Rules

Spokane AAU Basketball plays under the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) Rules. These are available for purchase from local sporting goods stores or from NFHS. Variations or additions to the rules are mentioned below.

Any technical foul awards automatic two points to the opposing team and possession of the ball, out of bounds.

There will be no full court presses, no zone defenses, and no half court high traps. It is the responsibility of each coach to follow these rules. The officials will receive training on these new policies and will implement the appropriate call if a violation occurs. This means that the coaches will teach their teams man-to-man defensive skills, and will assist each player in developing good shooting habits. A player can still challenge an inbound pass, switch on defense, steal the ball and use all other defensive tactics. The new policy will not lessen the competitiveness of the game, it is meant to enhance each player's skills.

Any team with an advantage of 15 points is required to pull off the full court press. After one warning from the official, if the press is not discontinued, the officials will assess a technical foul against the bench.

All head coaches, assistant coaches, and team contacts (if the team contact will have contact with the players) must complete background checks prior to the beginning of the league season. Coaches will be notified if their status is in question. The head coach must be twenty-one years of age or older. If the approved coach is less than twenty- one years of age, an assistant coach at least twenty-one years old must be sitting with him/her on the bench at games, participate in all practices and have a current AAU card. Each coach and assistant coach sitting on the bench, at any game or at any practice must have a valid AAU coach's card and must be listed on the team roster on file in the AAU office. Verification may be done at any time.

Each head coach and any coach who may lead a practice or act as the head coach when the head coach is not present, must be compliant with the concussion information and have a signed form on file with the office.

Only the team's head coach and two assistant coaches may sit on the bench at both league and tournament games. Only rostered players, from the two teams playing may sit on the bench. Everyone else must sit with the spectators.

NEW FOR 2011-2012:  EACH MEMBER OF THE COACHING STAFF MUST WEAR IDENTIFYING CREDENTIALS PROVIDED BY THE LEAGUE.

It is mandatory for the head coach to attend this meeting. Only the head coach will be able to pick up the team packet and picture i.d. will be required. If the head coach cannot attend the scheduled meeting, then he/she will have to make arrangements to attend the make-up meeting. If the head coach does not attend one of the scheduled meetings, his/her team will not be eligible for the championship bracket in our league playoffs.

Teams that participate in the Spokane AAU League are separate from the organization. The coaches, players, and parents representing each team are responsible for their own monies, practice times, player playing time, designated responsibilities and team policies for that individual team. Spokane AAU Basketball provides teams with the service of League play and will not be responsible for the individual team organization or finances. The team coach is responsible for notification to the league office for changes in coaching, team contacts, mailing addresses, or other issues that pertain to the team. However, the players' best interests should be at the heart of all comments and actions made by coaches and parents, at all times.

The Team Rosters shall not be co-ed, must have at least 5 players, and shall not exceed 12 players. The Spokane AAU Basketball ("League") policy is that each team is required to complete a Team Roster listing each player's name, AAU Card number, jersey number, date of birth, height, grade level, school, and parent/guardian signature acknowledging that the information is correct, a parent/athlete concussion form and that this is the team that his or her child is rostered on for the upcoming league season. Once a roster is submitted to the League Office, the listed players are frozen on that team for the League Season. Further, a player may only appear on one League roster or Spokane AAU sponsored tournament roster. If a player lives outside of the 60-mile radius from Spokane, he or she must not miss more than three of their team's games prior to the League playoffs, in order to be eligible to participate in the tournament portion of the League, leading up to the final game on Championship weekend.

If a submitted Team Roster has less than eight registered players, a Coach may add non-rostered players at any time to have the Roster reflect eight players. However, the coach must remit a completed Athlete's Code of Conduct, a Parent's Code of Conduct, a Liability Release, an Authorization to Consent to Medical Treatment, a signed parent/athlete concussion form and a current AAU Card to the League office for each player added, at least 5 days prior to the first League game played by said player. The team coach will also be required to provide the office with a written request for each time he or she adds a player to the team roster that is until the team acquires its eighth player.

However, on the second Friday of January of each league season, the team roster will freeze and the coach who has kept his team at less than eight players will not be allowed to add a late player. He will finish the season with the number rostered at that time.

Spokane AAU Basketball has a grade level policy that is not subject to age-level exceptions. The policy indicates that a player can play up a grade level, however cannot play down. No grade level player may play lower than his/her academic standing. Spokane AAU Basketball will hold that a player is in the same grade athletically as he or she is academically.

