gestures, threats of violence or acts of violence, or other behavior deemed detrimental to the league, to an official before, during, or after the game, will receive a minimum of a one game suspension. Based on the degree of behavior, the player could receive a one year suspension with a maximum of a ten year suspension from any adult s sports program offered by the City of Meridian. 7. A suspension (one game to life) from the date of the violation will be imposed for: a) Any physical contact, verbal threat, abusive language, pushing, striking, kicking or throwing objects at an official or league official before, during or after a game. b) Fighting, whether it occurs before, during or after any scheduled game. 8. Game officials and Meridian Parks & Recreation staff have the authority to eject any individual or team from a game. Grounds for ejection include but are not limited to: Displays of un-sportsmanlike conduct Derogatory remarks or gestures Threats of violence Acts of violence Other behavior deemed detrimental to the league 4
TECHNICAL FOULS 1. There will be no dunking or intentional contact with the rim (including warm-up period and halftime). Any player breaking this rule will receive an automatic technical foul and the basket will not count. This is not considered an unsportsmanlike technical foul. 2. Any player receiving an unsportsmanlike technical foul will be immediately removed from the game for ten minutes. 3. Any technical foul, unsportsmanlike or not, will result in the opposing team receiving two points and possession of the basketball. 4. Any player receiving two unsportsmanlike technical fouls in one game will be ejected and suspension rules will be in effect. 5. Any player receiving four unsportsmanlike technical fouls during the season will automatically be suspended for one full year. 6. Managers are responsible for the behavior of their team. For any team that receives five unsportsmanlike technical fouls during the season, the manager will automatically be suspended for one game. If, after the suspension of the manager, this team receives one more unsportsmanlike technical foul, the entire team will be suspended for the remainder of the season. 7. If a game is stopped due to team conduct, that team loses that game regardless of the score, and if officials or recreation staff end a game prematurely due to both teams failing to heed warnings of their unsportsmanlike conduct, the game will result in a double forfeit. 8. League officials shall make all decisions on protests and their decisions shall be final. The officials hold the right to make decisions based on the well being of the league. The league officials shall include but not limited to the league Coordinator, Recreation Supervisor, and Program Director. Spectator Conduct 1. Teams are responsible for the conduct of spectators who are affiliated with their team. Spectators can be ejected from a game just as easily as players and the same suspension rules apply. 2. Children must remain with an adult at all times. If kids are not kept under control, the game will be stopped until the situation has been taken care of. It is the manager s responsibility to ensure that children will not provide any distractions or abuse of the facility. SCHOOL FACILITIES 1. No smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages will be permitted on the school premises. No cigarette butts should be found at the entry or in the parking lots of the school facility. Participants, family members, and all accompanying guests need to respect school property. Failure to comply will result in loss of facility use. 2. If any damage occurs to a basket or backboard, financial obligation will be the responsibility of the person who causes the damage. 5
PROTESTS AND ROSTER CHECKS 1. A protest may be made on player eligibility or on an officials decision that involves a misinterpretation or misapplication of the rules. 2. The manager of the protesting team must make a protest before the next live ball. The manager must notify the official, scorekeeper and opposing manager that the game is being continued under protest. 3. The written protest (email to the coordinator) must be filed within 24 hours of the game in question and the protest must contain: the date, time, and location of the game; the names of the teams; the name of the umpire and scorekeeper; the rules and section of rule allegedly misinterpreted; the conditions surrounding the making of the decision; and all other essential facts involved in the matter protested. 4. Judgment calls and protests having no direct bearing on the outcome of the game will not be considered. 5. A player eligibility protest (not a roster check) may be verbal or written and can be made at any time during the game, but must occur before the final out is made. 6. Teams wishing to roster check must do so before the completion of the game. If a manager elects to do a roster check, both teams will be checked. 7. If teams are found to be using ineligible players during playoffs, the above suspension rules will apply. 8. Players shall bring with them some form of ID to games, incase proof of identity is requested by scorekeeper to verify player eligibility. Acceptable forms of ID are: b. Any form of government ID c. Student ID cards d. Pictures of the IDs above e. Other ID s the coordinator deems appropriate Tyler Roberds Recreation Coordinator Meridian Parks and Recreation Phone: 888-3579 Fax: 898-5501 E-Mail: troberds@meridiancity.org Website: www.meridiancity.org/parks_rec 6