Worcester State

Intramural 5x5 Basketball Rules 

Eligibility:

• Players must present their One Card prior to the beginning of the event
• Players must be registered with their team on IM Leagues prior to noon the day of game
• Athletic attire must be worn to play, only non-marking shoes will be permitted

 Sportsmanship:

Teams will be awarded a sportsmanship rating by officials after each game. The point scale used will be 1-5, with 1 being poor sportsmanship and 5 being exceptional sportsmanship. Any team having a rating of less than 3 for any 2 games of the regular season will be dropped from the league. Any team with less than a 3 average for the entire regular season will not advance in the playoffs.

 Equipment:

• All games will be played in the Competition Gym unless otherwise noted
• Intramural Sports will provide jerseys players must be wearing different numbers than their teammates; both teams must agree upon a ball prior to the start of the game. If a ball cannot be agreed on, the Intramural Sports Department will provide one.
• No jewelry will be allowed during the game, if the jewelry cannot be removed then the participant cannot play, any exceptions must be cleared with the Intramural Director at least 48 hours prior to play.

 Clock Operations and Game Administration:

• The game will consist of two 15 minute halves.
• Each team is permitted one full and one thirty second time out per game to be used at any time. Calling a timeout with none remaining will result in a technical foul.
• The clock will run continuously (except during timeouts, technical foul administration, injuries, and anytime the officials deem it necessary to stop the clock) except for the last two minutes of the 2^nd half.
• During the last 2 minutes of the 2^nd half (and in the playoffs the last 2 minutes of any overtime period), the clock will be stopped as it does in a regulation high school game. Exception: If one team is leading by 15 or more points during the last two minutes of the second half, the clock will run continuously (except during timeouts, technical foul administration, injuries, and anytime the officials deem it necessary to stop the clock).
• If either team is ahead by 30 or more points after 23 minutes of play, the game shall be deemed official and terminated.
• During the regular season games may end in a tie.

 Players and Substitutes:

• A team shall consist of a maximum of 5 players on the floor and a minimum of 4 players to begin a game.
• Teams may substitute during any dead ball situations except when the ball is dead solely because of a successful field goal. The player must report to the official scorer and wait to be beckoned onto the court by one of the officials on the court. Each team will designate a captain to the referee for communication purposes. The team captain will represent the team in all dealings with the officials.

Playing Rules:

• A jump ball will be administered to begin play at the start of the game, and any overtime period. In all other jump ball situations possession will be determined according to the Alternating Possession Procedure.
• Dunking is allowed during the game. Any player hanging on the rim at any time will be assessed a technical foul (unless it is to prevent injury to themselves or another player).
• Any ball striking the top portion of the backboard or the attached cables will be a dead ball, and the defensive team will receive possession of the ball.
• Any player who uses obscene language, regardless of whom it is directed towards, may receive a technical foul.
• An airborne shooter is a player who has released the ball on a try for goal or has tapped the ball and has not yet returned to the floor. The airborne shooter is considered to be in the act of shooting. No points can be scored when an airborne shooter commits a player control foul.
• It is not possible for a player to travel during a dribble.
• During a free throw when lane spaces may be occupied:

1. Marked lane spaces may be occupied by a maximum of four defensive and two offensive players
2. The first marked lane spaces must be occupied by opponents of the free thrower
3. The second marked lane spaces on each side may be occupied by teammates of the free thrower
4. The third marked lane spaces may be occupied by opponents of the free thrower
5. Any player, other than the free thrower, who does not occupy a marked lane space must be behind the free throw line extended and behind the three point line.

Free Throw Violations: Players may not enter the lane until the ball touches the rim. No opponent shall disconcert the free thrower.

Throw-in Boundary Plane:

                If the defender breaks the throw-in boundary plane, a warning will be given to his/her team which will be in effect for the rest of the game. Second violation is a technical foul.

