For Coaches

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The 78th Precinct Youth Council Recreational Divisions are structured so as to provide fun, fair, educational, and organized athletic competition settings for players of similar ages. The primary focus of the program is recreational enjoyment of a sport, coupled with player development (both individually and as part of a team). Competitive spirit, while understandable, is secondary to the learning and enjoyment of the game, fair play, fair setting, and sportsmanship.

Coaches, players and/or parents who consistently display a lack of adherence and commitment to the spirit of the program may be requested to cease participation during a season and may not be invited back the following season, in each case as determined by the 78th Precinct Youth Council.

SPORTSMANSHIP

Coaches, players, parents, and other spectators are expected to display proper sportsmanship in accordance with the objectives and spirit of the program (as set out above) at all times.

No coach, player, parent or other spectator may act in an unsportsmanlike manner at any time. This includes, but is not limited to, excessive screaming, trash-talking, use of obscene language, abusing gym and/or others’ equipment, disrespecting officials, players, coaches and/or spectators (as applicable), and use of inappropriate physical contact.

Unsportsmanlike conduct by a coach or player during a game will at a minimum be awarded a technical foul for the first offense and ejection from the game for a second offense in the same game. Unsportsmanlike conduct by an official will be addressed by the Commissioner of Basketball and may include removal from the league.

Unsportsmanlike conduct by spectators (including parents) will result at a minimum in a warning for the first infraction and ejection from the gym for a second infraction in the same game. Anyone ejected from the gym will be banned from attending the next game and, upon review by the Basketball Committee, may be banned for the remainder of the season.

Physical contact by any participant (including any spectator) with respect to a 78PYC official, coach or league referee will result in the offender’s suspension from attendance for the remainder of the season and the filing of personal assault charges with the New York City Police Department.

GENERAL RULES

COACHES: The 78th Precinct Youth Council subscribes to the principles of Positive Coaching and all coaches must take the Positive Coaching Alliance Seminar at least once every two years. Additionally, all coaches must be background checked in order to participate in the program.

PLAYING DIVISIONS: 78PYC Coed Recreational Basketball is separated into four age divisions, a player’s age being calculated as of December 31st of the season.
Freshman Division- Ages 9-10
Sophomore Division- Ages 11-12
Junior Division- Ages 13-14
Senior Division – Ages 15-17

PLAYING OUT OF AGE GROUP: No player shall play in a division outside of their normal age group without:
Specific permission from the Division Director and the Commissioner of Basketball.
Sufficient room in the division at the end of on-time registration so as not to displace an appropriately aged player.

EVALUATIONS AND DRAFT

In order to provide a fair competitive setting and an opportunity for fun and success for every team, all players must be evaluated and placed into a draft, where all coaches will have an equal opportunity to choose players. Coaches and assistant coaches are encouraged to attend evaluations.

Each team will have 10 players, provided that there are a sufficient number of players. In the event that the total number of players is such that each team will not have the same number of players, the excess players will go to the teams in draft order. Any team with openings will have those openings filled if additional players register for the league. The Division Director will have the discretion to place additional players so as to seek to maintain competitive balance.

Coaches’ Children: Each head coach and one assistant coach will be allowed to place his/her own child on his/her team, provided that each such choice will count as a draft pick for the round in which the player would normally have been chosen (based on player’s evaluation ranking). Disagreements as to the competitive level of a coach’s child will be settled by the Division Director.

Requests for specific teammates or coaches will not be taken into consideration at the draft. A coach may draft any player he or she knows would like to be on his or her team, provided such player is available when it is the coach’s turn to pick. No coach may prevent another coach from selecting that player.

Each coach without children in the league may have a player assigned as his/her “pseudo-child”, but that request must come from the player’s parent or guardian prior to the draft.

Siblings will automatically be placed on the same team (and count as two draft picks), unless there is a request to the contrary by the parents or guardians. Other relations living in the same household may be placed on the same team at the discretion of the Commissioner.

To prevent competitive imbalance, in certain situations certain players may not be permitted to play together on the same team. Further, in an effort to promote competitive balance, the draft position of certain teams may be predetermined prior to the draft; a team may waive a draft pick in a particular round; or other measures and/or accommodations may be made for the sake of promoting competitive balance and fair competition.

NO CHILDREN ARE ALLOWED AT THE DRAFT

Trades may take place after the draft provided they are approved by the Division Director and Commissioner of Basketball. After the draft (including at any time during the season), the Commissioner of Basketball has the authority to make any roster changes in an attempt to correct significant imbalances among teams.

