Download the 2008 PYBL Rules document here
Download the 2008 Code of Conduct Complaint Form here
The objective of the Poway Youth Basketball League is to promote and provide a wholesome recreational basketball program for the youth residing near the Poway area. The association is to encourage and foster positive sportsmanship standards, cultivate good playing skills, and promote cordial and friendly relationships among the participants, coaches, and parents.
PYBL is open to boys and girls, grades 3 through 12, living in the surrounding communities of Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Sabre Springs, Rancho Penasquitos, and Carmel Mountain Ranch with the following exception. Due to the recreational nature of PYBL, boys in the 7th-12th grade levels who participate in club/travel leagues are not eligible. Within the league, the following Divisions have been established:
Boys: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th-10th, and 11th-12th grade levels.
Girls: 3rd/4th, 5th/6th, 7th/8th, and 9th-12th grade levels.
Challenged: All Grades
Wheelchair “Hot Wheels”: All Grades
An appropriate number of teams will be formed within each division so as to allow the maximum number of youth to participate throughout the season.
The PYBL Board of Directors governs and administers all league activities. Each division shall have a Commissioner who is responsible for the dissemination of information and enforcement of Board policy. The Commissioner will assist coaches with any concerns that might require Board attention.
This Committee consists of the League President, two other Board Members as voted on by the Board (generally the Director of the Boys Division and the Director of the Girls Division and the Commissioner for the affected Division. When a “Code of Conduct Complaint Form” (see attachment to these Rules) is submitted to the Division Commissioner, that Commissioner has the responsibility to follow the procedures prescribed in the attached “Code of Conduct Enforcement Procedures” and reach timely closure.
www.PYBL.com is our website. Information ranging from team standings to Board Member contacts to the latest league news and links to informative websites are available on the site.
The registration fee, established by the Board at the beginning of each season, covers the costs of player uniforms, equipment purchase, gym rental, referees, team pictures, program book, insurance, trophies, as well as other related expenses.
Parents must sign a PYBL Medical Release Form that holds the League harmless in case of player injuries. It also provides emergency medical information and permission release statement that must be returned to the player's coach before their child will be allowed to practice or participate in PYBL activities. The league will provide the Medical Release Form. The family's primary medical insurance must be used in the event of player injury. Secondary medical insurance is provided for all players under the general liability/medical insurance policy of PYBL (deductible exists).
A. Uniforms
All participants will receive an official PYBL jersey. Solid, plain black shorts must be worn during games and will not be provided by the league. Players will not be allowed to participate in league games unless they are dressed in their regulation uniform. Players may not alter the look of the uniform during the season including cutting off the sleeves or the waist of their shirt. Additionally, each player must provide his or her own pair of court shoes that must have non-marking soles to protect the wooden floors.
B. Team member’s equipment & apparel.
The referee shall not permit any team to wear equipment or apparel which, in his/her judgment, is dangerous or confusing to other players or is not appropriate
Players wearing glasses should use a head strap to keep the glasses firmly in place during the games. Players wearing dental braces are encouraged to use mouth guards.
Male players are encouraged to use athletic supporters during all practice and game activities. Players will not be allowed to wear jewelry, watches, etc. during play.
A guard, cast, or brace made of hard and unyielding leather, plastic, pliable (soft) plastic, metal or any other hard substance may not be worn even though covered with soft padding.
Knee and ankle braces are permitted.
C. Ball Sizes
The following ball sizes should be used accordingly:
Boys and Girls 3rd & 4th Grades = 27.5", size 5 (Junior size)
Girls 5th Grade and above = 28.5", size 6 (regulation Women's)
Boys 5th Grade and above = 29.5", size 7 (regulation Men's)
The league will arrange for playing facilities for official games. Facilities include indoor gyms located at various schools throughout PUSD, as well as outdoor courts located at the schools. The outdoor courts will be used only as needed when the indoor gyms are unavailable.
Practices may not begin until after December 1st. Each team will practice, at least, once per week during the season. A team may not practice more than three times per week before the season begins (first weekend in January) nor twice per week after the season starts. Individual practices should not exceed 1-1/2 hours per session.