                If a defender reaches through the plane and contact the thrower, an intentional foul will be charged.

                If he/she contacts the ball, a technical foul will be charged.

 Fouls:

Personal Fouls: a player foul which involves illegal contact with an opponent while the ball is live, which hinders an opponent from performing normal defensive and offensive movements. A personal foul also includes contact by or on an airborne shooter when the ball is dead.

Intentional Fouls: a personal or technical foul which neutralizes an opponent’s obvious advantageous position. Contact away from the ball or when not making a legitimate attempt to play the ball or a player, specifically designed to stop or keep the clock from starting, shall be intentional. Intentional fouls may or may not be premeditated and are not based solely on the severity of the act. A foul also shall be ruled intentional if while playing the ball a player causes excessive contact with an opponent. Intentional fouls result in two free throws and the ball being given to the non-offending team at the out-of-bounds spot closest to where the foul occurred for a throw-in.

Technical Fouls: a technical foul includes a) foul by a non-player B) non-contact foul by a player; and c) an intentional or flagrant contact foul while the ball is dead, except a foul by an airborne shooter. All technical fouls (except double technical fouls) will result in 2 free throws for the non-offending team and the ball at the division line opposite the scorer’s table.

Excessive swinging of the elbows will result in a technical foul; it does not matter if contact was made or not made with an opponent.

 A player who receives 2 technical fouls will be disqualified and barred from further participation in the game and will be asked to meet with the Intramural Director. If a team receives 3 unsportsmanlike technical fouls, the game will become a forfeit and the team will be suspended until further review is taken by the Intramural Director.

Flagrant Fouls: a flagrant foul may be a personal or technical foul of a violent or savage nature, or a technical noncontact foul which displays unacceptable conduct. It may or may not be intentional. A flagrant personal foul results in two free throws and the ball being given to the non-offending team at the out-of-bounds spot closest to where the foul occurred for a throw-in or for a flagrant technical foul at the division line opposite the scorer’s table for a throw-in. The offending player is also immediately ejected.

Player Control Fouls: a common foul committed by a player while he/she is in control of the ball, or by an airborne shooter. No free throws are awarded for a player control foul or team control foul (a common foul committed by a member of the team that has team control).

A player is disqualified and barred  from further participation in the game once he/she commits his/her fifth foul (personal and technical fouls count towards this total) or he/she commits a flagrant personal or flagrant personal or flagrant technical foul.

• On a team’s 7^th team (personal and technical fouls count towards this total) foul of each half, the opposing team enters the 1 and 1 free throw bonus.
• In a team’s tenth team (personal and technical fouls count towards this total) foul of each half, the opposing team enters the 2 shot free throw bonus.

Bench Rule: All players leaving the bench to go on the floor during an unsportsmanlike confrontation will receive an automatic technical foul and will be ejected. Any team that receives three unsportsmanlike technical fouls will forfeit the game. If at the discretion of the officials, team(s) and/or their fans make a mockery of the game, creating unsportsmanlike situations or unsafe conditions, Rec Services staff members may forfeit the game with no warning regardless of the number of technical fouls. The players are responsible for their fans. Any fan that enters the court will be removed from the facility.

Taunting/Fighting Rule: Taunting will result in an automatic technical foul and may result in ejection. Any player who participates in a fight will be immediately ejected, be charged with a technical foul and be suspended from all Intramural Sports until a meeting with the Intramural Director takes place.

 Playoffs:

• During playoffs it is likely that your availability may not be able to be accommodated as it was during the regular season, please keep this in mind.
• All games will follow regular season rules. In case of a tie, overtime will be played until a winner is decided.

Overtime: During the playoffs, if the score is tied at the end of regulation, play shall continue without change of baskets for one or more extra periods. Each extra period shall be 4 minutes. The clock will stop on all fouls and violations in the last 2 minutes. Extra periods are an extension of the second half. One extra full timeout will be awarded to each team if a game goes into overtime.