Rules 2019

JSAD Wheelchair Basketball Challenge

 Rules 

Final Version - 2019

1.          The JSAD Wheelchair Basketball Challenge is open to any group wishing to take part although JSAD reserve the right to refuse entry at their discretion. Teams will consist of a minimum of 5 players and be available for matches on Monday nights between dates as notified by the Challenge match co-ordinator, generally mid-April to mid-November.  Teams can rotate players as they wish so the same team members do not have to play every match.

2.        The challenge league matches will be played on a round robin basis, with each team playing each other. The Challenge cup will be played on a knockout basis comprising semifinals, a third/fourth playoff match and a final. Unless it is made clear, the following rules cover both the Challenge league and cup.

         Before the challenge season commences, Team Captains must supply the Challenge Match Co-ordinator with both their personal contact details (telephone and email) and a list of all the players registered with their team. Note that this information will only be used by the Match Co-ordinator for the purposes of administering the Challenge league and cup, and will not be shared by any other persons or companies.

Additional player names can be added throughout the Challenge - however if a player registered with a particular team wishes to transfer to another team during the Challenge then the player in question must apply to the Challenge Director for permission.  JSAD reserves the right to refuse such a request.  There is no appeal process.

         All registered Challenge players will be deemed to be members of JSAD for the duration of the Challenge.

3.          Match dates for both the challenge league and cup will be notified to team captains prior to the start of the 2019 season.

4.        There will be a maximum of five players allowed on court at any one time per team with unlimited substitutions.  Substitutions can be made at any time by the team who are allocated a dead ball.  Please note that if it is reported to the match referee that a team involved with the substitution procedure exceeds five players on court at any time then two automatic penalty shots will be awarded to the opposing team.

             Any player being forced to leave the active court for any reason must remain off court until the match referee gives permission for the player to re-join the game.

5.        Each match will consist of four ten-minute quarters with a one minute drinks interval at the end of quarters one and three, and a five minute interval at the end of quarter two.  Please note that matches will be played using the standard basketball running clock system.  Each team will be permitted two time-outs per half.  A time-out can only be called when the team requesting the time-out has ball possession from a static line position.  Each time-out will be for 30 seconds duration.

6.         The match lead referee for each game will have the final say on any disputes that may arise, and all matches will be played according to the National Wheelchair Basketball Association rules (3 second key clock, 8 second back court clock, 24 second shot clock and 5 second ball possession rule). The cylinder rule applies to all players on court.

        It is an offence under the rules for any player on court, except the Team Captain, to engage in conversation with the match lead referee or any other official.  Any player doing so will be considered to have committed a personal foul and will be asked to leave the court and be substituted by another player from the same team.

In the event that the lead referee rules that a player has committed a personal foul on another player the lead referee can remove the offending player from the court for the remainder of the game.  The lead referee can report the incident to the Challenge Director who has the right to remove the player from the remainder of the Challenge series matches.  There will be no right of appeal.  In the event that a player is removed from the court a substitute can be made.

           The lead referee has the right to remove a player from the court who will be placed in the sin bin for five minutes if a technical* foul is committed.  In the event that a player is removed from the court a substitute can be made.

7.          In the Challenge league points will be awarded to teams as follows:

             1 point if a team reports for their match on the allotted date with four or more players.

             2 points for a draw

             3 points for a win

             Please note that if a team does report for their match with only four players they are required to play prior to receiving the 1 point for reporting for their match on the allotted date.

             Throughout the Challenge League Competition a record will be kept of the amount of team fouls.  The team recording the fewest number of fouls following the final league game will win the Fair Play Award.

             Throughout the Challenge League Competition a record will be kept of individual player scores.  The player with the highest number of points at the end of the Challenge league will be awarded the Top Scorer Award.

Bonus points – each team scoring 20 or more points during a game in the Challenge league will be awarded a bonus point.  In the event of a tie, bonus points will be used to determine overall league positions. 

In the Challenge cup, if the result is a draw at the end of 40 minutes of standard play, the game will continue until a team scores a basket. This team will win the match.

8.         Safety – in the interests of safety players are requested not to touch any other player’s wheelchair.  It is very dangerous to pull on another player’s wheelchair and this will be considered by the lead match referee as a personal foul and the player committing the offence will take no further part in the game.  Feet should remain on the wheelchair footplate at all times and in the unlikely event of a player falling out of a wheelchair the player should stay down until the lead match referee has established all is well.  In the event of any blood being on court, the match will be suspended until the court is clean and dry, but the running clock will continue.

9.          Team Captains are requested to contact the Challenge match co-ordinator if they are unable to make a fixture, at least 24 hours before the match date. The Challenge match co-ordinator will contact the Team Captains of the teams playing the next Monday, on the preceding Thursday to confirm that all is still well.

If a team notifies the Challenge match co-ordinator in good time, attempts will be made to accommodate a fixture change however, this is not guaranteed and the team concerned will still be subject to the following rules:

In the event that a team does not turn up on their allotted match night or does not provide the minimum four players, they will not be awarded any points. Three league points will however, be awarded to the team they were scheduled to play. No bonus points will be earned by any team if the fixture is not played.

In the event that a team drops out of the Challenge, all remaining teams that have not played the team dropping out will be awarded three league points and any bonus points earnt by other teams who have already played against them will be removed.

In the event of a team not reporting with at least four players for a semi-final, final or third/fourth place playoff, a match win will be awarded to the team that does report with sufficient numbers for the game.

Each team entering the Challenge will be expected to name at least one person to act as a table official for the Challenge series. This individual will be expected to officiate for games that do not involve their own team. The Challenge match co-ordinator will advise teams when a team member is required for table official duty.

10.        Following the completion of the Challenge league, the team topping the league table will have won the Challenge League Championship for 2019. In the case of a tie, the team with the most bonus points wins. Should this still result in a draw, the team with the least number of fouls will win.  Finally should this still result in a tie, position will be decided on the toss of a coin by the tournament director Alan Ronxin.

11.       The Challenge cup matches will be held throughout the league season as determined by the match Co-ordinator.

12.      For the purposes of this Challenge JSAD reserve the right to grant special dispensation to any player who, in the opinion of JSAD, will physically struggle to score a conventional basket, by allowing their shot to count as one point if the ball hits any part of the basketball ring or net.  Two points will be awarded in the unlikely event of them scoring a conventional basket.  The lead referee for any of the Challenge games will notify team captains of any such nominated player prior to the commencement of the game. 

         Players requiring an electric powered wheelchair will be permitted to be part of a team.  The two push/one bounce travelling rule will be replaced by a five second/no bounce travelling rule.

13.        JSAD Officials:

             Challenge Director – Alan Ronxin

             Lead Referees – Paul Patterson, Gordon Perry

             Assistant Referees – Alan Ronxin, Guy Gilson

       Match Co-ordinator – Simon Larbalestier     Contact details:   07797 710469  email: Larbalestier@mac.com

             Table Official – Representatives from each Challenge team

             Press Officer – Simon Larbalestier

             Table and Stats  – Simon Larbalestier

* Technical foul - a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between opposing players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct. Technical fouls can be assessed against players, bench personnel, the entire team (often called a bench technical), or even spectators.