Outdoor facilities at local area schools can be used for practices. Indoor gym time is limited, but the Commissioner will notify the Coaches if time is available. The use of indoor local gyms during “open play” is prohibited.
Season registration announcements will be dispersed to the citizens of Poway and contiguous communities through mailings to previous year players, as well as through announcements in local newspapers. Players may register for league play during the open registration session. The purpose of the open registration session is to computerize the player's name, address, telephone number, uniform size requirements, previous number of seasons in PYBL, as well as collection of participation fees. A late fee will be charged for players signing up after the initial registration session.
Teams will be formed by the PYBL Board based on both playing ability and height as equitably as possible across all teams in each division. No team shall have more than 8 or fewer than 5 participants. No players will be frozen except the head coach's child.
A. Waiting List
All players registering for the league after the completion of team formation will be placed on a waiting list for possible inclusion onto a team as openings become available. No new players will be added to a team after February 1, unless the team has only the minimum number of players remaining. Additional teams may also be formed depending on the number of players on the waiting list and availability of coaches.
B. Team Openings
For a player to be "officially" dropped from a team, the player's coach must contact his/her Commissioner who will then contact the player's parents to determine or reaffirm the reason(s) for the player leaving the team. Refunds after the league starts will be granted only in extraordinary cases. Open team slots will only be filled from the league's waiting list. It is the responsibility of each coach to keep his/her Commissioner informed as to the status of his team's membership so that all teams can be maintained at full strength, thus allowing maximum participation by community youths.
Participation trophies will be presented to all 3rd & 4th grade boys & girls division players. Trophies for only first and second place will be presented for all other divisions at the conclusion of the season-ending tournament.
PYBL represents the highest standards of sportsmanship and personal conduct. No player shall engage in conduct that is damaging to the reputation or image of PYBL. Violent outbursts of anger either at practice or games, use of profane language, destruction of equipment or facilities, disrespect or physical violence towards other players, coaches, officials, team members, parents or the public or deliberate attempts to cause injury to another player will not be tolerated. The result of this misconduct will be automatic expulsion from the League. There will be no refund of registration fees.
Any person witnessing such conduct may complete a Code of Conduct Complaint Form. This form is provided as an attachment to these rules in the “Code of Conduct Enforcement Procedures”. These Enforcement Procedures delineate the process for handling PYBL Code of Conduct enforcement. Players who are unable to behave in accordance with the standards of the League will not be allowed to continue playing in PYBL.
Every coach is to be a positive role model and should strive to project an image to parents, officials, opposing coaches, and players that demonstrates the highest moral ethics and sportsmanship during all PYBL activities.
A. Pre-Season Orientation Program
All coaches and their assistants, regardless of the number of years of prior basketball experience; must attend a PYBL preseason orientation seminar for the purpose of reviewing league rules and regulations, as well as understanding the scope of the coaching commitment. An orientation program will be scheduled before practices start for all coaching staff. The program will consist of an overview of league organization, philosophy and rules. It will provide an opportunity to address questions, identify available resources, meet fellow coaches, Divisional Commissioners and Board members, as well as establish a solid communication foundation from which to begin the new season.
B. Prerequisites
Head coaches must be 21 years or older and approved by the Division Commissioner prior to the start of the season. Coaches who did not uphold the standards of the Association in previous years' activities will not be allowed to return to PYBL in a coaching capacity. All Coaches must sign a PYBL Coaches Contract and Disclosure Statement.
C. Evaluations
Each coach and assistant coach will be evaluated by members of the Board at the conclusion of the regular season. Evaluations will be made on the coach's ability to work with young people, attendance at required league meetings, timely response in submitting PYBL forms, basic knowledge of basketball, general attitude and demeanor around the team, etc. This information will be confidentially maintained by the Board for use in development of additional orientation materials, as well as consideration in approving coaches for subsequent seasons.
