Rockville SportsPlex

Rules for Basketball
General Rules:

Individuals utilizing this facility do so at their own risk. The property owner(s), league operators, officers and owners and staff of Rockville SportsPlex assume no liability for any injuries or accidents, which may occur. Please refer to your Liability and Injury Waiver Release Forms.

Conduct within the facility and on the courts should be conducted in the spirit of good sportsmanship.
No food, drinks, chewing tobacco, chewing gum, spitting or cleats permitted on playing surface.
No glass containers on the playing surface or in the player boxes
Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to refuse play or service to anyone.

Sign Up Guidelines and Fees:

Teams sign up on a first come, first serve basis.
Teams can sign up anytime before session start date. Deposits and individual fee payments will only be refunded if Rockville SportsPlex does not have a league spot available for you or your team.
Full-payment is required before your first game, or your team spot could be forfeited.
If full payment is made after the deadline, late fees will be charged.
Teams will only be accepted after the first game of league play under extraordinary circumstances.
No individual will be allowed to participate in any league games, practice session, tournament, clinic, open pick-up game, or other activities until a release form has been properly completed and signed.
Individuals that sign up will be placed in a Rockville SportsPlex database where other teams may contact you to recruit you for their team. If you still are not on a team, and there are enough players for a team, the Rockville SportsPlex will create a team from all the individuals in the database.

Player Rosters
Team rosters must be turned in prior to the first league game. Additions and or changes will be permitted prior to the third game. Only rostered players can play in seeded play that could result in a team advancing to the championship game and championship games.

If rostered players are unable to play they may be substituted by a guest player. A team may only use up to 3 guest players per game. A rostered player arriving late cannot replace a guest player after the first half. Teams may not have more than 11 players on the bench at any given time (10 players and 1 coach). All players, including guest players, on Over-30 teams must be at least 30 years old at the start of the season in which they wish to play. No exceptions.

At the discretion of management, a team may claim hardship and add one player after the third game. A player may only be added after the third game if an unforeseen circumstance occurs such as but not limited to injury or relocation and a rostered player is unable to play for the remainder of the session. Proof of hardship must be provided in writing. Examples include a doctor’s note and employment acceptance letter.

Any player on a roster that is found to be illegal will forfeit all the games for the team during that season. It is the responsibility of the manager of the team to know which players are legal or illegal. Management reserves the right to check the identifications of any player on a player roster to check and see if they are legal players under management guidelines.

Roster challenges must be presented to the referee and scorekeeper before halftime. Any roster challenges submitted after halftime will not be considered.

Roster Size
Youth: The maximum roster size will be 15 players, with no guest players allowed.
Adult: The maximum roster size will be 10 players.

Guest Players
All adult teams are allowed three guest players as outlined in the above rules. Guest players may not be rostered on another team in the same division. Guest players can be rostered in other divisions. It is the responsibility of the team manager to make sure a guest player is eligible to play.

ID Cards
All players, rostered and guest, are required to have a Rockville SportsPlex ID Card in order to play in any adult league. ID Cards can be obtained at the front desk for $5.00. A valid photo identification with date of birth is required to obtain an ID Card.

Scorekeepers will collect the ID Cards at the beginning of each game and hand them back to the team at the end of each game. If a player is ejected during or after a game, that player's ID card will be confiscated and held in the front office until the player has served their suspension time. The card will then be given back to the player.

Players under the age of 18 may request an ID card, but must go through a waiver process. The General Manager or the Adult Leagues Manager must meet with the player and their parent, and the parent must sign a waiver for their child to play. Teams may have no more than one under aged player on their team. The Rockville SportsPlex has the right to deny any player an ID Card.

Equipment
Teams must be dressed in matching colored jerseys. If you forget a jersey, Rockville SportsPlex will rent you an alternate scrimmage vest for a $2 fee, plus a license or other form of acceptable collateral. No player will be allowed to participate without a jersey or SportsPlex scrimmage vest. Tennis shoes or similar sport court shoes are required for all players.

Game Schedule & Make-Up Games

Adult League Games
If a team is unable to play a scheduled game, the opposing team may choose to accept a 20-0 forfeit. If 48 hours notice is given and both teams agree to a make-up, they will be offered possible times from the facility management office. The team requesting the re-schedule must pay the referee fees. It will be the team manager or representatives responsibility to coordinate and select one of the available times and confirm the new game time with the other team. Failure to do so will result in the game being forfeited. Furthermore if the rescheduling or forfeit procedures are not followed then the offending team will be charged according to the forfeit penalty schedule listed. The Rockville SportsPlex is not responsible for teams that neglect this rule and fail to notify the opposing team that they are not going to make a scheduled game. Rockville SportsPlex does not guarantee that all rescheduling requests will be honored.

