The primary goal of McLean Youth Basketball is the fair participation and development of all the players in the program.  To that end, the most important rules developed by the League are those rules governing player participation.  These rules, however, are intended for the protection of those players that abide by the MYB Code of Conduct, attend team practices, show up on time and are available for the entire game.  The most severe infraction of MYB rules and coach can commit is the intentional manipulation of these rules to limit the participation of any player on his or her team.  Coaches are expected to abide by the letter of the rule, as outlined below, but more importantly, they are expected to abide by the spirit of the rule which requires them to treat all players equally and to balance, as much as possible within the limits of a competitive game, the participation of all the players on the team.  Note that the House League will enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards playing time violations – and any instance of the winning team proven by review of the scorebook to violate the minimum playing time rules (without the presence of an exception listed below) will be cause for the League Commissioner to vacate the win.
 

A.  Minimum Playing Time.  For every team, each player must play a minimum of two unbroken, but not necessarily consecutive quarters.  An unbroken quarter is one in which a player starts the quarter and is not substituted for throughout the quarter.  Two “half” quarters do not equal one unbroken quarter.

The minimum playing time rule does not apply to any player who shows up late, after the tip-off of the game, leaves any time prior to the end of the game, or is disqualified during the game (five fouls or ejection by the referee).  Players that need to leave the game early should alert their head coach prior to the start of the game and the head coach should then alert the referees and the head coach of the other team
 

Exceptions to the minimum playing time rule are:
 

1.   Player Injury or Disqualification.  If the player is removed from the game by injury, verified by the referee, or the player is disqualified from the game (five fouls or ejection by the referee), no minimum playing time applies to that player.  In the case of an injury, the referee shall notify the opposing Coach of the player’s injury before play is resumed.  NOTE:  if removed for a minor injury and reinserted within the same period as soon as the player is capable of playing, the player will be considered to have played an unbroken quarter (see also Rule VIII-D below).
 

2.   Late Arrival or Early Departure.  If a player arrives anytime after the start of the game or leaves prior to the conclusion of the game, the minimum playing time rule no longer applies to that player.  However, if that player is available for at least two full quarters, then the coach is obligated to play that player for at least one full quarter.

3.   Failure to Participate in Practice.  Attending practices is essential to being a productive member of a team.  Any player who misses THREE consecutive practices without informing the coach of an injury or illness, or misses a total of FIVE total practices in a season, shall be eligible for the Coach to invoke discipline under this rule.  Provided that the Coach has previously reached out to the parents, has discusses the situation with the AGC, and the AGC and Chief Commissioner agree, no minimum playing time will apply to the player in question and the player may be ineligible to participate in games as agreed by the Coach and AGC.  The AGC must also notify the opposing Coach and the referee coordinator prior to the start of the game.  The Coach should also make a note in the scorebook indicating this rule has been invoked. 


B.     Substitutions.  Substitutions are allowed, at the discretion of the referee, at any time during a stop in play.  All substitutes must first report to the official scorer who will notify the referee at the next stoppage of play.  The player entering the game as a substitute and the player being substituted for receive no credit toward the two unbroken quarter playing requirement.

 
C.     Re-entry into Game After Injury.  An injured player who has recovered sufficiently to play and who has not satisfied the minimum playing time requirement shall come as close to meeting the minimum as remaining game time permits. 

 
D.     Penalty for Failure to Meet Minimum Playing Time.   Enforcement and compliance with player participation rules is the sole responsibility of the Head Coach of each team.  Failure to comply with the above rules regarding player participation will result in forfeiture of the game.  The final decision of such forfeiture will be made by the Chief Commissioner within a reasonable time of an investigation of the facts.

 

Finally, the head coach for each team is solely responsible for the application and enforcement of the minimum playing time rules. 
The coaches need to know and understand how to apply these rules. Reliance on referees or the opinion of the other coach does not relieve the head coach of this responsibility. In addition, it is not the referee’s responsibility to enforce these rules or report violations. If these rules have not been properly applied it is the responsibility of the opposing head coach to report the violation to his/her League Commissioner.

The Board is aware that any rules governing a player’s minimum playing time can restrict the flow of the game and a Coach’s flexibility to substitute for specific situations during a game. If the coach does not plan ahead for these situations, it is easy to make a mistake and intentionally or unintentionally violate these rules. It is critical for Coaches to plan their game substitutions accordingly. Coaches should know prior to the game (by asking at practice or by phoning the players) who will be attending and who will be absent and adjust their substitution patterns to the players that are available and to comply with the playing time restrictions. Don’t try to do all of this on the fly or in your head! Come to the game with a planned substitution schedule, extra paper and pen, confirm player availability, and adjust your schedule prior to the start of the game. With a little effort we can make these rules work and minimize the confusion during a game.