Players Regulations

For some players this will be the highest level they will have played up to now so be encouraged to think professional and act professional and develop character as people and players through this growing team sport

Mouth-guards – Compulsory for U19, and highly recommended for all players.

Food – No food to be brought into the stadium court area and food debris into the facilities from outside the premises. The Challenger Café will be operating at selected times.

Water Bottles – teams/ players to provide.

Permission is granted with entry for photographic, video and livestreaming technologies to convey suitable images of players and action for the purposes of promoting the League for all participants’ enjoyment, fans and family/whanau further afield and through social media networks.

On-line Media Technology

2020 saw the introduction of PLAYSIGHT technology for the ultimate player experience, coaching tool and fan engagement with a whole new platform of advanced broadcast and Live-streaming!

Competition Rules and Regulations

  1. Teams are expected to be at their games at least 30mins prior to Game Time.
  2. Teams are to assemble, tidy and vacate their bench promptly before and following games and NOT to enter the team bench area until each team has cleared their space including NOT bouncing balls in the vicinity of another teams bench or converging on their warm-ups.
  3. Game Duration – Pool, Cross-overs and Semi-Final Games are allocated 1.5hrs consisting 4 x 10min (24sec & 14sec reset) Stop Clock Quarters, 1min 1st & 3rd Quarter breaks, 3min ½ time break, warm-ups 10mins (or time remaining to Game-time slots)
  4. Game Duration – Finals only: 4 x 10min Stop Clock Qtrs, 2min 1st & 3rd Quarter breaks, 15min half-time break, warm-ups 15mins, normal FIBA Over-Time(s) 5mins.
  5. Time-Outs – 2 x 30sec Stop-Clock Time-Outs 1st half, 3 x 30sec Stop-Clock Time-Outs 2nd half, all games.
  6. Competition Pool Points awarded: 2 Points Win, 1 Point Loss or Default, 0 Points Forfeit. See Roster Rules below.
  7. In all other areas of laws and conduct, FIBA Guidelines apply including Team Classifications (tie-breaks).
  8. NEW FORMAT OVER-TIME – Developed by Thomas & Legge.

    8.1: For Pool & Crossover Games ONLY (Does NOT apply to Semis and finals). If the team scores are tied at the end of normal time, 1 x 5min Running Clock Over-Time will be added with a Stop-Clock in the final 1min.

    8.2: Over-Time commences with a Jump-Ball for possession and a running clock is observed with referees arbitrating 24sec possessions, 14sec resets, 5 seconds per foul free-throw (from receiving the ball from the referee) and any delay of game such as player substitution longer than 10 seconds.

    8.3: Existing foul counts carry-over into Over-Time and there are NO Time-Outs provided.

    8.4: KEY OBJECTIVE: The first team to score 5 points is declared the winner and the game is completed at any time within 5mins.

    8.5: If neither team have reached 5 points before the end of 5mins the team with the higher score is declared the winner.

    8.6: If both teams have not reached 5 points and the score is still tied at the end of 5mins the team that scored first in Over-Time (or in the event of 0 – 0 score in Over-Time, the team that reached the Tied score first at the end of normal Game time) is declared the winner and tied score recorded!

  9. We expect Games to be highly competitive and therefore we expect all players to come into the competition with a willingness to cooperate and an awareness of the consequences of bad behavior whereby such repeat conduct including and not limited to; foul language, overly physical play, and disrespect to officials and volunteers (including score bench personal) will not be tolerated with FIBA application of penalties including automatic stand-down on disqualifying, double-technical fouls.

    9.1: 2 x Technical/Unsportsmanlike fouls and the player/coach/ manager must leave the court and game area/facility and automatically be suspended from the next game plus any further judgement handed down.

    9.2: In the case of violent confrontation, all players must go and stay at their team bench and only the Coaches/Manager may leave the bench area to assist officials without penalty. Violation of this will result in all offending players not being permitted to re-enter the game and the game itself possibly being abandoned.

    9.3: A default occurs when a game cannot be played through insufficient players (less than 2 on a team). The offending team and a 0-2 losing score is recorded if leading or the game score is recorded as the final score if behind at the stoppage of play.

