OAKLAND DIOCESE CYO BASKETBALL RULES
OFFICIAL RULES: All basketball games (league, tournament or practice) hosted by Oakland Diocese
Catholic Youth Organization teams will be conducted in accordance with the National Federation of State
High School Associations Basketball Rule book (available through the Diocesan CYO Office) with
exceptions and additions noted in these bylaws, adopted by the Diocesan CYO Office, or adopted by the
leagues and approved by the Diocesan Boys Sports Council or the Diocesan Girls Sports Council.
LENGTH OF GAME / TIME OUTS: A CYO basketball game shall consist of four quarters. All games
shall have one minute rest periods between quarters. All games shall have a minimum five minute rest
period between halves. Quarters shall consist of no more than eight minutes stop time or ten minutes
running time. Four time outs of one minute duration may be charged to each team during a regulation
game. Each team is credited with one additional time out per overtime period.
GAME LIMITATIONS: No CYO player should play more than one basketball game per day. No CYO
team may participate in more than one basketball game per day. All games/ practices including
tournament games played on school nights shall be scheduled so as to be completed by 10:00 p.m. No
league shall schedule regular league play on Sundays before noon.
GAME BALL: A regulation basketball made of composition or leather material shall be used in all sixth,
seventh and eighth grade boys league games. In all girls league games and in boys third, fourth and fifth
grade games, a women’s composition or leather ball, 28-1/2" in circumference, shall be used. Leagues
may adopt the use of smaller balls for third, fourth and fifth grade play.
"ALL PLAY" PARTICIPATION RULE: Each Oakland Diocese CYO basketball team must play all
healthy, uniformed players according to the following formula. The first quarter and the second quarter
will each be divided in half for a total of four playing periods. The time for each playing period will be on
the clock. All healthy, uniformed players (up to a number of twenty) must play the minimum of a full
continuous playing period during the first half. Every player entering the game for the first time must enter
at the beginning of the playing period and play the full playing period. The only exceptions will be due to
injury or disqualification.
The end of a playing period will be administered as an officials time out. The team in possession of the
ball shall retain it at the beginning of the subsequent playing period with a throw-in at the spot on the
sideline nearest the point of last possession. There shall be a center court jump ball to begin the game.
The alternating possession procedure shall be used to begin the second quarter and at the beginning of a
playing period if no team had possession at the end of the previous period.
Any player arriving to a game after the beginning of the last playing period must play the continuous time
during the game, equal to a playing period, if sufficient time remains. If a team has over twenty players,
the third quarter shall be divided into playing periods.
In addition, in each game, each child shall play the minimum time equal to the time of one quarter.
Athletic Directors shall monitor their program's coaches for compliance. Repeated violation shall be a
breach of sportsmanship.
INJURY OR DISQUALIFICATION: If a player leaves a playing period due to injury and is able later to
reenter, the player must play a subsequent full playing period. If unable to reenter until the second half,
the player must play the equivalent of a full, continuous playing period on the clock. A substitute for an
injured or disqualified player must play a complete playing period.
"NO PRESS " RULE: A team with a lead of fifteen (15) points or more in the 6th, 7th and 8th grade or
ten (10) points or more in the 4th, or 5th grade, may not use a full court press. The 3rd grade may not
use a full court press. Definition of a full court press: None of the players of a team which is holding that
lead may guard any opposing player in the back court until the ball, or a player in control of the ball, has
passed the half-court line of the opposing team.
PENALTY: One warning per game, then a technical foul will be called on the offending team for each
violation. (Note: the technical foul is a team technical)
CYO sportsmanship dictates that coaches should not have their teams pressure an opposing team's
players in the half-court area with a large lead.
OVERTIME RULE: Overtime periods shall be 3 minutes in length. Oakland Diocesan CYO leagues
shall play overtime periods either as in the National Federation Basketball Rule book or the Diocesan
Overtime Rule. The Oakland Diocesan Overtime Rules is as follows:
In the event of a tie score at the end of a regulation game, there will be a maximum of two 3 minute over
time periods. If the score is tied at the completion of the second overtime period, a one minute rest
period shall be taken, followed by a "sudden death" period played under the following rules:
1. If either team leads by two points (either by two free throws or a field goal) at any time during this
period, that team shall immediately be declared winner.
2. If after three minutes of the sudden death period neither team has accomplished a two point lead, the
team leading by one point shall be declared the winner.
3. If the score is tied at this point, a one-minute rest period shall be taken and then a three minute
sudden death period will be played. The first team to score (either by a free throw or a field goal) shall
immediately be declared the winner.
THREE POINT SHOT / SHOT CLOCK: The three point shot may be adopted by individual leagues for
play in the seventh and / or eighth grades only. There shall be no shot clock