Any trades taking place after players have been notified of their team assignments must be approved by the parents or guardians of both players and the Commissioner.

No player shall be added to a team roster after the completion of 2/3 of the season

SCHEDULING

All coaches will be given the opportunity to provide the designated game scheduler with exceptions they require for the season by a certain cutoff date determined by the Division Director and Commissioner of Basketball.

The scheduler will attempt to take these exceptions into account when creating the schedule. However, due to possible multiple conflicts, the designated scheduler may not be able to fulfill all requested exceptions.

Exception requests received after the cutoff date may not be granted.

Coaches are encouraged to select competent assistant coaches who can coach in their place if they have to be absent from a game or practice.

GENERAL PLAYING RULES

Courtesy between all participants (including between opposing coaches, between coaches and referees, and between coaches and opposing players) is expected to be displayed at all times consistent with the spirit of the program.

The officials shall govern supreme and will make calls based on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rule book, subject to exceptions based on the 78th Precinct House Rules (i.e., this document).

A copy of the 78PYC House Rules is available on the 78PYC website (78pyc.org) for downloading. All coaches should familiarize themselves with them. Copies of the NFHS rules are available for purchase on the NFHS website; coaches are encouraged to purchase their own copies.

Copies of the 78PYC House Rules and NFHS rules will be available at all gyms.

Coaches are not permitted to argue calls with referees, but may ask for a charged time out to politely discuss a rule interpretation on a particular play. Judgment calls may not be questioned.

The home team will be responsible for providing the game’s clock operator. The guest team is responsible for the scorekeeper. While we realize this is not always possible, all attempts should be made not to have both positions filled by parents from the same team, so as to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

No more than two coaches may be on the bench during a game. Only one of those coaches may stand or kneel (directly in front of team bench) at any time.

Only coaches and players are allowed on the bench.

Coaches are responsible for filling out the score-book designating player names, numbers, and starters at least ten minutes before the game.

The winning team will be required to submit the score of the game via an online survey. The link will be posted on the private coaches page and also available in the gym on the front cover of the scorebook.

Five minutes will be allowed between halves and one minute between quarters (this may be shortened in the last game if there is a possibility of the game exceeding the permit time in the gym).

The first team written down in the schedule will be designated the Visiting Team. The second team noted on the schedule will be the Home Team.

The Freshman and Sophomore Divisions will play with a 28.5 inch ball, the Junior and Senior Divisions with a 29.5 inch ball.

The first teams playing in a gym during the day will be responsible for set-up, the last teams playing during the day will be responsible for cleanup.

The last teams playing during the day must be out of the gym by the scheduled time; if our gym permit ends at 6:00, then coaches, players, and parents should be out of the gym by 6:00, not just starting to leave. Our gym permits are crucial to the continuance of our basketball program and infractions of this rule will carry serious consequences.

During the regular season, no outside basketballs may be taken into or out of the gym, including by coaches.

PLAYING TIME

FRESHMAN, SOPHOMORE, AND JUNIOR DIVISIONS

Every player is entitled to play two full quarters of every game, one quarter during the first half of play and one quarter during the second half of play.

If there are less than 10 players present, than any player may be substituted for the extra time available, with the caveat that no player shall play four quarters unless everyone else present has played at least three.

Any player may be substituted for an injured/ejected player; if the substitute remains in the game for more than one-half of the quarter, that entire quarter will be counted against their total playing tim

The spirit of this league is such that coaches are encouraged to allocate extra playing time to different players every week, and not simply always give extra playing time to their strongest players. While only giving extra playing time to the same players is not prohibited by rule, it does violate the spirit of the program.

In the event of overtime, coaches will be free to select any 5 players of their choosing to play during the period. No substitutions are allowed during overtime period except in the event of injury.

SENIOR DIVISION

All players are entitled to play one full quarter in the first half and one half of the third quarter. Coaches may substitute players freely in the fourth quarter.

TABLE OF PLAYING TIME FOR ALL DIVISIONS

ATTENDANCE AND LATENESS

This is a recreational league and, as such, continued player participation, enjoyment and development is of paramount importance. Our coaches’ success is gauged not by their win-loss records, but by their ability to develop and retain players.

Coaches shall encourage their players to attend all practices and games; however, the only required practice is the one that occurs directly prior to a game.

Coaches will follow up with players who miss games without prior notice and will notify the Division Director of any players who have missed two consecutive games. The Division Director will follow up with the parents to determine the reason for absence.

A player arriving after tip-off, but in the first half, is entitled to play one full quarter. The coach may play him two quarters, but may not play him any additional time, unless every other player present has received additional time. Any player arriving after the end of the first half may only play one quarter. Playing during overtime shall be at the coach’s discretion.

