AABL Pro Division Rules Game Time First Half: consists of 2 periods: 1st period (7 minutes) – usually designated starters but anyone CAN play 2nd period (8 minutes) – non-designated starters only Half Time Second Half: consists of 3 periods: 3rd period – (4 minutes) – usually designated starters but anyone CAN play 4th period– (6 minutes) – non-designated starters only 5th period – (5 minutes) – usually designated starters but anyone CAN play Periods will run on time clock buzzer. Playing Time/Player Eligibility Each team will name 5 designated starters (the five best players on the team). Non-designated starters are eligible to play in any period at any time. The designated players are not eligible to play in the 2nd or 4th periods. At the start of the game, if there are not enough (5) non-designated starters to field a team for those periods then the opposing coach will select which designated starter (or starters if down more than 1 player) are eligible to play in those 2 periods. Those chosen players are then ineligible to play in the 1st & 3rd periods. They are eligible to play in the last period (5th). Conversely, the coach of the shorthanded team will select an equal number of designated starters from the opposing team that are eligible to play in the 2nd & 4th periods. These players are still eligible to play in the 1st, 3rd or 5th period also. It is the responsibility of both coaches to make sure both teams have enough non-designated starters before the game begins. If a team is short designated starters no arrangements need to be made as non-designated starters can play in any period. Please make sure you understand these rules. If you have any questions please ask any board member ahead of time. The time to try and understand is not during the game you or the other team is shorthanded. Defense During the first half and the first 10 minutes of the second half, once the offensive team transitions to defense, those players must retreat behind the half court line to assert defensive tactics. The transition occurs once a defensive player has gained control of the ball and completed an outlet pass in the shooting team’s frontcourt. Any violation will result in an Illegal Defense assessment. During the last 5 minutes of the game and any overtime periods, all players are allowed to play full court defense. Illegal Defense The first illegal defense violation will result in a warning reported to the scorers and the coaches. The second and any subsequent violations will result in a technical foul - two free throws by any player on the floor and possession of the ball. 3 Point Shots Any shot for a basket taken behind the 3 point arc during the last 5 minutes of the game or in any overtime period will result in 3 points, if successful. All successful attempts during any other time will result in 2 points. Personal Fouls Any player who commits a total of 5 fouls will be ineligible to play in the remainder of the game. Seven team fouls will result in “1 & 1”. Ten team fouls will result in 2 free throw shots. Free Throws Any player attempting a free throw must stay behind the free throw line. A violation will be assessed if their momentum causes them to cross over the line. No players are allowed to advance towards the goal before the ball hits the rim. Mercy Rule Whenever a team is ahead by more than 15 points, the Mercy Rule will go into effect and only one designated starter is allowed to play until the lead is reduced to less than12 points. (It’s best to pull your players back a bit or make a substitution or two before it gets to this point.) Time Outs Coaches or players can call for time outs. Each team has 4 time outs per game but can only use 3 per half. In the event of overtime, each team can carry over any unused time outs and will receive 1 additional time out for each overtime period. Player Uniforms Every player must wear the official team jersey and AABL shorts. Any violation will result in a 2 shot technical foul.