CYC Athletic Association
CYC Rules
Commonly Misinterpreted
(See South Central District Supplemental Rules, including no press rule
for third and fourth grades.)
ARM GUARDING; If a defensive player has their arms extended horizontally from their body and they make contact with an offensive player, with or without the ball, in an attempt to impede their movement, it is a foul on the defensive player.
BASKET PREFERENCE; The home team, on the schedule, will have its choice of benches, unless designated. The choice of baskets is that each team will be going in the direction closest to their bench for the second half.
CLOSELY GUARDED; While a player is dribbling in their frontcourt and an opponent is within 6 feet guarding the dribbler, if the dribble continues for 5 seconds a violation occurs and they lose possession. The same applies if the player, in the frontcourt, holds the ball for 5 seconds in their frontcourt while closely guarded. However, a player may hold for 4 seconds, dribble for 4 seconds and hold for 4 more seconds and there is no violation until the count reaches 5 on any of these situations. The only exception to this is if the dribble is interrupted. The count stops until control has been reestablished and then it is re-started.
COACHES BOX; The head coach may stand in the coaches box to give instructions to his or her players and/or substitutes. A coach who rises for the purpose of objecting to an official call shall be subject to a technical foul. The coaches box shall be defined as being the length of the team bench. If there is any doubt about where the team bench begins or ends, the referee will have final jurisdiction over this determination.
DUPLICATION; CYC By-Laws prohibit playing basketball for more than one team or division at the same time, that is declared closed. Refer to Rule II, Sec. 4 in the CYC Constitution.
EXCESSIVE SWINGING OF ARMS OR ELBOWS; A player shall not excessively swing his/her arm(s) or elbow(s), even without contacting an opponent. A player may extend arm(s) or elbow(s) to hold the ball under the chin or against the body. Action of arm(s) or elbow(s) resulting from total body movements as in pivoting or movement of the ball incidental to feinting with it, releasing it, or moving it to prevent a held ball or loss of control shall not be considered excessive. The ball is dead when the violation occurs and is awarded to the opponents for a throw-in from the designated out-of-bounds spot nearest the violation.
FOULS FOR EJECTION; For the purpose of ejection, technical fouls are added to personal fouls. A player who receives one technical foul and four personal fouls is ejected for having committed 5 fouls during the contest.
FREE THROW VIOLATION; During a free throw, if a teammate of the shooter commits a violation, the ball is dead and that free throw attempt is over. If the violation is by an opponent and the free throw is made, the violation is ignored. If the free throw is missed, the official will stop play and award a substitute throw. If both teams violate, the official will signal and if on the last attempt, play will begin with an alternating possession throw-in by the team entitled at the spot closest to where the violation occurred. If it occurs on the first of a multiple free throw, that attempt is over.
HAND CHECKING; Hand checking is a foul. Placing of the hand on a player in an attempt to direct them or control their progress is a foul.
HEADBANDS; Headbands no wider than 2 inches and made of a nonabrasive, unadorned single-colored cloth, fiber, soft leather or rubber may be worn. Rubber/cloth (elastic) bands may be used to control hair.
ID CARD & ROSTER CHECKS; Teams will be checked for the correct ID cards and approved CYC rosters as directed by the District, and upon request from either coach or official. ID cards and rosters will be checked at each District Playoff Game. All coaches seated on the bench must have an approved ID card. Scorers seated on the bench do not need ID cards, so long as they do not coach. (The South Central District Supplemental Rules allow only three coaches, including team scorekeepers, to sit on the bench with the players and each must have an ID card with a current season validation sticker attached to the back of the ID card.) In the event that a team is without their ID cards or approved roster, the game may start. If the ID cards and roster are not presented to the game official prior to the end of the game (including overtime), the game may count as a forfeit, regardless of the score or outcome of the game. This includes the playing of an individual player without an ID card. The game would be considered a forfeit.
INTENTIONAL FOULS; “Playing the ball” no longer exempts a player from committing an intentional foul. The expanded definition of the intentional foul should make it easier for officials to enforce the intentional foul rule. An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul designed to stop or keep the clock from starting, to neutralize an opponent’s obvious advantageous position. Contact away from the ball, or when not playing the ball, or when playing the ball excessive contact occurs. Intentional fouls may or may not be premeditated and should not be based on the severity of the act. Acts that must be called intentional fouls are grabbing a player from behind, wrapping the arms around the player, fouling a player on an attempted shot in a manner that is excessive so that the shot will not be made. Grabbing a player from behind before he or she gets in the act of shooting when an apparent easy basket may be scored. These examples are all acts that are intentional and must be charged accordingly.
MINIMUM PLAYING REQUIREMENT; All eligible players on the bench must participate in each game. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture. The District Chairperson or Sports Chairperson has the authority to further discipline the coach or manager. There is no mandated length of playing time during league play. However, taking into consideration the number of players on a team, we highly recommend that each player play at least ¼ of each game. (The South Central District Supplemental Rules require all eligible players to participate in each half.) Failure to comply with the spirit of this recommendation may result in disciplinary action by the District.
