RULES

BBA General Rules 2026
New Rule Changes in Red

1. Every player must come 20 minutes earlier before tipoff to share and pray with a player from their own team

   • Captains are to enforce this strictly since this is one of the primary reasons for having BBA in the first place

   • If players are staffing or reffing on that week, they could just share and pray within their own team or with the opposing team that is serving that week

   • Any violation will result in that player missing the first half

2. No player is allowed to miss 3 or more games per season except for the following reasons:

   • There is an unforeseen injury not known prior to the season or sustained during the season

   • There is an unforeseen early birth in the family

   • Other events that would be reasonably considered unforeseeable

   • The rationale for this rule is that the responsibility to staff and ref will fall on the shoulders of other players which could become burdensome

   • Any violation will result in a one-season ban for the following season

3. No player will be allowed to play if they missed Sunday service except for the following:

   • They went to Sunday service at another church (e.g. BMC in the morning and flew back for BBA)

     • In the case someone was on vacation somewhere and did not attend service for travel reasons, this rule will still apply so that we could encourage that person to worship at a night service somewhere

4. It is recommended that every captain provides experienced refs/scorekeepers for that week 

   • It is the captains’ responsibility to train the refs accordingly

   • This could be done by the captains themselves or through another party

   • If there is a problem with reffing, it is encouraged that the complaining captain contact the captain that assigned the refs

5. Head refs are responsible for educating scorekeepers on how to use the scoresheet and for communicating with them throughout the game 

6. Before the season starts, Commissioner has the right to move players to different teams even after teams have been announced.

BBA In-Game Rules 2026

BBA will follow the in game rules of the NBA unless otherwise stated in the following:

1. Game Start (Home and Away Teams)

   • Home team will wear white and Away will wear black

     • A violation of this will be marked as a penalty

     • For every violation of this rule, the opposing team captain may select any player from their team to shoot 1 free throws in a technical foul style fashion and will be awarded possession of the ball

       • The free throws will take place before tipoff

       • If two teams have violations, the violations will offset each other or could offset in proportion (e.g. one team has two violations and the other team has one will result in the other team shooting only 1 free throws in technical foul style fashion

   • Home and Away teams combined will provide 2 refs and 2 scorekeepers. 

   • Captains should coordinate with each other and the Reffing Team and let Justin know who will be serving.

   • Head Ref gets to make final decision on game ball used

   • How to determine which team shoots on what side (change at halftime)

     • Regular Season: Flip a coin to decide which team chooses 

     • Playoffs: Home Team gets to choose

2. Captain’s Playing Time (Honor System)

   • Captains cannot play the first five minutes of the 1st and 3rd quarters

     • Technical Foul: If captain comes in early or must start the game early, opposing team will be awarded 1 free throw in technical foul style fashion and be awarded possession of the ball

   • While having good competition is valued, if possible, captains should prioritize the other players’ playing time over their own

3. Player’s Playing Time (Honor System)

   • Minutes floor for each player

     • 1st Half (1st and 2nd quarter): 10 minutes

     • 2nd Half (3rd and 4th quarter): 5 minutes

   • Captain’s should not be leaving players in for a whole game, except for the following circumstances

     • there are only 5 players or less and available to play

     • Injuries occur midgame

     • Other players have voiced they do not want to come back in (tired, injury prevention, old)

   • If Head Ref notices certain players have not subbed yet, they should make this observation to the team’s captain

4.  GAME TIME SETTINGS

• Four 10-minute quarters

  • Break between 1st→2nd and 3rd→ 4th Quarters are 10 seconds. These are meant to help coaches for playing time management

  • Running Clock whole game until 2 minutes left in the second half

  • Clock stops only on team or ref timeouts.

    • Stop clock on dead balls and all made baskets in final 2 minutes 

  • Ball will be inbounded at half court at beginning of every quarter

• Ball will be inbounded at half court at beginning of every quarter

• Overtime + Sudden Death

  • Overtimes are two minutes. Two Overtimes total

  • After 2nd overtime is an untimed Sudden Death (first to score wins: field goal or free throw)

  • Each Overtime/Sudden Death starts with Jump ball

  • Running Clock first minute, then last minute is stop clock on dead ball and made baskets.

5. TIMEOUTS 

• Each team is allotted 2 ten second timeouts and 1 sixty second timeout per half

• In 1st overtime each team is allotted 1 sixty second timeout

• In 2nd overtime each team is allotted 1 ten second timeout

• In Sudden Death, No timeouts

  • The 10 second timeouts are a slow and generous 10 seconds. It’s really more like 15 – 20 actual seconds. This rule is in place to facilitate players subbing in and out while not taking up too much actual time. It was never meant to be an actual break which is why it’s so short. Obviously, it could be used as such.

  • Every timeout advances the ball past the half court line. 

6.  TIME VIOLATIONS 

• 3 seconds in the key

  • NO defensive 3 seconds

  • Yes offensive 3 seconds (counts if one feet in the key, count resets when both feet leave the key) 

• 10 second backcourt violation (in effect entire game)

7.  FOULS AND THE PENALTY

• Once a team has committed 7 team fouls in a half (1st+2nd and 3rd+4th quarters), they are in the penalty. The opposing team will shoot 1+1 (2 free throws).

  • Overtimes and Sudden Death, once a team has committed 2 team fouls, the opposition team will shoot 1+1 (2 free throws).

• Offensive fouls will count as team fouls

• Team fouls reset every half. Personal fouls will continue to accumulate

• Technical Shot Violations: 1 shot

8.  OTHER VIOLATIONS/RULES

   • Jump ball/possession (mid-game)

     • Teams will alternate possession of the ball (ex. Team A wins jump ball, Team B will get next jump ball. If Team A had last jump ball in the 1st quarter, Team B will start with possession in the 2nd quarter)

   • Lane line violations (when shooting free throws)

     • Players lining up along the key can cross the line to rebound on the release of the free throw shooter’s shot 

     • Players lining up outside the three point line on a free throw can cross the three point line to rebound once the free throw shooter’s shot has hit the rim

       • If defensive players breaks these rule and free throw shooter misses their free throw,  the shooter is awarded another free throw.

       • If an offensive player breaks these rules, the free throw does not count.

   • A team may start and play with a minimum of 4 players

     • During the course of the game, if the player total falls under 4 players, the game may be played until the end, but a game may not start with 3 players or less

9. Head Referee will have authority to make changes on any call throughout the game, but should always discuss calls with other refs. This rule is meant to clear up decision making on unique game situations. 

BBA Re-Scheduling Contingencies (ie Rain-outs, etc)

As soon there is a week skipped due to to rescheduling and we need to use the extra week, Justin to try to schedule another backup week with Great Park

In the event of rain or unsafe weather/playing conditions

• BBA Schedule shifts back a week

In the event of Rain-out or unsafe weather/playing conditions midgame

• Regular Season: Games end at current scores and results are counted in standings if 1st half has been completed. If not, game will not count towards teams’ records.

• Playoffs: If a week is available, schedule shifts back a week 

• Last Resort; if captains agree, can cover cost for finals to be played at momentous or another facility

• Any abnormal situations may be discussed with leadership and contingencies subject to change

BBA Playoff Seeding Tiebreakers

1. Strength of schedule (combined wins of all the opponents played in regular season)

2. Head-to-Head record of the teams with same record and same strength of schedule

3. Head-to-Head Record against each other

4. Very Intense Rock-Paper-Scissors (Best of 1)