CAPE GIRARDEAU EVENING OPTIMIST BOYS’

BASKETBALL: A CHURCH AND COMMUNITY LEAGUE

2016RULES

I. GENERAL LEAGUE INFORMATION

A.LEAGUE PURPOSE AND GOALS

As a recreational group, the goals of the Cape Girardeau Evening Optimist Boys’ Basketball: A Church and Community League relate to each player as follows: (1) to learn the principles of good sportsmanship in athletic competition, which may be applied to the broader scope of daily living, (2) to gain a sound understanding of the fundamentals and rules of basketball, (3) to develop the physical and mental skills related to basketball, and (4) to gain an appreciation of team membership and the rewards of contributing to an overall team effort.

B.OPTIMIST CLUB RESPONSIBILITY

The Evening Optimist Club of Cape Girardeau, as the official sponsor ofBoys’ Basketball: A Church and Community League , is responsible for establishing the administrative structure for the operation of the league. Rules and regulations established by the club will be provided to all participating churches and coaches.

C.SEASON CALENDAR

The league season consists of a regular season schedule, followed by a tournament. Regular season games will be played on seven (8) consecutive Saturdays, January 2, 2016 through February 20, 2016. The league tournament will be held on Saturday and Sunday, February27th

and February 28th.

There will be no tournament for Division I; instead, teams will have regular games on February 27th. Each child will receive a participation medal. For regular season play, there will be no re-scheduling of games cancelled due to weatherhowever, tournament games cancelled due to weather will be re-scheduled if at all possible.

D. GYM LOCATIONS

Games will be played at the following locations. Division I, Grades 1 & 2 (Beginners, Advanced), and Division II, Grades 3 & 4 (Beginners) will play at the Salvation Army. Division II, (Advanced) will play at St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Division III, Grades 5&6 (Beginners, Advanced) will play at First General Baptist Church.

If a scheduling conflict shall arise, the Basketball League Chair will contact the head coach with the location / date change.

E. LEAGUE DIVISIONS

The league is divided into five (5) competitive divisions by grade in school and age.

DivisionGradesAgesLevel of Competition

I1 & 26, 7, 8 Beginners, Advanced

II348, 9, & 10 Beginners, Advanced III 56 10, 11 & 12 Beginners, Advanced

.

A player should meet both the criteria of age and school grade to be eligible for a particular division. A player who exceeds the maximum age of his division before the beginning of league play must receive the approval of the Basketball League Chair to remain in that division, or must move to the next higher division regardless of grade. A player may not play in a lower division than his own; however, a player may always play in the next higher division.

F. TEAM FEES

Funds collected as team fees, as well as any other monies generated by league activities, are used for gym rentals, pay for referees, and equipment purchases for the league.

  1. Team Registration Fees: Each team will pay a $375.00 registration fee upon submission of the player roster by November 20th. Please make check(s) payable to The Cape Evening Optimist Club. Payment of the team registration fee is apre-requisite for acceptance of team registration and inclusion of a team on the regular game schedule. IT MUST BE PAID BY THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON.

2. *****The last day to add players will be the first game of the season. *****

II. ESTABLISHING A TEAM

  1. PLAYER REGISTRATION FORMS

Blank player registration forms will be provided to coaches by the Basketball League Chair. Coaches shall submit one completed registration form for each team player on the team roster to the league with the team registration fees. Each player registration form requires the player name, address, date of birth, waiver of liability statement, and signature lines for the player, coach, and the player's parent or guardian. To be eligible for league play, each player’s registration form must be fully completed with all requisite signatures.

  1. TEAM ROSTER FORMS

Blank team roster forms will be provided to coaches by the Basketball League Chair. Coaches shall submit a completed team roster to the league with the team registration fees. Each team roster requires the team divisionand level of competition. Also list each player’s full name, address, telephone number, email address if applicable, age, and grade in school; and list each coach’s name, address, email address if applicable, and telephone number, (home and / or cell). To be eligible for the regular season league schedule, each team’s roster must be fully completed with all requisite information. Also, please include the proper signatures.

  1. OFFICIAL ROSTERS: The Optimist Club will maintain all official rosters for each team, verified by submitted players’ registration forms. Rosters will be distributed at each gym site, and referees will check team rosters against game book rosters for compliance and player eligibility. Anyplayer not appearing on the official roster will not play in any game.
  1. CHURCH SPONSORS, JOINT CHURCH SPONSORSHIP, NON-CHURCH PLAYERS
  1. In keeping with the purposes of Cape Girardeau Evening Optimist Boys’ Basketball: A Church and Community League,teams are encouraged to be sponsored by a church. However, community sponsored teams are eligible to register with the league.
  1. A church without a sufficient number of players to establish a team may jointly sponsor a team with another churchprovided both churches agree.
  1. Generally, the Optimist Club will accept individual registrations. The chair will contact interested coaches to try to place individuals on teams.