Forfeitures
Teams must call or email the Rockville SportsPlex to inform them of the forfeit. The SportsPlex will then notify the other team. If a team shows up to play and the opposing team does not show up, then the team present will win by forfeit. In the case of a forfeited game, players from the teams are normally allowed to use the field, to practice, scrimmage, etc. However, Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to use the field, at that time, for other activities at the discretion of management.

Forfeiture will be incurred if a team has failed to field the minimum number of players (4 player minimum) within five minutes from the start of the game clock. A team will lose a time out for every minute they are late. If team members arrive before the five minutes expire the clock will be reset to twenty minutes and the game will begin immediately.

After the first forfeit, the team that forfeited will receive a warning. The second forfeit, a $50 fine. If a team forfeits three times in once season, they'll be pulled from the league, all money paid will be lost and the team will have to pay in full at the time of registration for all future leagues.

Sportsmanship
Individuals are expected to play under control and within the rules of the game, and to the best of their ability will avoid causing injury to themselves and other persons using the facility.

Referees
Referees appointed to officiate each game have complete authority on the field of play, and their decisions on points of fact connected with the game are final. Officiating will be monitored and assessed periodically and management will always try to provide quality officiating at the facility. Constructive comments regarding officiating are welcome and encouraged. Please submit any such comments in writing. Complaints regarding officials should be submitted in writing, contain points of fact, and have your name and the name of your team at the top. Do not discuss officiating or the officials with the facility staff during or immediately after your game.

Timer
Rockville SportsPlex will provide all games with a scorekeeper

Unsportsmanlike Policy
Rockville SportsPlex has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY toward fighting. Anyone fighting will be ejected and they will be terminated from playing the rest of the session. Furthermore, the situation will be reviewed by the league commissioner to determine whether the player will be banned from the facility for more than one session. Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to ban permanently any player involved in a fight. It is the responsibility of the player to apply for reinstatement to the facility if he or she is involved in a fight. At this time the player will receive the terms and conditions of the commissioner's disciplinary action. Any player that does not apply for reinstatement will not be allowed back into the facility. Application for reinstatement may be subject to a fine, as determined by the league commissioner.

A player or coach sent off in (or after) a game by a referee will automatically be suspended from the next game in the session. In addition, a player will be banned from playing on any other team until the suspension has been served. If a player is ejected in the last game of a session (he/she) will be prohibited from playing in the first game after he/she registers for another session.

A player or coach sent off for the offense of "foul and abusive language" will be suspended as outlined above.
A player sent off for the offense of "persistent infraction of the rules after receiving a caution will be suspended as outlined above.
A player or coach sent off for the offense of "violent conduct" (including, but not limited to: spitting, threatening, continued rough play, etc.) will be suspended as outlined above and, in addition, will be suspended for one additional game and subject to further disciplinary action as decided by the facility management.
A player or coach sent off for "assaulting an official" will automatically be suspended from any further activities at the Rockville SportsPlex.
Should a coach of a team be unable to control a player's actions after that player was sent-off the court because of disciplinary issues, the coach will also be suspended as outlined above
A player leaving the bench onto the court to break up or participate in a fight will automatically be ejected from the game and will be subject to the same penalties as outlined above.
A $100 bond will be required from any team involved in an altercation where more than one player is involved in a fight. Should a bond be placed against a team, the bond must be paid prior to the team's next game, or that game will be forfeited. The terms of the bond will be given in writing to the team. Should the team fail to adhere to the terms, the bond will be forfeited to the arena and the team's participation will be terminated. If the team adheres to the terms of the bond, then the team will receive the $100 bond at the end of the session.

It is the responsibility of each player and the player's team representative to be aware of the total status of their player's infractions. Failure to comply may result in further disciplinary measures which may include suspension of the coach/rep. and forfeiture of games in which that player participated.

Weather Policy

There will be no rescheduling of games due to weather related events like snow. The facility may, at its own choosing, try and reschedule those games. In the event of a weather related cancellation, all games that were missed shall not count toward the standings and they will be considered "non-games".