Coaches will be required to evaluate each of their own players towards the end of the season. The league will provide a standard form on which generalized skill and attitude information will be recorded by the coaching staff. This information is subsequently combined in the next year’s draft to provide a more accurate reference of where each player should be placed in the draft configuration. All player evaluation forms must be turned into the appropriate Commissioner before the team will be allowed to compete in the final tournament. These player evaluations will be kept confidential.
Each coach represents the league through his/her actions on and off the court and, as such, must strive to uphold the following "CODE OF CONDUCT" standards:
Coaches are encouraged to utilize a "positive reward" system of recognizing individual and team achievements. Players should not be admonished by the coach or fellow teammates for not being able to perform some level of activity; rather they should be individually coached in an effort to help the youth gain greater skills.
Coaches must recognize the sovereignty of the referees during all games. The Board will arrange for training for all PYBL referees before the start of the season and will fully support their officiating decisions made during the games. Coaches are to remain flexible and realize that each referee is performing to the best of his/her ability and, yet, questionable calls may arise during games.
Coaches are not to encourage nor allow their team to "run up" the score against an opponent. A win by a greater margin than 20 points is deemed excessive. Tactics such as player substitution, as permitted under the minimum/maximum playing time restrictions of the league, as well as rotation of ball handling responsibilities should be used to keep the score differences within an acceptable range.
Coaches and players are required to remain seated the entire time they are on the bench. Outbursts of anger or vulgarity directed at the officials or players will not be tolerated. Such occurrences will result in technical fouls being assessed against the coach/team (refer to Technical Fouls section of Playing Rules).
Only players and coaches are allowed on the bench. Spectators will be required to sit in the stands. Coaches are allowed one assistant coach. Every team must have a coach present, on the bench, for the entire game. Coaches must be 21 years old (any exceptions must be approved by the League President).
Coaches are responsible for the conduct of their team's fans and parents. Fans or parents that become abusive or disorderly will be asked by the officials and coaches to leave the gym. The coaches must fully support this decision by the referee(s). Coaches are expected to work closely with their Commissioners and the Board in quickly resolving problems that arise and providing feedback on ways to improve the program for the following year. Coaches and parents are encouraged to provide input to the Board to assist in developing and administering future PYBL activities.
Coaches have the responsibility of providing each parent with a complete season game and practice schedule. Coaches must also keep parents informed of all changes in the original schedule.
Coaches and parents are to make all necessary arrangements to ensure that players will be promptly picked up after practices and games. Any witness to violations of the above Coaches Code of Conduct may make a formal Code of Conduct Complaint Form. This form is provided as an attachment to these rules in the “Code of Conduct Enforcement Procedures”. These Enforcement Procedures delineate the process for handling PYBL Code of Conduct enforcement. Coaches who cannot uphold the standards of the League will not be allowed to continue in a coaching capacity.
The League shall be governed under the conditions published by the National
Federation of State High School Association (NFSHA) entitled The Basketball
Official's Manual. Exceptions to this Manual can be made by the Board of Directors for respective divisions whenever deemed necessary. The following summarization of rules is provided and would take precedence over any conflict with NFSHA rules.
Technical fouls can be assessed against a team or any of its members by the game's officials for any number of reasons including unsportsmanlike conduct by players and/or coaches, as well as playing time violations as stipulated in the Rules.
PYBL technical fouls are divided into two broad categories - individual and team. Individual technical fouls result from aberrant or overly aggressive behavior from individual players or coaches. Team technical fouls will be assessed against the team itself, not a specific individual on the team, for violations of the general or playing PYBL rules.
In either case, any technical foul assessed against one team will result in the other team being awarded two (2) free throw and subsequent in bounding of the ball. Coaches and/or players receiving two or more individual technical fouls in a game will be automatically ejected from the remainder of that game and further suspended from participating in the next scheduled game. Any team receiving a total of three (3) individual technical fouls will automatically forfeit the game regardless of the score.
A team may incur an unlimited number of team technical fouls during a game. However, each technical foul will result in bonus free throws and in bounding of the ball for the opposing team as described above.
A player or coach who receives technical fouls in multiple games will receive game suspensions.