THE 25% MINIMUM PLAYING TIME WILL BE MANDATORY DURING ALL “DISTRICT AND ARCHDIOCESAN” PLAYOFF GAMES. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE MINIMUM PLAYING TIME DURING PLAYOFFS MAY RESULT IN FORFEITURE OF GAME AND FURTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.
NO PRESS RULE; Pressing in the backcourt, following any throw-in in the backcourt, is not allowed in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 except for the last two minutes of the game and any overtime period(s). This rule is interpreted to mean that you must allow the offensive team a distance of at least three feet back from the midcourt line. Failure to do so will result in (1) a warning to the defensive team and upon the second infraction, (2) a technical foul assessed to the bench.
OFFENSIVE FOUL (CHARGING); An offensive foul is when the offensive player initiates contact with a defender who has established a legal guarding position. The defender may be moving as long as they initially established a legal guarding position. No free throws are awarded on offensive fouls. A personal foul is charged to the player and the ball is awarded to their opponents.
OVER AND BACK; When a player has both feet and the ball in the frontcourt, they are then in the frontcourt. Having both feet in the frontcourt and the ball still in the backcourt means the player has not come completely into the frontcourt. A player may place one foot in the frontcourt, dribble the ball in the frontcourt and then go into the backcourt and there is no violation, and as long as the second foot does not step in the frontcourt, they are considered to still be in the backcourt.
OVERTIME; All overtime periods will be TWO minutes in length. Play will continue until a winner is determined. Each extra period begins with a jump ball. (In the South Central District no overtime is played for the third grade and one overtime can be played for the fourth grade at the discretion of the Gym Monitor.)
SCREENS; A legal screen is one in which the player is stationary, with a normal stance. Moving a hip, leg or shoulder into the path of the defender is a foul. The screener may face any direction and must determine if the player being screened is moving. If the defensive player is moving, time and distance are relevant in determining if it is a legal screen. When screening from the side, the screener may be anywhere short of contact with the opponent. When screening from the rear, they must allow the opponent one normal step backward before contact. If the opponent is moving, they must be given not more than two strides prior to contact. A moving screen is legal as long as no contact is made and both are moving in the same path and direction. When moving in the same path and direction, if the screener slows or stops, the opponent is responsible for contact.
SUBSTITUTIONS; All substitutes must report to the scorer. They should give their number and the number of the player they are reporting for. They must wait at the table until beckoned by the official into the game. A substitute who desires to enter between periods, half-time or during a time-out must do so prior to the warning buzzer sounded 15 seconds prior to the restart. Reporting after the warning buzzer will not be permitted and the player must wait until the next available stoppage in play.
TEAM BONUS SITUATION; The team bonus of 1 and 1 begins on the 7th team foul of each half. A double bonus of 2 shots begins on the 10th team foul of each half.
TECHNICAL FOULS - EJECTION; Two direct technical fouls on any player or coach will result in their ejection and indefinite suspension from all CYC activity pending a hearing by the District. NOTE 1: Indirect technical fouls are charged to the head coach. If a head coach receives three indirect or one direct and two indirect technical fouls, they will be ejected and suspended pending a hearing.
THREE SECOND VIOLATIONS; Three second violations occur in the following manner; the ball must be in the team’s frontcourt. The team must have control. (There is no team control during a shot or a loose ball.)
THROW IN PLANE VIOLATION; During a throw in, the defensive player must not extend any part of their body past the vertical plane marking the boundary line. A violation of this for the first violation is a warning, the second is a technical. Committing a foul in the act is a Technical Personal foul.
TIME OUTS - REQUESTING; Only the head coach or player currently in the game may request a time out. They must verbally ask the official for the time out. Signaling or other methods could be confusing and could result in a time out given when none was requested.
TIME OUTS - TEAM; Each team will be granted a total of four time outs during the game. An extra time out is granted during each overtime period.
TRAVELING VIOLATIONS; Traveling occurs when a player moves or lifts their pivot after having established it and is not in the air. If a player falls to the ground with the ball, it is traveling. If a player secures a loose ball on the ground and rolls to avoid another player, it is traveling. If a player on the floor dives for a ball, it is not traveling. Attempting to get up after having secured the ball on the floor is traveling.
TWENTY POINT RULE; If a team is ahead by 20 or more points, they are not allowed to press, regardless of the situation. Violation of this for the first offense will be a warning. Additional violations will result in technical fouls against the player.
UNIFORMS; All players must have a uniform. It must be similar in color and design to the others. Each uniform must have a number on either the front, back or both. Tape, paper or other material passing as a number are not allowed. Compression shorts worn under their uniform must be of the same color as the uniform pants. Contrasting colors, those with logos, designs or other insignia are not allowed. Shirts worn under the uniform shirts must be of the same color as the uniform shirt. Contrasting shirts will not be allowed. The players will not be permitted to participate unless they have a valid uniform. They must remove the offending garment before they are allowed to participate.
VERTICALITY; Verticality applies to a legal
position. Once a legal guarding
position has been established, the defender may rise or jump vertically and
occupy the space within his or her vertical plane. Hands may be raised and even if contact is made, as long as the
vertical position has been maintained, there should be no defensive foul. If the offensive player causes the contact
while the defender is in a vertical position, it is an offensive foul. The offensive player should be given no more
protection or consideration than the defender in judging which player has
violated the rule.
