NO ZONE RULES POLICY

 

SACBC - U12 & U14 COMPETITIONS

A. DEFINITION - ZONE DEFENCE

Any defence in the half court which does not incorporate normal man to man defensive principals shall be considered to be a zone. For this purpose trapping defences which rotate back to man to man principals shall be acceptable.

B. VIOLATIONS OF MAN TO MAN DEFENCE

Specifically, violations fall into one of the four categories listed below-

1. One or more players was/were not in an acceptable man to man defensive position in relation to their man and the ball.

2. A cutter moved all the way through the key and was not defended using acceptable man to man defensive techniques - eg bumped, switched, followed.

3. Following a trapping or help and recover situation the team made no attempt to re-establish man to man defensive positioning

4. The team zone pressed and did not assume man to man defensive positioning once the nall had been advanced into the quarter court.

C. NOTES WHICH ARE TO BE USED BY OBSERVERS - IN ANY JUDGEMENT

- Take into account the intention of the defensive team.

- Take into account the time and state of the game.

- Deliberate and pre-meditated use of the zone at a critical time in a game should be acted upon immediately.

- Where there is any doubt the benefit of the doubt must be given to the defence. i.e be sure of the violation.

- Under no circumstances will any official observer re-act to a call from any player, coach or other official to declare a zone.

- Zones are often confused with lazy defence, poor coaching. tired players and players lost in defensive positions.

_ The onus of proof lies with the offensive team. i.e. the offence must pass the ball and send cutters to the basket or ball side to get the defence to adjust their positions according to man-to man principles.

- Because a player or a number of players run back to the defensive key it doesn't make it a zone.

- You cannot judge a zone from one offensive or defensive phase. You must watch  a number of game phases.

- What is the intention of the Coach? Have they instructed their players to play man-to -man?

- Only concerned about the quarter court - you can trap or whatever until the quarter court.

D. PROCEDURE & PENALTY

1. A person will be appointed at each stadium by the Executive Officer to make all the decisions. This person will not be a game referee.

2. If this person has been advised by a team Coach that a zone is being played they will observe the game.

3. When they are sure a zone is being played( this should be more than once) they will advise the Coach of the offending team of their first and final warning in a calm manner, stateing who they are.  

4. The game should continue to be observed giving the Coach time to make changes.

5. If the Coach fails to act on the direction of the observer and continues to play a zone the Coach will be advised at the next interval in play that they have automatically forfeited the game.

6. The game may continue but the observer will instruct the referees and the score bench officials taht a forfeit has occurred.

7. The score will be recorded as 20 - 0.

8. The observer has the final say and there is no appeal of this decision.

(The above is the SACBC penalty process)

GSABA PROCEDURE & PENALTY

1. The procedure is the same as SACBC process outline in POINT D.

2. The penalty is the coach is warned and folowing occurrences will incur an automatic two point penalty and the opposition gains possession of the ball at the centre line.