Each coach will be required to sign off for each player rostered on his or her league team, verifying that the grade level for each player has been represented accurately for the current season. We reserve the right to request proof of grade level. If a player is not playing at the correct grade level, that player will be disqualified from further play for the duration of the season, and the team will not be eligible for the championship bracket in our league playoffs.

For tournament teams not in our league, those teams will be required to submit grade level verification for each player on the team roster as a part of their entry form.

Each team is responsible for its own uniforms. Uniform types may be either a reversible jersey or two separate jerseys. Regardless of type, there must be one white/light and one dark colored jersey available for each game. Numbers must be on both the front of the jersey (minimum 4" tall) as well as the back of the jersey (minimum 6" tall), and must be centered vertically as well as horizontally. The numerals 6, 7, 8 and 9 are illegal and cannot be used alone or in any combination. The officials must be able to signal the jersey number with one hand. The following series of numbers can be used: 0-5, 10-15, 20-25, 30-35, 40-45 and 50-55.

Uniforms must be worn properly - shirttails must be tucked in, unless the jersey is manufactured to be worn outside. If a player chooses to wear a t-shirt under his/her jersey, it must match the dominant color of the jersey, if it does not the player will be asked to remove the t-shirt and may be assessed a technical foul.

Compression sleeves and tights are not considered proper uniform, and any player wearing either a sleeve or tights will be asked to remove them. The game official may assess a technical foul to a player, stepping onto the court with either or both of these.

The home team will wear a white/light colored jersey and the visitor team will wear the darker colored jersey. If both teams are wearing the same color jersey, then the home team will be required to change into a different color jersey. The game officials will make the final decision at the time of the game and teams that do not meet the requirements will be subject to discipline including incurring technical fouls and possibly forfeiting the game. The home team is always listed second on the schedule.

Players will not be allowed to wear jewelry that includes earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces and/or hair ornaments.

Braces, guards, or casts made of leather, plaster, pliable (soft) plastic, metal or any hard surface – even though covered with cloth or padding – may NOT be worn on the finger, hand, wrist or elbow.

If properly padded, hard substances may be worn on the upper shoulder. Exposed hinges must be covered on knee and ankle braces.

No player will be allowed to switch teams once he or she has been rostered on a team for the current League Season.

Once schedules are provided to the coaches the league or tournament schedule is set, game time switches will not be allowed. The schedules are provided to coaches in a timely manner. It is up to each coach to ensure that the team is informed of the team schedule and that they will field a team for each game that they are scheduled to play. It is the responsibility of each coach to complete his or her team roster with an adequate number of players in order to avoid the forfeit of a game.

Mascots and/or banners will not be allowed at league or tournament games. These objects can be a distraction and may interrupt the flow of a game. We can appreciate the fact that spectators (fans) want to display their support for their team. This can be achieved through applause and positive cheering. While supporting the team of your choice, always remember to be a good sport towards the opposing team.

Each team will provide a scorekeeper that will sit at the scorer's table. The scorekeeper will become a part of the officials' team and will not function as a coach or a fan. It is the responsibility of the scorekeeper to fill out the score sheet properly and completely for each game. The scorekeeper for each team will be responsible for obtaining the signatures of both game officials on the score sheet. It is the responsibility of each team scorekeeper to turn in the score sheet to the score clock operator at the end of each game.

The scoreclock operator will be the official scorekeeper of record. It is required that the scorekeeper from each team compare their scorebooks at the end of each quarter regarding statistics, including fouls and points, and be in agreement. If there is a point of contention regarding the score and both teams' score sheets support the change, the scoreclock will reflect the adjusted score.

It is a privilege to be able to use the gyms in the facilities throughout our community. Therefore it is our obligation to abide by the policies set forth by the facilities we use. It is also each coach's responsibility to be the messenger to his/her players and spectators that the regulations must be observed. Each parent must supervise his or her own children at all times. Remain in designated areas only. Don't run in the building. No ball bouncing in the facilities that means entryways, hallways, etc.

Please follow the policies of each facility regarding food and beverages.

Coaches will instruct their players to pick up all bottles or other garbage (with a special emphasis on the bench area) and place it in the garbabe cans that are available in the facility. Spectators need to pick up after themselves as well.

Spokane AAU Basketball, a Spokane Hoopfest Program requires that all participants (coaches, players, and fans) act in a positive manner, whether participating in our league or in one of the tournaments that we sponsor annually. We appreciate your interest in participating in our events. However this privilege will not be extended unless basketball etiquette is observed and good sportsmanship prevails through your words and actions.

Sportsmanship: Give Respect - Get Respect