Basketball

Rules

RULES for The Farm League Park -> * NO DOGS ALLOWED  * NO SMOKING, VAPING or DIPPING * NO SHELLED NUTS * NO SUNFLOWER SEEDS * NO GUM * NO METAL SPIKES *

Breaking these rules will result in Head Coach ejection and forfeit of game.  ALL BASEBALL FIELDS ARE TURF, and some FLAG FIELDS ARE TURF.


 => Any parent or fan who steps foot on the court during a game is AUTOMATICALLY EJECTED, ALONG WITH THEIR PLAYER.  

* If gender is not specificed, the rules are the same for boys and girls

GAME DAY 

  • Schedule is posted for all teams on the "standings" page.  You can subscribe to your schedule. It sends all games to your phone or calendar program..
  • A parent from each team will keep score and do the clock.
  • There will be two minutes between halves and a minimum of four minutes between games.  The  Courts reserves the right to alter times if games should run late with adequate warm‐up time being  allowed.  The only time a game will start early is if both coaches agree.
  • The players on the official roster sent by The Farm League are the only players allowed to participate during the season. If a coach is caught cheating by playing players NOT on the official roster, then they have broken the FARM LEAGUE CODE OF CONDUCT.  That coach AND his child will be suspended for that game plus 1 additional game. This accountability rule is in place to make the parents know if they go to far it will effect their kids, their team, and the other families.
  • All rosters are final once the season has started. No additional late adds can be placed on that team. Teams can have up to 10 players
  • There is a 20-pt score limit difference to all final scores. 
  • 2nd grade boys and 2nd - 3rd grade girls will have to dribble with either hand they cannot dribble with both hands, this is double dribbling and is a basketball rules violation
  • ***2024 Season***  BOYS and GIRLS K/1, and 2nd grade and GIRLS 3rd grade will have a 10 count to put the ball in play gray line to gray line.
  • ***2024 Season*** BOYS and GIRLS  K/1 is fouled in the act of shooting and the shot is made, the points count and the offensive team will be awarded the ball.
  • All Kinder, 1st and 2nd grade level games will have their water bottles on the side line with their parents.  This is to prevent and limit water being spilled on the courts which is a safety issue..
  • Home team wears the dark side of their jersey.
  • NO OUTSIDE NOISE MAKERS such as cow bells, horns, whistles, speakers or anything similar.  Cheering & clapping are the ways to support the team and show good sportsmanship.
  • FARM LEAGUE CODE OF CONDUCT: If a coach or Parent is ejected from a game for any abusive behavior towards another parent, coach, player, or ref;  that parent AND his child will be suspended for that game plus 1 additional game. This accountability rule is in place to make the parents know if they go to far it will effect their kids, their team, and the other familes. This same CODE OF CONDUCT applies for a coach that is caught cheating by playing player(s) that are not on the official roster.  The Farm league's goal is to make basketball a fun experience for everyone on the bench and in the stands.

COURT 

  • BOYS: Kindergarten-2nd grade play sideline to sideline, 3rd grade and up  play full court.
  • GIRLS: K-3rd grade play sideline to sideline. 4th and older play full court

LEVELS

  • Boys and girls play at all current grade levels. Players are allowed to play up a grade. 
  • EFFECTIVE FOR THE 2022 WINTER SEASON
    • Basketball Sizes: k boys and k/1 girls will use a 27.5 inch ball, 1st boys -5th and girls 2nd up will use 28.5.  boys middle school use 29.5. 

GOAL HEIGHT

  • Boys K, Boys 1st, Girls k/1, & Girls 2nd grade leagues will shoot on 8’ goals.  (sideline to sideline games) 
  • 2nd grade boys will shoot on 9' goals  (sideline to sideline games)
  • EFFECTIVE FOR THE 2022 WINTER SEASON
    • 3rd grade girls will shoot on 9' goals sideline to sideline 
  • 3rd grade boys and 4th grade girls and higher will shoot on regulation 10' goals full court games

TIME

  • Kindergarten - 2nd grade will consist of two sixteen-minutes halves.
  • 3rd grade and older games will play 4 quarters of 8 minutes each to make it close to UIL rules.  The clock runs continuously and stop only during time outs and FOULS the last two mins of - half for half court games or 3rd and up 2nd and 4th quarter on dead ball, fouls and whistles. 
  • If a twenty‐point lead occurs, the clock will run continuously during the last two minutes.   
  • The clock will not stop in K‐1 boys or girls games.   

PLAYERS

  • GIRLS: K/1 is 3-on-3 basketball (max 6 players on a team)
  • GIRLS: 2nd is 4-on-4 basketball (max 8 players on a team)
  • GIRLS: 3rd and older is 5-on-5 (max 10 players on a team)
  • BOYS: K is 4-on-4 (max 8 players on a team)
  • BOYS: 1st and older is 5-on-5 (max 10 players on a team)

FREE THROW DISTANCE  

  • BOYS k, 1st have no free throws  Sideline throw ins only. 
  • GIRLS: no free throws until 2nd. K/1st THROW IN'S. 2nd grade free throw from the "volleyball line" which is a distance of 8'. **NEW Summer 2023**
  • **2024 Season** GIRLS: 3rd grade shoots from 9ft. GIRLS: 4th and BOYS 3rd will shoot standard regulation 15ft free throw line
  • NEW 2nd grade:boys will shoot free throws from the “volleyball line” which is a distance of 8’.Floor mark/tape will be at the barn .  The shooter may land on the line but not completely past the line for legal attempt, .   
  • 3rd grade: boys and girls from the 12' line
  • 4th grade and up: shoot from the regular free throw line. 
  • For lane purposes, the player closest to the basket may line up below the low block..
  • The shooter may land on the line but not completely past  the line
  • Fouls on Boys K & 1st & Girls k/1 & 2nd will be a throw in and reestablish play.. 