In the event a player is taken out of the game because of injury, ejection for misconduct or fouling out, the coach may substitute the player of their choice.

LENGTH OF GAME

If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, a single overtime period will be played. Because of the general time limitations we face in the gyms, if the score is tied at the end of the first overtime, during the regular season, then a second “sudden death” overtime will commence with a jump ball, the first team to score winning the game. During tournament play, any subsequent overtimes, beyond the first, will be two minutes, for all divisions.

UNIFORMS

Players are required to wear the 78th Precinct Basketball Jersey. If a t-shirt is worn under the jersey, all t-shirts for a team must be the same color. For the sake of simplicity, coaches are advised to have their players wear white t-shirts only.

The failure of a player to have his official jersey or shorts at a game shall result in a technical foul, which shall entitle the opposing team to take two (2) foul shots at the beginning of the game. Each team in violation of this rule must shoot the foul shots, unless the other team is also in violation and penalties cancel themselves. Due to potential uniform sizing issues, this rule will not be in effect the first weekend of the season.

Players must wear shorts with no pockets. If a player has shorts with pockets the coach must ensure that the pockets are taped shut prior to the start of the game otherwise the player will be ineligible to play.

Jewelry, watches, earrings, and hats (unless for religious cover) may not be worn during games or practices. Sneakers are the only permissible footwear to be worn during games and practices.

OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

A. As referenced above, this is an instructional / developmental league structured so as to provide fun, fair, educational, and organized athletic competition settings for players of similar ages. The primary focus of the program is recreational enjoyment of a sport, coupled with player development (both individually and as part of a team). Competitive spirit, while understandable, is secondary to the learning and enjoyment of the game, fair play, fair setting, and sportsmanship.

B. As such, we believe that man-to-man defense provide the most benefits to youth players (e.g., enhanced athletic ability, basketball IQ and defensive habits) and should be emphasized in our leagues.

C. For our purposes, a zone consists of a defensive alignment where each player is responsible for a specific part of the floor, with minimal overlap. Hybrid arrangements such as box and 1, or triangle and 2 are not considered zone defenses in this league.

D. Once a coach has selected a type of zone defense to be used during a mandatory zone quarter, that zone may not be changed “on the fly”, but can only be changed to a different zone defense following a timeout.

E. Coaches will have the option prior to the start of the quarter to inform the referee that they would like to do a lineup to match players defensively.

The defensive requirements for each division are listed below.

F. In addition, given the emphasis on man-to-man defense and the spirit of the program, no team is allowed to run abusive isolation plays (i.e., plays that rely on isolating one or two strong individual players by moving other players to the side and marginalizing their role in the team game).

G. Referees will have full discretion in calling ‘isolation’ plays based on their observations taking into account the spirit and objectives of the program. Baskets scored off of isolation plays will not count and the defensive team will be awarded with the ball.

BASKETBALL RULES

The following rules are general rules of basketball, reworded for simplicity, as they are specified in the National Federation of State High School associations (NFHS) rulebook. These key rules are restated here for convenience, but we encourage coaches to purchase a copy of the rulebook from the NFHS website and review all of the rules of basketball.

TIMEOUTS: Three 60-second and two 30-second time-outs may be charged to each team during a regulation game. Each team is entitled to one additional 60-second timeout during each extra period.

TEAM FOULS: Team fouls assessed during a game to a team include:
Shooting fouls
Common Fouls (Defensive)
Player Control Fouls (Offensive)
Technical shooting and non-shooting fouls

After a team picks up its sixth team foul in a half, the bonus light or signal shall go on and the opposing team shall be in the “one and one” bonus foul shooting situation on common fouls for the seventh, eighth and ninth team foul in the half. Starting with the 10th team foul in the half, the “double bonus” shall be in effect and two shots will be awarded for any common foul committed.

If an overtime period is played, it shall be considered a continuation of the second half for the purpose of the bonus situation.

DISQUALIFICATION: A player is disqualified and removed from the game when he/she is charged with a foul and it is his/her fifth foul (combined count of personal and technical), or his/her second technical foul, or if it is a flagrant foul.

When player disqualification results in team having less than five active players, the game shall continue with the players still eligible, down to a minimum of two players.

CLOCK STOPS: The clock stops on time-outs, shooting and non-shooting fouls, and possession arrow changes. During the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and during overtime, the clock stops on every whistle.

CHANGES TO RULES

Changes to these rules can only be made by the Commissioner of Basketball. Coaches cannot independently, even if by agreement, modify the rules of the division or league.