The Club, at its discretion, may elect to solicit sponsors and establish community teams to play within the league. Any such community team and its players must meet all team and eligibility requirements, except those related to church membership and attendance.

  1. Coaches may accept any nonchurch attending player who petitions that coach directly for team membership.
  1. Coaches are encouraged to accept players from churches that do not sponsor a team in order to achieve maximum community participation; however, a player must play for his church if his church sponsors a team in hisdivision.

E. TEAM SIZES AND DIVIDING

  1. Minimum/Maximum: Each team must have a minimum of five (5) registered players on its roster to be accepted for scheduling. The maximum number of players any team may register on its roster is twelve (12).
  1. Dividing: If desirable, especially by reason of team size, a church may divide its team roster into two or more teams within the same division. Each team will pay a team registration fee of $375.00.

III. LEAGUE RULES

  1. GAME TIME ARRIVAL/GENERAL COACH & PLAYER DEMEANOR
  1. Coaches and players should arrive at their scheduled gym at least ten (10) minutes, but not more than fifteen (15) minutes, before the scheduled start of their game.
  1. While waiting for the preceding game to end, coaches are responsible for ensuring that players do not practice dribbling, other ball handling activity, or participate in play of any sort on the perimeter of a court in use or in the lobby or entrance area adjacent to the gym space. Coaches are responsible for player demeanor and conduct before, during, and after games.
  1. Coaches are expected to help admonish parents in attendance to keep their children under supervision at all times and away from game areas.
  1. Coaches must not leave the premises after game time until all of their players have left or are with a parent or guardian.
  1. MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS: If a team cannot floor at least four (4) eligible, uniformed players when a game is called to start by the floor officials, the game is forfeited to the opposing team. If a team has only four players present, then the game will proceed, and the opposing coach may use only four players as a courtesy, notwithstanding the presence of more than four players for his team. If a coach has five (5) or more players present, in uniform or not, a full team of five (5) players must be deployed.
  1. GAME ROSTERS: Before each game the coach of each team must enter his roster of present and participating players in the official score book. All players listed must appear on the Official Roster as maintained at each site by the Optimist Club. Game referees will check the Game Roster for compliance. Any player not listed on the official Game Roster will not be allowed to play. A player must play with the team on whose roster he appears.
  1. COACH / PARENT REQUIREMENT
  1. No team will be allowed to register with the league, nor allowed to play any game without the supervision of a competent adult coach or assistant coach, at least twenty-one (21) years of age. An adult may not be listed as the coach or assistant coach of record for more than two teams.
  1. If neither the coach nor assistant coach of record is available to attend a regularly scheduled game or tournament game, the team coach of record must contact the Basketball League Chair at least 72 hours in advance of game time with notification of the situation. If the coach or assistant coach of record is not present within ten minutes after a game is to be called to the floor, the game is forfeited to the opposing team.
  1. Coaches are to remain at the bench area during the entire game. Assistant coaches and parents are not allowed to coach from the baseline area.

4. Coaches are expected to share league RULES with players’ parents.

F.UNIFORMS: All players shall have uniform shirts of matching color with a clearly identifiable number on the back. Game referees will have the authority to declare any player ineligible who does not meet this requirement. Players may exhibit any number, 1 to 5, 10 to 15, or 20 to 21. Players shall wear the same number all season. Shirts for the 2016 season will be purchased by the club for teams who have paid their fee. Parents and coaches who want shirts to match the children may add their order to the coach’s order. Said fee will be paid in advance at the time of filing the team roster.

  1. GAME START TIME: Games are to be called to start by the floor officials not later than ten (10) minutes after the designated starting time.
  1. PLAYER PLAYING TIME: In keeping with the purposes of Church League Basketball, a coach must play all eligible players present on game day, unless a player is benched under disciplinary action by the coach. Coaches are expected to ensure that all players receive equal amounts of playing time, including tournament play.
  1. FORFEITURE: If on three consecutive dates, a team fails to appear for their scheduled game, fails to meet the coach requirements, or fails to provide the requisite four players necessary for play, that team will be dropped from the schedule and its remaining games will be listed as a bye for each scheduled opponent.

J.GAME LENGTH/CLOCK MECHANICS: Games will consist of four (4) quarters of six (6) minutes each, with a continuously running clock for the first (3) minutes. However, the clock will stop for substitutions, free throw shooting, injuries, and time-outs. There will be a one (1) minute break between quarters and a five (5) minute break at half time. During the last three (3) minutes of each quarter, the clock will be stopped for all violations, out of bound situations, free-throws, injuries and timeouts.

K.TIME-OUTS: Each team will have three (3) thirty (30) second time outs per half. Unused time outs will not accumulate from one half to the next. In addition, teams will have one (1) thirty (30) second time out during any overtime period.