PRESSING

  • BOYS PRESSING
  • K‐2nd grade may not go past mid court..
  • 3rd grade can pick up at ½ court and press full court in the last two minutes of the game only. 
  • 4th grade and up can pick up full court.
  • Pressing if a TEN‐point lead occurs:  - All teams must drop back to half court. 

  • GIRLS PRESSING
  • GIRLS pressing rules - No pressing allowed in the elementary school divisions 5th and under.  Middle school full court press allowed once a 10 point lead occurs teams must drop back to 1/2 court 
  • Regular season games will end in a tie.  Playoffs will have a 2 minute overtime to determine a winner 

DEFENSE

  • K & 1st boys grade will wear colored armbands for required man to man coverage
  • K/1 & 2nd grade girls willl wear colored armbands for girl to girl coverage 
  • 3rd grade girls level no traps allowed 
  • Coaches can not stall and/or switch wrist bands to create matchups.  Refs will give 1 warning and then a SHOOTING foul will be called on the player in question . It will count  towards their 7 fouls

ZONE

  • BOYS: Is Allowed 2nd grade and older, ALL BOYS K-1st WEAR ARMBANDS AND ARE BOY TO BOY COVERAGE. 2nd grade boys do not wear armbands but are boy to boy coverage.
  • GIRLS: Is allowed in 4th grade, ALL GIRLS K-2nd WEAR ARMBANDS AND ARE GIRL TO GIRL COVERAGE.  3rd grade girls do not wear armbands but are girl to girl coverage.

PICKS

  • are allowed 3rd grade and older, boys and girls 

LANE VIOLATIONS

  • 2nd grade and under will have no three‐second‐lane violation.   
  • 3rd grade will use a five‐second‐lane violation.   
  • 4th grade and up will use the three‐second‐lane violation.   
  • Scores will be adjusted to a maximum of 20 point difference. We do not have mercey rules to end games early. We want teams to continue to play and coaches realize this is the max score difference to be posted. 

FOULS AND TIME OUTS

  • Teams will be allowed three time‐outs per game to be used at any time.  These timeouts will be for  thirty seconds.  Teams will be issued one additional time‐out for the overtime period.  Previous time  outs remaining will carry over to overtime periods.  - In the event that a team is leading by 20 or more points, The Courts strongly emphasizes that the  team leading not use remaining time outs unless it is for substitution purposes or in cases of  emergency.    
  • For BOYS AND GIRLS 3rd grade and up, a player with 6 fouls is out of the game. 2 technical founds and a player is out of the game. If a parent is ejected from a game the player is also removed immediately.
  • For 3rd grade and up, all standard UIL rules apply with all fouls
  • K-2nd boys and girls.  To prevent on purpose fouls and control the game, players can foul out. A player with 7 fouls is out of the game. 2 technical founds and a player is out of the game. Boys K & 1st grade and Girls K/1 & 2nd grade - any technical foul called on a player, parent, coach is an automatic 2 points and possesion of the ball/  A 2nd technical is automatic ejection plus 2 points and the ball. 2nd grade boys and older, ans 3rd grade girls and older - 2 free throws per technical foul. Fouls are inbound pass.

PLAYOFFS - BOYS

  • All teams make the playoffs.  Teams can opt out of the playoffs.
  • Playoffs are the week after the regular season ends single elimination tournament.  Teams may play 3 games in a day
  • In case of overtime, the first overtime period will consist of two minutes.  The second overtime  period will be a sudden death format.  The first team that scores will be the winner..
  • We have A and B brackets for the single elimination playoff tournament. Teams with 6 or more loss's will be placed in B.
  • A game can only be protested for illegal rosters or rules quesiton.  Not judgement calls.  A game must be "played under protest"  coaches must notify the ref they are playing the game under protest during the game. A game can not be protested after the game is over. 
  • TOURNAMENT SEEDS
  • Playoff seeds are decided by win-loss record. If there is a tie in the record then we look at head-to-head, points allowed then points scored. If teams have a different number of games, loses is the first factor then head-to-head
  • The TFL has the right to remove any coach, parent, or player during the season due to issues within in the league or their team for either behavior, rules violations, or safety.

MATCHUP WEEKEND - GIRLS

On the final weekend for girls seasons (all sports), we match up teams with like-level records for their MATCHUP games - each team will have 2 games.  In these divisions we have teams with a wide range of abilities and we want to make the finals games fun and competitive for all teams - thus the MATCHUP WEEKEND.  Teams can still opt out, however we have seen the participation increase a lot with these schedules.  Coaches will be emailed towards the end of the season to confirm participation.  The MATCHUP weekend will be the weekend following the last regular season games - weather permitting.

Every player receives an commemorative AWARD SHIRT, even if the team does not participate in MATCHUPS.