Diocesan Rules

OFFICIAL BASKETBALL RULES

 DIOCESE OF PATERSON - CYO COMPETITION

(revisions in boldface)

 These rules apply to the Diocesan Tournament.  Each Vicariate should establish rules to govern their own individual Vicariate league play using these guidelines as a basis.

 These leagues shall be known as the C.Y.O. Vicariate League Divisions and divided as follows:

A.    Junior Varsity

B.     Varsity

C.     High School

I.       ENTRY

1. Entry into any or all of these vicariate leagues shall be made on the official roster of the C.Y.O., and an entry fee, as determined by each vicariate, shall be paid by each team.

2. Rosters must be signed by the Pastor and filed in the Office of the Vicariate Athletic Director on dates as follows:

1. Junior Varsity - by November 15
2. Varsity - by November 15
3. High School - by December 15

C.     As proof of age, a baptismal record must be submitted to the Vicariate Advisory Board for each player on the roster; except in the case of a non-Catholic, a birth certificate will be accepted.

D.  The number of registered players on each basketball team and cheerleading squad is at the discretion of the individual leagues.  Awards presented by the     league or diocesan office will not exceed 15.  Mascots are allowed in cheerleading but not in competition. 

E. To insure that all parishes and teams have the opportunity to participate in CYO   Athletics, the diocese CYO Athletic Director reserves the right to place teams in neighboring Vicariate leagues if their own Vicariate does not have sufficient teams to operate a league at that age level.

II.  ELIGIBILITY

 CYO basketball is open to all members of the parish.  To be eligible for participation in the CYO league, a competitor must:

      A. Be a resident and/or registered member of the parish he represents and approved by the Pastor. 

      B. In fielding a parish team, first preference must be given to parishioners. If, however, the team's roster is not filled after accepting parishioners, members of  other parishes, within the athletic vicariate, may fill out the roster, providing their   home parish has not/does not intend to field a team.  They must, however, receive permission from their own pastor, as well as the pastor of the team for which they wish to play.  These permissions must be attached to the entry blank when filed. 

     C.  Non-Catholics:  

          1.       Non-Catholics attending Catholic grammar schools will be considered Catholic. 

          2.       Two non-Catholics, not attending Catholic grammar or high schools, will be allowed to participate on the Junior Varsity, Varsity and High School levels.  They must, however, live within territorial boundaries of the parish they represent. 

          3.       More than two (2) non-Catholics must be approved by the League's Advisory Board.  Only the Pastor can request this waiver. 

          4.       Decisions regarding non-Catholic participation in Vicariate league play will be decided by the individual Vicariates. 

     D. Conform to the age classification as follows:         

          1.       Junior Varsity - must be in grammar school (6th grade or below) and not have reached 13th birthday before September 1st. 

          2.       Varsity - must be in grammar school (only 8th grade or below) and not have reached 15th birthday before September 1st. 

          3.       High School - must not have reached 19th birthday before September 1, and may not participate in the league for more than eight semesters from entrance into 9th grade.  The Vicariate League Advisory Board will decide upon the applications of high school dropouts. 

     E.  Be a registered member of the parish he represents up to and including the date of his team's first game, then if he moves he may continue to play for the original parish for the remainder of his eligibility. 

     F.  Play for only one parish team. 

     G. Team rosters must be submitted to Vicariate League Director by November 15 and December 15 for high school. No new members may be added to the team after the first game, unless approved by the Vicariate Advisory Board. 

     H.  Not be a member of the roster of a high school team (this includes varsity, junior varsity or freshmen teams).

III.  MANAGERS AND COACHES

1. The diocesan guidelines for those who are acting as coaches and/or assistant coaches for our young people require that they:

·        Have attended a 3-hour session of Protecting God’s Children (PGC)

·        Have completed a criminal background check (CBC)

·        Read the Diocesan Code of Pastoral Conduct (Living and Working with Integrity) and signed the statement of Compliance with this document (LWI)

·        Have completed the Volunteer Coaches’ Safety Orientation and Training Skills Program (VCSOTSP)

     B.  Coaches must provide for the safety of their players before, during and after the games.  Coaches are required to be present to their athletes at all times.  Non-supervised programs may open the CYO and the Diocese to charges of negligence and its resultant liability for accident claims.  The CYO and the Diocese of Paterson assume no responsibility for injuries or accidents which may occur during competition under their auspices.

IV.  LEAGUE ADVISORY BOARD

     A. Has right to assess team or players for damage to any facilities which they use.

     B.  Together with Vicariate Director, has right to penalize or dismiss from league any player, or coach, or team, or spectator for unsportsmanlike conduct; use of indecent language; destroying property; or violation of rules. 

          Any player, coach, or spectator ejected from a game shall be minimally penalized as follows:

                                       1st offense - 1 game

                                       2nd offense - 3 games;

                                        3rd offense - suspension for one full year.

          During period of suspension, player or coach may not play/coach in any game.   Spectator may not attend any game.

C.     The Pastor has the right to appeal the decision to the Vicariate Director/League Advisory Board and then to the Diocesan Director.

V.  TEAM AND GAME REGULATIONS

     A. Games will be played at a specified gymnasium. 

     B.  Teams must be properly uniformed.  Gym shorts, shirts and rubber soled shoes are necessary. Shirts must be numbered.

     C.  A team failing to appear up to twenty minutes after the scheduled time forfeits the game unless mutual agreement allows the delay.

     D. Teams failing to appear for one game are subject to dismissal from the league.

     E.  Teams must play all games according to schedule.

     F.  Postponements shall be granted at the discretion of the league director or designated league official and such requests for postponements be made of the league directors 72 hours before the scheduled time for the game, otherwise the games will be forfeited. 

     G. Replay of postponed games must be arranged with the league director. 

     H. The home team in each instance will be responsible for all equipment necessary for the playing of the game, e.g. ball, timepiece, etc. 

     I.  Games will be played according to the rules of the National Basketball Committee with the times of the quarters as follows: 

                   Junior Varsity         7 minutes

                   Varsity                   7 minutes

                   High School            8 minutes

          In overtime games the following times shall be adhered to:

                   Junior Varsity         3 minutes

                   Varsity                   3 minutes

                   High School           3 minutes

J.  In all JV and Varsity competition, coaches must provide playing opportunity for at least ten members of the team. The first quarter shall be divided into equal halves. Five different players shall play in each half of the first quarter. In the event of a team having less than ten players, the coach must use all the players, five in the first segment, the rest in the second segment. In such a second segment, the opposing coach may use a new five man unit or only as many new players as the other coach is using. More that five different players can be used in either segment. If a team has only seven to nine players, every player will be required to sit one segment of the split quarters. When the timekeeper blows the whistle at the halfway mark, the team in possession will retain control at half court. If there is no team control, the second segment will start under the alternating possession rule. These substitution requirements also apply during the third quarter of all JV games.

     K.  In the Junior Varsity division, full court press is not allowed, except for the final quarter of regulation and in any overtime periods.  Ball must cross division line into front court.

VI.  DIOCESAN COMPETITION

     A. Each Vicariate must be ready for diocesan playoffs which will begin on the third Saturday of March. 

     B.  Vicariate champions will follow the regulations to be published from the diocesan office with regard to location and time of games, etc. 

     C.  No all star teams or combinations of teams will be allowed to represent any Vicariate.  Original team rosters only must be used.

     D. Any player, coach, or spectator ejected from a game shall be suspended from the next game.

VII.  PROTESTS

     A. No protests are allowed during the diocesan tournament. 

Revised – October 13, 2005