  1. OVERTIME PLAY: If a game is tied at the end of regulation play, a three minute overtime period will begin after a one (1) minute break. A regulation clock will be run, stopping for all violations, injuries, out of bounds play, free-throws, and time outs. If the teams are still tied at the end of the single overtime period, the game is declared a tie. EXCEPTION: During a tournament tie, additional overtimes shall be used to determine a game winner.
  1. BALL SPECIFICATIONS: Divisions I and II shall use a women's collegiate size basketball. All other divisions will use a full size basketball.
  1. COURT SPECIFICATIONS FOUL LINE AND BASKET HEIGHT: For Division I Teams, the foul line will be marked at nine (9) feet from the basket and the rim of the basket set at eight (8) feet from the floor. For Division II—Beginner Teams the foul line will be marked at ten (10) feet from the basket and the rim of the basket set at (9) feet from the floor. For all other divisions, the foul line will be marked at the standard fifteen (15) feet, and the rim of the basket set at the standard ten (10) feet from the floor.
  1. ENHANCEMENT OF COMPETITION: To enhance competition within league play:
  1. For Division I, teams may apply only half-court defense.
  1. For Divisions II, if a team assumes a ten (10) point lead over its opponent, then the leading team is immediately restricted to halfcourt defense, until said lead is reduced under the five (5) point margin.
  1. For Divisions III, if a team assumes a twenty (20) point lead over its opponent, then the leading team is immediately restricted to halfcourt defense until such time as the leading team's margin is reduced to (10) points.
  1. "BLOW OUT" RULE: If one team assumes a forty (40) point lead over its opponent, then the game is ended upon the scoring of the fortieth point, and the score recorded as final UNLESS the coach of the trailing team indicates a desire to continue play. If the game continues, the clock will not stop running except for time outs.

P. UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT PENALTIES:

  1. TECHNICAL FOULS /FORFEITURE: In accordance with the purposes of Church League Basketball, all team players, coaches, and fans are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and courteous manner before, during, and after all basketball games. Coaches are to set the standard for good sportsmanlike conduct, are responsible for the conduct of players, and are expected to admonish fan misbehavior. Any failure to do so may result in expulsion from the league of said player, coach or fan. Unsportsmanlike conduct by a player, coach, or fan will result in a technical foul being assessed to the related team. Excessive unsportsmanlike conduct may result in removal from the game and/or gym of the offending player, team, coach or fan, or forfeiture of the game by the related team, or result in expulsion from the league of said player, coach or fan. Two technical fouls assessed against a coach or player in one game will result in automatic expulsion of said coach or player from the game, and a one gamesuspension to be served by the coach or player at the next scheduled game. The referee or the Evening Optimist Club Representative may enforce this rule at their discretion.
  1. TEAM SUSPENSION: If a team's conduct is considered by the Evening Optimist Basketball Committee to be detrimental to the well being of the League, that team may be permanently barred from the league.
  1. SUSPENDED PLAYER, COACH, OR FAN PARTICIPATION: Any team which allows a coach, player or fan to violate a suspension, expulsion, or barring may be required to forfeit all remaining games for the season for the related team, at the discretion of the Optimist Club Basketball Committee.
  1. BARRED PERSONS AT GYM SITES: No player, coach, or fan currently under suspension or barred from the league shall be allowed on the premises of any gym site. Only active players and coaches in good standing may be on the bench of any team.
  1. ENFORCEMENT OF RULES AUTHORITY: A representative of the Evening Optimist Club, or a head referee acting as representative for the Evening Optimist Club, will be present as Site Coordinator at each game during league play, and that representative shall have the ultimate responsibility and authority on matters related to the operation of all aspects of league play at that site.
  1. PROTESTS
  1. A team coach wishing to protest or allege any violation of any rule herein may file same, first by verbally informing the game referee, Site Coordinator, and opposing coach during or immediately after the subject game. This verbal protest must be followed by a written protest stating all pertinent information on the alleged violation, and be delivered to the Basketball Program Chair on or before the Wednesday following the subject game. Resolution of the protest matter will be at the discretion of the Basketball Program Chair, under advice of the Optimist Basketball Committee.
  1. PROTESTS ON PLAYER ELIGIBILITY: The eligibility of any player may be questioned and/or protested by a coach at any time during the season up to the last regular schedule game. Such protest must be filed with the Basketball Program Chair immediately upon knowledge or suspicion of player ineligibility. Any team that knowingly uses an ineligible player will be required to forfeit all games in which the ineligible player participated.
  1. TIMELINE FOR PROTESTS: Action on any protest will be completed within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the written protest. Results of the action will be made known to all involved coaches and pastors.
  1. The Basketball League Chair or Co-Chair shall have independent authority to take any disciplinary action against any player, coach, team or other participant, for violation of league rules. Such actions may include, but are not limited to, the following: team, coach and/or player suspension, team, coach and/or player expulsion from the league, forfeiture or games, exclusion from tournament play.
  1. RESERVATON OF RIGHTS: The Optimist Club reserves the right to take any additional action to preserve the integrity and spirit of Cape Girardeau Evening Optimist Boys’ Basketball: A Church and Community League.
  1. PRAYER: Each game will begin and end with prayer, given by a player, the coach, or a parent.

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