RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Court Layout
   For a visual of the court click here.
2. Out of Bounds Violation
   When holding or dribbling the basketball, you cannot step on a BASELINE or SIDELINE. Also, if the ball goes out of bounds, the last person who touched the ball is considered to have caused the violation. Therefore, the team who didn't cause the violation receives possession of the ball.
3. Over and Back Violation
   Once your team has the brought the ball over HALF COURT towards the basket your team is scoring at, your team may not bring the ball "back-over HALF COURT".
4. 3-Seconds in the Key Violation
   No person on the team on offense may stand in the KEY area associated with the basket they are trying to score on for more than 3 seconds.
5. 5-Second Violation
   a) When inbounding the ball, (this is when the referee hands you the ball, you are standing outside the court and you have to pass to a teammate who is on the court) you have 5 seconds to inbound the ball from the time the referee hands until someone inbounds has received the ball.
   
   b) You have possession of the ball and someone on the other team is playing CLOSE or tough defense. If that player is able to contain you for more than 5 seconds (ie. you can't make a pass, take a shot or dribble past the defense) then your team loses possession of the ball. NOTE: referees are usually lenient on this aspect of the 5 second violation.
6. 10-Second Violation
   Your team is inbounding the ball from the other team's baseline (also called endline) or sideline, or you have gained possession of the ball from a rebounded shot or interception: your team now has 10 seconds to bring the ball over half court in the direction of the basket you are scoring at.
7. Inbounding the Ball
   a) When the other team scores a basket, you have to inbound the ball from your baseline. You are allowed to run along the baseline (out of bounds) holding the ball, ONLY when the other team has scored.
   
   b) If you are inbounding the ball because it has gone out of bounds (no score) you may not move your feet. You also cannot dribble the ball when you are inbounding the ball.
8. Foul Line or Free-Throw Line
   A player who is awarded a "free-throw" by the referee has 10 seconds to complete the shots awarded. That player must also stay behind the FREE-THROW LINE until the basketball touches the rim or the backboard. A free-throw is awarded when the other team commits a foul. Shooting fouls are always awarded a free-throw. Body contact fouls are awarded free-throws most often only when a team has reached its foul limit (8 or 10 depending on the rules played). If a person commits a flagrant foul or a technical foul then the other team is usually awarded 2 free-throws.
9. Double-Dribble Violation
   a) Once you stop dribbling the ball and hold the ball, you may not start dribbling again. Your only options are to pass or shoot (depending how far from the basket you are).
   
   b) You may dribble the ball with either hand, but only with one hand at a time.
10. Traveling Violation
    a) If you are holding (and not dribbling) the basketball, you cannot move both feet. You must establish a PIVOT foot. Your pivot foot must stay anchored on the floor (more specifically, you may lift your heel but your toe must stay anchored). You may then PIVOT around the foot that is anchored.
    
    b) You must dribble or pass the ball before you lift your pivot foot. (if you had previously been dribbling, you must pass the ball or you will commit a double-dribble violation). Example: If you are running down the court and someone passes you the ball, you must either dribble immediately upon catching the ball, or you must stop immediately and establish a pivot foot. If you stop, you still may dribble as you have not dribbled yet.
11. Shooting Fouls
    A player on defense may not touch the shooting arm, push or lean on the person on offense who is taking the shot. The player on offense will be awarded 2 free throw shots if a shooting foul is called. The player on defense who committed the foul will receive 1 personal foul. One player may only accumulate 5 fouls. When 5 fouls are reached, that player is no longer permitted to play in the game. If a team reaches the foul number limit, the other team is awarded a BONUS (also called 1 and 1: 1 free-throw, and 1 more if you make the first one) upon every foul committed by the team that has reached its limit. The team foul limit is reset at half-time, however an individual's personal fouls are not reset, and accumulate over the 2 halves.
12. Personal Fouls (when playing defense)
    CYLINDER or Personal Space: Each player on the floor is entitled to the space that their own CYLINDER occupies. Your cylinder is your own body space encased in an imaginary cylinder, from floor to ceiling (if you can jump that high!). Personal fouls or body contact fouls are usually called when one player infringes on an opponent's space. Example: If a player on Team A jumps up in the air to catch a pass, take a shot, rebound etc., and a player on Team B moves into the space under the Team A player, when A's player comes down and lands on B's player, it is B's foul. The space where A's player left the floor is still within her cylinder. However, if Team A's player jumps up and is carried forward by her momentum, and lands on Team B's player who had already established her position, then it is A's foul.
13. Encircling
    You may not obstruct an opponent's pathway by putting your arms into their cylinder area. When you have your hands up to play defense you cannot have your arms 'circling' the opponent. Generally, you can have your arms extended as far as you wish, but only in a lateral or vertical fashion. Basically, when playing defense, you must "keep your hands to yourself", allow your opponent their own space, and not obstruct their pathway. BUT, you only have to allow them ONE full step, which means if you can get to where they are going before they get there and still leave enough space for one step, then you're playing great and legal defense.
14. Offensive Fouls
    A player on offense who is taking a shot or who is dribbling, may not run into or fall on a player on defense who has an established position on the floor. Example: If you are playing defense and you got to a spot on the floor before the offensive player did (and you are in control of all parts of your body), if the offensive player runs into you, it is her foul, not yours. However, if you have not established a position on the floor first, and the offensive player runs into you, it is considered to be your foul.
    *Note: This foul is one of the most controversial calls because it is often a matter of interpretation which player is in control and which one got to a spot first.
15. Technical Fouls
    A technical foul is given to a player for unsportsmanlike behaviour such as swearing, verbal harassment, arguing with the referees or violence. A player is ejected from a game upon receiving 2 technical fouls. Each technical foul also counts as a personal foul. Technical fouls are serious fouls. As a rule, the League does not tolerate the kind of behaviour that warrants a player receiving a technical foul. No matter how frustrated you may be with a ref's call - or lack thereof - you are expected to KEEP YOUR COOL at all times. If you are unable to do so, you may be asked to leave the League.

If you have any questions about any of these rules and regulations, please don't hesitate to ask!