Protest
Intention to file a protest must be noted in writing immediately following the game. A formal written protest with a $20 fee (refundable if upheld), must be submitted to Rockville SportsPlex within 48 hours after the end of a game. The league commissioner will review and have the final authority on all protests. ALL DECISIONS MADE BY THE COMMISSIONER ARE FINAL. Only violations of the laws of the game, rules or guidelines of the facility as published are matters for protest. Any protests regarding fielding of illegal players must be brought to the attention of the game officials prior to the suspected player(s) leaving the field of play.

BASKETBALL RULEBOOK

Note: All official NCAA basketball rules apply except for the amended rules below

Game Length:

Youth Game Length: Two sixteen minute halves with a 2 minute half time (continuously running clock).
Adult Game Length: Two 20 minute halves with a 2 minute half time.

The clock will run continuously except for the last two minutes before the end of the game.

During the last two minutes before the end of the game, the clock will stop for the referee's whistle.

Time outs: Adults will have one full timeout and one thirty second timeout per half. Youth will have two 1 minute timeouts and two 30 second timeouts per half.

A team may only foul a player on the other team three times in order to stop the clock before the end of the game.

Shot Clock/Delay of Game:

There will be no shot clock
Teams must try to work the ball to score. Four corner offenses and other delay tactics will not be permitted. Referee's will give a warning first and if delay tactics continues will then force a change of possession.
Teams that continue to purposely delay the game after the referee has awarded a change in possession will be warned first, and then the delaying team will be forced to forfeit the game. The referee has sole discretion to make this decision.

For youth teams: Teams with a 15 point or more lead may not press beyond Half Court.

Substitutions
Teams can only substitute when play has stopped. (Free throws, ball-out of bounds, after a score).
Teams may have an unlimited number of substitutions. However, the player being substituted for must be off the court before his/her replacement can enter the game.

Technical Fouls/Foul Out Rule
Any player who commits five fouls during the course of the game will be ineligible for the remainder of the game.
Players who are charged with 2 (two) technical fouls during any game will be immediately ejected.
As a result of any technical foul, the opposing team will have 25 seconds to shoot two free throws and that team will also be awarded possession of the ball.

Official Games
A game is considered "official" after one completed half of play. If there is an injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the current score will stand as official once a half has been played.

Levels of Competition
The facility will offer the following divisional structure for youth teams:

Division 1- Elite Division (for upper division select teams or players).
Division 2- Recreational Division

The SportsPlex reserves the right to make only one division if there are not enough available teams for two divisions.

The facility will offer the following divisional structure for adult teams:

Elite Division - for players who have played college, high school, semi-pro or pro level basketball. Dunking is allowed for the Elite League.
Recreational Division - for players with high school and recreational experience. Dunking is not allowed for the Recreational League.

The SportsPlex reserves the right to make only one division if there are not enough available teams for two divisions. The Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to make the necessary changes within league divisions to ensure an equal level of ability and competition.

Players may only be on one roster in a given division and league. Players may participate in more than one division and league. A lower division team may not field more than three players from an upper division. Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to determine if a player is considered too advanced for a given division and remove the individual from the team roster. This is done in the spirit of maintaining parity in a given division.

Any players with current or former Collegiate or Professional experience must play Division 1. Any Collegiate players that want to play in a lower division must get permission from the league commissioner. No professional player, current or former, can play in a division lower than Division 1. Any professional players, current or former, caught playing in a lower division will be removed from that team's roster and that team will forfeit every game in which that player played.

Standings
Teams will receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. League champion will be determined by the winner of postseason play or the team with the most points. Any tie breakers shall be determined in the following order:

The team with the most points
The winner of any head to head league play
Least Goals Allowed
Most Goals scored

For adult leagues, points are not awarded in postseason play. The winner of playoffs determines championship seeding. If the teams tie in their playoff game, regular tie breakers are then applied, points, head to head, least goals, etc. If the championship game results in a tie, the champion is determined by the winner of regular season play. If teams are still tied after the above tie-breakers have been calculated, the SportsPlex will award co-champions.

Awards
Adult: The Rockville SportsPlex will award various prizes to winning teams. Each first place team will receive either ten trophies, or a 10% discount off the following session. If teams want additional prizes or awards, they may purchase them from the SportsPlex.

Youth: Each first place team will receive up to 15 trophies. If teams want additional prizes or awards, they may purchase them from the SportsPlex.

Award orders must be emailed to the SportsPlex within two weeks of the end of the session. If a team does not submit their discount or trophy order within two weeks of the end of the session, then they forfeit their trophies and/or discount.