    9.4: A forfeit occurs when insufficient players (FIBA 5… in this league 8) are ready to start any game up to 15 minutes after the start time and a 0-20 losing score is recorded… See New Roster Rules below.

  10. ROSTER RULES

    10.1: Team rosters have been extended to allow up to 16 players listed to encourage player development and highly functional regular team practices. The make-up of teams is based loosely on similar overseas leagues with intentional as well as ‘relational’ design. Only 12 Game Day rostered players are to be included/amended on the Game Sheet and the 4 remaining players may attend with the team without uniform kit on. This will therefore provide for player rotation within rosters.

    10.2: NEW RULE: NEW players may be added, replaced or ‘traded’ to the rosters until the commencement of the 3rd Game of a team’s schedule and thereafter not without special dispensation from the League’s administration for the purposes of the league which will take into consideration competitiveness, injury and other compelling circumstances

    10.3: Please Note: a penalty may be applied to any team for any deliberate flouting of the roster rules OR if fewer than 8 players in standard uniform are ready to commence any game. FIBA rules otherwise apply for defaults and forfeits.

    10.4: No player may play in Cross-Overs, Semi-finals or Finals without having played (or on the bench of) a minimum of 50% or more (if an odd number) of complete Pool games eg 4 out of 8, 5 out of 9.

    10.5: The General Guidelines are 4 x ‘Pro’ players with NBL or equivalent experience (within the NBL Teams 1st 8 rostered positions), 4 x ‘Affiliated’ players with lower roster NBL development experience and USA College (Div 1, 2 standard) experience, 4 x ‘Associate’ regular NBCL players of varied experience and 4 x younger ‘Development’ players for the NBCL.

Managers, Coaches, Score bench

Management and coaches particularly for the Finals games are asked to dress smart-casual and suitable for higher-quality competition games and live-streaming nationally and to an international audience.

Teams provide score bench personelle except for finals. Manual Scoresheets will be filled out/ checked prior to each game, a captain designated each team, and result signed off by the referees at the conclusion of the game and immediately handed in to the tournament Director and transmitted for Stats reporting. Teams may request to take a photo of the Scoresheet.

NEW for 2021: Challenger Series will now provide score bench and is a part of the new fee structure for Teams that do not provide a competent and reliable score bench person(s).

Also NEW for 2021- An all new Stats programme will be provided to give instant reports on games for all players.

Permission is granted with entry for photographic, video and livestreaming technologies to convey suitable images of players and action for the purposes of promoting the League for all participants’ enjoyment, fans and family/whanau further afield and through social media networks.

Club Culture development, branding, marketing and online promotion comes with your participation in the league. Warm-up Tops provided are to be worn by all players.

A high standard and complete set of matched Team Uniforms is required in all teams. ‘Home & Away’ colours are to be provided by all teams in complete sets for all players rostered (including playing Development Players) with FIBA regulation numbers Front and Back. Team A on the Scoresheet wearing the Light Colour and Team B the Dark Coloured uniforms. Player names are optional. Sponsors logos welcome.

Team photos will be scheduled for each team with the team assembling at their designated bench in playing uniform.

All equipment including Team Balls, First-Aid, Water Bottles, Warm-up gear and other supplies brought into the competition are to be clearly labelled and taken care of by the respective teams.

Lost property will be handed into each venues front desk following competition for collection.

Disputes – This league is in development Post Covid-19 – we are fortunate to be able to re-emerge where many Western Nations are in lockdown circumstances. Every care will be taken to provide good guidance, experience that matters and neutrality, however it is up to the participating teams to enter games with the right spirit of competitiveness and understanding. In the event of disputes, the Tournament Director and League administrations decision will be final. Complaints and judicial resolution procedure per FIBA rules will apply if needed.

Officials

Every effort is made to provide high quality referees and officials to adjudicate the league to an appropriate standard.

Referees are provided 2 per Pool Games, Cross-overs, and Semis, and 3 for Finals.

Referees are instructed to hold strictly to the time management of games, especially in the Pool and Cross-overs 1.5hr formats.

Matching tops provided, are to be worn by all officials.

From our Officials Coordinator and pool of referees the opportunity is encouraged to develop young referees in the Game experience of FIBA Rules which includes the 24sec clock setting the competitive leagues apart from social competitions.