If the game ends after regulation play in a tied score, a maximum of two-3 minute overtime periods can be played. The first overtime period consists of three (3) full minutes of regular play. If the score still remains tied after the first overtime, a second sudden victory period is played until one team scores at which time the game is over. If the score still remains tied at the end of the second overtime period, the game is over and a tie score is recorded. Both overtime periods begin with a jump ball.
All games for the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade divisions will be played utilizing four 6-minute quarters. All games in the 7th, 8th, and High School grade divisions will be played using four-8 minute quarters. All games will be timed using a running clock system, with the clock being stopped only for time-outs and shooting fouls. The clock is also stopped at each whistle during the last one (1) minute of regulation play and overtime periods of play. There will be a one (1) minute break between each quarter and a three (3) minute break at halftime. Time will be allotted for pre-game warm-up activities before the start of the game. In order to keep the game within the allotted time period, the length of the rest periods may be altered at the discretion of the referees.
There are a maximum of four (4) timeouts allotted to each team, which may be used at any time during regulation play. Each team will be allotted only one (1) time-out for each overtime period played. Unused time-outs from the first four quarters cannot be carried over into the overtime periods. A technical foul will be assessed against a team that calls for a time out when they have none available. The referee may also call an official's time-out to attend to an injured player or review problems associated with the scorebook, clock, etc. The official's time-out is not charged to either team.
The following playing time restrictions are based upon the number of players present on a team at the beginning of the second quarter.
With 7 or 8 Players Available
All participants must play two (2) full quarters, start-to-finish.
All players must sit out one (1) full quarter, start-to-finish. Players may not be reinstated into the playing lineup under any circumstances during this quarter even if another player has fouled out or has been injured.
With 6 Players Available
All players must play three (3) full quarters, start-to-finish. The opposing coach will have the option of designating which player, of those playing in the first quarter; will sit out the second quarter. A coach must notify the officials and the opposing coach when he/she has only six (6) players available at the start of the second quarter. Violation of this notice will result in a technical foul and the opposing coach will then have the option of designating which player, of those playing in the first or second quarter, will sit out the fourth quarter. However, if the opposing coach has only five (5) players available for the game, he/she may not exercise this option.
With 5 Players Available
All players will play the entire game.
A team must have, at least, four (4) players in order to start a game.
Player Arriving Late
A player who arrives late for a game may have special restrictions on the number of required playing quarters as follows:
A player arriving after the start of a quarter will not be allowed to play in that same quarter.
Players arriving before the start of the second quarter shall play all of their allotted quarters as defined above and are not governed by any special playing time restrictions.
If the player arrives during the second quarter of the game, the player must play, at least, one (1) quarter and may be allowed to play two (2) quarters at the discretion of the coach.
A player arriving after the start of the third quarter will not be allowed to play in that game.
If a playing time violation occurs during a game, a technical foul will be assessed against the offending team. "During the game" is defined as any time after the players have taken their positions on the court and the ball has been thrown into play.
If the violation involves a player with less than two (2) full quarters of playing time, that player will be reinstated immediately into the game.
If the violation involves a player who has already played his/her full three (3) quarters, that player will be immediately removed from the game and be replaced by another eligible player.
It is the scorekeeper's responsibility to correctly record which quarters each player played in the game.
The scorekeeper shall notify each coach when a possible playing time violation is about to occur at the beginning of each quarter. It is the offending coach's responsibility to adjust his/her lineup to correct the problem.
A player leaving the game early must check out through the scorekeeper. His/her coach must also notify the officials and the opposing coach when the player is dismissed.
Playing time violations are to be resolved during the game. They are not considered as acceptable grounds for formally protesting the outcome of the game.
A seriously injured player will not be held accountable to the playing time requirements. Any bleeding must be stopped and the wound must be covered before the player will be allowed to re-enter a practice or game.
Each coach shall provide a parent to serve as the scorekeeper or timekeeper for each game. Both of these individuals must sit at the official's sideline table located at half court during the game.
