Two (2) 24-minute halves; running time until one minute of each half. The clock will start at the jump ball or when a player begins to shoot pre-game technical foul shots. 30-second shot clock (as of Summer 2025). With under a minute remaining in regulation or overtime, the clock will stop after a made basket. Overtime will last 2 minutes (running time until last minute); each subsequent overtime will last 1 minute (stopped time). Overtime time-outs are reset to one (1) per team, per OT period (regardless of how many time-outs you finished regulation with). Teams are permitted 3 time-outs per game (regulation time). Teams shoot 1-and-1 on the 8th team foul and 2 shots on the 10th team foul and all fouls thereafter. Fouls carry over to the overtime period(s). There is no sudden death OT or “next basket wins” rule at Basketball City.
The blue (20’9″) three point arc is in effect. Time outs called from the bench during a live ball will not be granted (in accordance with NCAA Men’s updated rules). There will be no penalty for erroneously calling a time out from the bench, unless it is done in an unsportsmanlike fashion. There is no more “closely guarded” (within 6 feet) five second rule for defending a player dribbling the ball. (Players are still subject to five-second counts while holding the ball.) Timeouts will not reset the 10-second count for an offensive team in the back court.
Players must wear BasketBall City team jerseys or a BasketBall City shirt. A (pre-game) technical foul will be assessed before the game for each player who does not have the proper league jersey. Technical fouls assessed prior to the start of a game will not result in loss of possession of the ball. Every game will begin with a jump ball. A team may start and finish a game with four (4) players. If a team has four (4) players at the scheduled start time, they must start the game at the scheduled start time, a 5th player can be added when he arrives.
No jewelry is permitted to be worn during the game. However, flat wedding bands may be permitted as long as they are flat (no diamonds or other stones on the ring) and the ring must be covered with athletic tape, it must be removed prior to entering the game. FitBits, Apple Watches, Air Pods wristbands, etc…all count as jewelry. No headwear is allowed during gameplay besides cotton or dri-fit headbands/hair-ties that are secure around the head or around the back of longer hair. Hard plastic hair bands are prohibited. Hats, bandanas, skull caps, ski-masks and the like are all prohibited during gameplay. Only headwear for religious reasons are exempt from this rule.
The use of profanity, vulgarity, taunting and the verbal abuse of players and officials will not be tolerated at BasketBall City. Any such incidents will be penalized with a technical foul. Any repeated conduct of this type will result in an immediate ejection of the player(s) involved, and those players will be subject to disciplinary action. FIGHTING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Anyone involved in a fight will be suspended for a minimum of one game and may be banned from the league and subject to legal action from the league. Individuals ejected for any physical misconduct must leave the facility premises immediately, without exception.
There is ZERO TOLERANCE for verbal threats of physical violence, with individuals subject to suspension/expulsion/legal action from the league. Individuals ejected for any physical misconduct must leave the facility premises immediately, without exception. Individuals coming off the bench in the event of a fight open themselves up for immediate technical fouls and/or ejections and suspensions. Suspended players are not allowed in the building during league play (as a coach, spectator, etc), and their teams are subject to forfeit/expulsion/legal action from the league if suspensions aren’t adhered to. Games may be called immediately at the discretion of officials and/or management in the event of benches clearing or repeated unsportsmanlike behavior from both teams at large.
Anyone ejected from a game due to any kind of misconduct must leave the facility and premises IMMEDIATELY. Failure to do so will result in being escorted out of the facility by law enforcement. This applies to players on the court, on the bench, and non-playing spectators. Any type of disciplinary action (including but not limited to further suspensions, ejections, expulsions, and legal action) will be at the sole discretion of the Basketball City management.
Teams will be awarded points based on the following system:. 2 points awarded to the winning team of a contested game or the winning team of any forfeit. 0 points awarded to a team that loses a contested game. -1 point awarded to a team that loses by forfeit. First forfeit without notice by 6pm will put the team on warning for season suspension. Second forfeit without notice by 6pm is grounds for team suspension.
Teams that notify Basketball City before 3pm on gameday will be eligible for – but not guaranteed – a makeup game. Makeup games are harder to schedule in the latter portion of the season. If no makeup game can be scheduled, the cancelling team will be given a loss but not have it count as a forfeit. No reschedules allowed by the same team in successive weeks, or else a forfeit will be rendered. Requesting teams may not reschedule the same game more than once, as that is an automatic forfeit.
If there is a 20 point (or greater) margin with less than 1 minute left in the game or a 30 point (or greater) margin with less than 2 minutes left in the game, the game will be stopped.
Players are disqualified after the 6th personal foul. Players will be disqualified from the game until there are only four (4) players remaining. If any of the remaining four players receives a 6th personal foul, that/those player(s) can continue to play, but a technical foul will be assessed on that player’s 6th personal foul and for each additional foul committed by that player.
All technical fouls will result in the opposing team receiving two (2) foul shots AND possession of the ball. (A team does not lose possession of the ball for any pre-game technicals.) All technical fouls will also count as a personal foul, except for pre-game technical fouls.
Teams that do not notify the commissioner by 3pm ET on gameday that they can not attend (with a minimum of 4 players) will be assessed a forfeit. Forfeits without notice at all, i.e, “no-show” forfeits, are subject to the team being suspended from the league without refund. Forfeit losses are the first playoff tiebreak.
Teams can start and finish a game with four (4) players. A team with 4 players at the scheduled start time MUST start the game on time. If a team does not have a minimum of four (4) players at the scheduled start time, the game clock will be started and the team will be down 10-0. If a team still does not have the minimum of four (4) players within 12 minutes after the game clock has been started, then that team will forfeit the game. Forfeits are strongly discouraged and will weigh heavily in the seeding at playoff time. Forfeit wins are added to total points as the point differential of your average win that season.
There is no maximum roster size. All substitutions must go to the scorers table or a technical foul will be called. Late arriving players may be legally substituted until 12 minutes left in the second half.
In order to be eligible for the playoffs, players must play in a minimum of 2 regular season games. Injury replacements/commissioner exceptions may be granted on an individual case-by-case basis. Upon request, photo ID must be provided. Non-roster playoff additions are only allowed under extreme roster circumstances (i.e. to prevent a playoff forfeit), and must be approved by the commissioner. You can not bring a non-roster player if you already have 5 players attending a playoff game. Non-roster playoff exemptions can be no better than your average player. (If your best player is missing, you will not be able to replace that player with someone of equal ability.)
Due to scheduling conflicts, playoff games may not be scheduled on the league’s usual night. Teams will be eligible for the playoffs based on total points as follows: In a 6 or 7-team Division, the top four (4) teams will make the playoffs. In an 8-team Division, the top 4-to-6 teams will make the playoffs (the top two teams getting byes if 6 teams qualify). In a 10-team Division, the top six (4-to-6) teams will make the playoffs with the top two teams getting byes (if 6 teams qualify). In a 12-team (or greater) Division, no less than the top half of teams will make the playoffs.
Upon request, photo ID must be provided.
If teams have identical records or point totals at the end of the season, the following tiebreaker rules apply (in order): 1. Team with the fewest number of forfeits 2. Head to head record (2a. Group Head-to-Head record if more than two teams are tied.) 3. Highest/Best cumulative point differential. More than one win over the same opponent during the season will take preference over point differential in the event of group head to head tiebreaks.
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