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5v5 Basketball Rules

  • Facility
      • All matches will be played at the Athletics & Recreation East Gym unless otherwise stated. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are not permitted at the complex or in the parking lot
  • Player Eligibility
      • All UC Santa Cruz Intramural Sports eligibility rules apply. Please check the Intramural Sports Policies & Procedures carefully to see more details
      • All players must have a valid, original UC Santa Cruz or state-issued physical photo identification to participate
      • Players must compete in 2 regular season games to be eligible for playoffs
  • Team Composition
      • Each team must consist of at least 4 eligible players to begin the game. Rosters are capped at 12 players per team
      • Co-Rec leagues, if offered, require each team to consist of at least 4 eligible players. There may not be any more than three players on the court at all times identifying as the same gender
  • Equipment
      • Participants must wear closed-toe and closed-heel shoes at all times. Shoes must be athletic shoes that will not scuff hardwood
      • Participants are required to remove or cover all jewelry including earrings, rings, bracelets, etc. prior to playing 5v5 Basketball games. Covered jewelry must remain covered throughout participation. Intramural Sports will not provide tape for covering jewelry
        • If jewelry is seen being worn during a game, it will result in a technical foul
      • Intramural Sports will provide equipment. Players may choose to play with their own ball if both captains agree on the ball
      • If participants break equipment, the participants are subject to suspension and fines covering the cost of replacement
  • Beginning a Game
      • Team captains will meet with Intramural Sports Officials on duty to discuss game rules. Intramural Sports Supervisor on duty will also be available to assist with rule clarification
      • Possession will be determined by a jump ball to start the game
  • The Court
      • 5v5 Basketball games are played on the full length basketball court in the East Gym
      • The arc closest to each basket (high-school length) will serve as the 3-point line
      • Boundary lines consist of end lines and sidelines
      • The inside edges of these lines define the inbounds and out-of-bounds areas
      • A team’s frontcourt consists of that part of the court between its end line and the nearest edge of the division line, including its basket and the inbounds part of the backboard
      • A team’s backcourt consists of the rest of the court, including the entire division line and the opponent’s basket and inbounds part of the opponent’s backboard
  • Format
      • Two 20-minute havles, running clock
      • Stopped clock under the last minute in the 2nd half if there is a 10 point or more score difference
      • Each team is awarded three time-outs per game 
        • Teams are limited to using two time-outs per half 
  • Overtime
      • No over time during the regular season
      • 3 minute running clock, stopped under one minute
      • Each team is awarded an additional timeout 
  • Playoffs
      • Players must compete in 2 regular season games to be eligible for playoffs
      • The playoff schedule may not be consistent with the times you selected during the regular season
      • Overtime is used during playoffs, there must be a winner
  • Forfeit & Defaults
      • Games must begin within 10 minutes after the scheduled game time. Failure to field a team at that time shall result in a forfeit
      • Teams that forfeit games will result in the team captain receiving a $10 Forfeit Fine, the forfeiting team receiving a "2" sportsmanship rating, and have the game recorded as a loss in addition to a negative score differential of 10 points for that game
      • Teams that forfeit two games in a season will be removed from playoffs
      • If I know my team will not be to play a game I will take the following action to avoid a forfeit:
        • Notify the Intramural Sports office by filling out the Default Form (found on the Intramural Sports website or Instagram) by 2:00pm for weekday games and by 7:00am on weekends. The game will be recorded as a default
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