Scorekeeper -Responsible for accurately recording the following information on the game's official score sheet -player's name and jersey numbers, points scored by each player during each quarter of play, number of quarters played by each team member, number of personal and team fouls committed, number of time-outs taken and the running score.
Timekeeper -Responsible for maintaining the game clock that controls the maximum number of playing minutes permitted in each quarter, as well as changing the ball possession arrow. The timekeeper will also flip the scorecards for both teams to accurately reflect the score throughout the game.
All score and timekeepers must attend a preseason orientation program offered by the League. Both score and timekeepers must maintain proper decorum while fulfilling their respective responsibilities during a game. They are considered part of the officiating team for the game, thus restraint must be shown in "cheering" for either team. Attention must be focused on the correct recording of game activities.
All players must check in with the scorekeeper, providing their jersey number, before entering the game at the beginning of each quarter and any other time they are substituted into the game.
The three-point field goal will be in effect during any game (regular season or playoff), which is played on a court that has a three-point line marked.
In the interest of competitive play, no team leading by twelve (12) points or more may pressure the ball in the opponent's back court area. One warning will be issued for the first offense. A technical foul will be issued against the coach on the second and subsequent violations.
Protests should be avoided, if at all possible. Problems arising during a game should be resolved between the two coaches and officials at the time of the infraction. However, any coach may file a protest against another team if a discrepancy cannot be resolved.
The following specific sequence of steps must be followed in order to properly file a formal protest.
The game officials, if available, should be notified by the coach that a protest will be filed and the reasons for the decision.
The protesting coach should not sign the scorebook, rather he/she should include a written statement on the game's official score sheet that the game is under protest and briefly outline the reasons.
The game officials should sign next to the protest statement in the book acknowledging that they have been informed of the matter.
The division Commissioner should be notified in writing within 24 hours by the protesting coach of the nature of the problem. The Commissioner will investigate the matter thoroughly to ascertain whether a PYBL rule(s) has been violated and if the problem can be resolved without further intervention by the Conduct Enforcement/Rules Committee. The Committee will handle all unresolved protests. Reports from both coaches, their Commissioner and game officials maybe solicited by the Committee for the purpose of review and clarification. Any decision of the Committee on all protest matters is final.
The game officials (referees) have the responsibility to ensure that the rules and regulations of basketball, as adopted by the league, are adhered to in all games. The referees are given complete authority by the Board to make whatever calls or decisions are necessary to govern the play of the game. Each referee will sign the official score sheet after the conclusion of the game. Coaches, players, and fans are not to harass the referees in any manner concerning their officiating decisions. Coaches are directly responsible for the conduct of their team's fans during and after all game activities. Any display of disrespect including inappropriate comments, physical gesturing, vulgarity or other forms of unsportsmanlike conduct directed at the officials will result in a technical foul(s) being assessed against the coach. Concurrently, the offending player/coach may be required to appear before the Board’s Conduct Enforcement Committee for subsequent disciplinary action. If questions should arise or clarification of a call is necessary, the referee should be approached courteously and politely.
When instructions are given to the teams or coaches, a representative from both teams should be present.
If a coach feels that a complaint or protest concerning a referee decision(s) should be brought to the attention of the Board, he/she will contact their Commissioner concerning the matter. If deemed necessary by the Commissioner, the matter will be reported to the Referee Coordinator for investigation.
Referees may not officiate a game in which one of their siblings is participating.
12. SPECIAL DIVISIONAL RULES
3rd and 4th Grade Division (Junior Size 27.5” Ball is used)
Must play man-to-man defense and not pressure the ball in the back court. Man-to-man defense is defined as requiring the defensive player to remain within six (6) feet of his assigned offensive player.
Doub1e-teaming is not allowed. When an opposing team has only 4 players available, the opposing coach does not dictate where the other team’s fifth player plays defense. Where the 5th player plays will be left up to the coach with the full team just so long as there is no double teaming. There is no special treatment provided to the team with only 4 players available and they will be subject to the same rules as the team with 5 players.
