Jnr. NBL: All Must Play Rule

The rule applies in the following competitions:

• Under 12
• Under 14 Conference Age Group
• Under 14 Regional Age Group
• Under 16 Regional Competitions.

The rules are:

• Games will consist of four quarters of 10 minutes, with the first and third quarters split into four periods of 5 minutes, with the clock stopping at 5:00 and not the nearest dead ball. This is not a time out, it is a substitution only. The game shall be resumed with the alternating possession arrow at the halfway line.
• For teams of 10 players, the coach can choose how they wish to rotate their players, all players must play in one five-minute period of both quarters one and three.
• For teams of 11 and 12, the coach can choose when they rotate the 11th and 12th player at their own discretion, excluding the 1st and 3rd quarters. However, the coach does not need to play these players at all.
• For teams of nine or less, a rotational schedule (appendix 8) will be in place to rotate players in quarters one and three. Coaches will need to number their players and list this along with their playing number, name, and licence number at the start of the game and given to the table officials. Please be aware that any teams playing with less than eight players can occur a fine in line with regulation 31.1.
• Normal timeouts will be administered however there will be no stoppages for switching players.
• If a player is injured or fouled out and the team has less than 10 players, the coach of said team shall decide on who fills this place, ensuring that the minutes are shared equally across the team.

In addition:

1. If a player has a pre-existing medical condition which may affect their ability to participate in accordance with the game rules, with the child and parent’s permission, officials should be informed at the pre-game meeting, but officials don’t need to know what the condition is. Reasonable adjustments can be made to enable the player to participate.
2. Both Coaches and Officials have a duty of care to ensure the safety of players. If a coach has any health or wellbeing concerns about a player during the game, they should inform an official. If a player is taken off the court, this does not necessarily mean that they cannot play for the duration of the game. Again, reasonable adjustments can be made.
3. When it comes to welfare and injuries, the head coach has ultimate responsibility in deciding what is best for the player at that specific moment. A player leaving the game can recover and re-enter the game later. If officials are in doubt over the decision of the coach, they should allow it to happen, but email [email protected] to raise their concerns.

Rational Schedule

To be used when a team has nine or less players.

1. Teams of 10 or more can select which players they play in each period of the 1st and 3rd quarters, but no players can play in both periods of the 1st and 3rd quarter.
2. It is entirely up to the coach if they want to play players 11 and 12 at all in any part of the game.
3. Please note that teams who play a fixture with less than eight players will be liable to a fine in line with regulations 31.1 and 49.1.