The use of any defensive tactics that takes unfair defensive advantage of the offensive team will result in a warning for the first offense. A technical foul will be awarded for the second and subsequent violations.
Example A - Unfair defensive advantage occurs when an offensive ball handler has not dribbled past his defender and a second man leaves his assigned player and moves over to also defend the ball handler. Two men guarding the ball is a double-team.
Example B - When a defensive player leaves his man, who may or may not have possession of the ball, to double-team another player (underneath the basket or anywhere else on the floor), this constitutes a double-team situation which takes unfair advantage of an offensive team.
Help side defense is allowed to stop offensive penetration with the provision that when the offensive penetration is stopped and the original defender has recovered his man, the help side defender must immediately return to his original offensive man.
No back court defense at any time, i.e., after a basket has been made, shot, rebounded or inbound pass made into the back court. In the event of such a violation, the referee will issue 2 warnings to the offending team. On the third offense, a technical foul will be called.
Intentional in bounding of the ball into the back court, stalling for ten seconds and then calling a time-out as part of a delay tactic is not allowed. Such violations will result in a technical foul being assessed for each occurrence.
The use of an offensive tactic that takes unfair advantage of the defensive team will result in a warning for the first abuse and a technical foul for each subsequent violation.
Example A - Unfair offensive tactic would include a player formation on the court that continuously isolates one offensive player on one defensive player.
Free-throw line will be 12 feet from the basket.
Offensive player is limited to five (5) seconds in the key.
5th and 6th Grade Division
Must play man-to-man defense in the first and third quarters with no back court pressure permitted.
During first and third quarters only, all special defensive and offensive rules as listed above in the 3rd and 4th Division shall apply.
May use zone defenses and full-court pressing in the second and fourth quarters only.
Free-throw line will be 12 feet from the basket.
Will use a regulation men or women's ball, as applicable.
Offensive player is limited to regulation 3 seconds in the key. The officials will enforce these special rules by issuing a warning for the first offense.
These procedures establish the process for enforcing the PYBL Code of Conduct. The PYBL Rules/Code of Conduct shall be distributed to each Manager and Team Representative at the start of the season. All written complaints of violations to the Code of Conduct shall be made and resolved according to these enforcement procedures.
The Board of Directors has adopted these procedures to provide an expedited method for resolving all complaints fairly. The procedures balance the desire to provide a reasonable opportunity to be heard to both the person making the complaint and the person against whom the complaint is made with the desire to impose disciplinary action, if any, promptly. With this balance in mind, the procedures provide that all complaints will be resolved within one week. Deadlines may be extended only by the League President if extenuating circumstance justifies the delay.
Any person who believes that a player or coach has violated the Code of Conduct must submit a written complaint to their Division Commissioner, or, ONLY in the Commissioner’s absence, any PYBL Commissioner or the President. E-mail is acceptable. The complaint must be submitted by Monday evening following weekend game play. Either a “Code of Conduct Complaint Form” (included with these Procedures) must be used, or all the information called out on this from must be included in your complaint. The complaint should include any supporting statements of other witnesses.
a. The Division Commissioner receiving the complaint shall provide a copy of the written complaint and the supporting statements, if any, to the person against whom the complaint is made by the Tuesday evening following the weekend play.
b. The Division Commissioner will present the facts of the case to the Conduct Compliance Committee. The Committee can then choose to either meet with, or call, the person making the complaint as well as the person against whom the complaint was made. Other witnesses and those making statements may also be called upon. Any meeting, if deemed necessary, will take place preferably by Thursday night, and no later than Friday night. The Committee has the right to ask questions of all parties. The Committee has the right to control the hearing in a manner which it deems appropriate, including imposing strict time requirements on any presentations. When the Committee is satisfied that it has a sufficient understanding of the facts and issues, the Committee will terminate the hearing.
c. The Committee will make its decision as soon as possible but no later than Friday evening. A majority vote of the Committee will determine the outcome. In case of a tie the President’s vote determines the outcome.
d. The Committee will notify both parties as to its decision and any discipline that will be imposed, if any. All Committee decisions are final with no appeal.