Hurricane Amateur
Basketball League
CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
Amended October 10, 2004; Edited October 21, 2004
I. ORGANIZATION
The Hurricane Amateur Basketball
League or HABL is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Hurricane-area
boys and girls with a high-quality basketball program that teaches the game of basketball
in an enjoyable and competitive environment.
II. GOVERNMENT
II-A. League
Membership
II-A-1. The league membership shall
consist of all parents and/or legal guardians of the players who have registered
for the league and are in good standing.
II-A-2. Other members may consist of
non-parents and/or legal guardians who are on the Board of Directors.
II-B. Board of
Directors and Officers
II-B-1. The HABL Board of Directors
is the official governing body of the league. New board member positions are
voted upon by the existing board. New league members shall be encouraged to
become involved in the league government, especially at registration. The board
shall not consist of more than 25 members.
II-B-2. Board member duties shall include scheduled attendance at
all assigned HABL events including games.
II-B-3. The Board of Directors shall vote for an
executive board consisting of a president, vice president, secretary and
treasurer at the last meeting of the season.
II-B-3-a. The President shall preside over all board meetings and set the
agenda, unless absent; operate the league within the directives of the HABL
Constitution & Bylaws; and has the final say in the day-to-day operations
of the league when a clear directive of the Constitution & Bylaws or board
of directors is absent.
II-B-3-b. The Vice President shall take the place of the President when the
President is absent or unavailable, otherwise, the Vice President serves as an
aid to the President.
II-B-3-c. The Secretary shall keep meeting minutes and have them available in
written form.
II-B-3-d. The Treasurer shall handle the financial aspects of the HABL, and
provide written reports to the board supported by documentation.
II-C. Board
Meetings
II-C-1. Unless for special reasons,
the President shall preside over, and set the Agenda for all meetings. When a
meeting is called by the President a written outline of the Agenda shall be
made available. Basic Roberts Rules of Order shall be used.
II-C-2. The league shall hold at least five (5) board meetings per season. (For
example, the league could hold a new registration meeting in September, a coaching
selection/player evaluation meeting, and player draft in October, an all-stars selection
meeting in January, and an officer election in March.)
III. LEAGUES
& TEAMS
III-A. Registration
III-A-1. Requirements for
registration shall be decided upon at the first regular board meeting of the season.
III-A-2. The HABL consists of a Junior League (3rd and 4th
graders) and a Senior League (5th and 6th graders).
III-B. Coaches
III-B-1. Coach applications and
approved nominations shall be due by the end of player registrations.
III-B-2. After registration but
before the player evaluation the board of directors shall vote for team coaches
with consideration to the amount of teams needed. If a shortage of coaches
exists the league president may appoint them in a manner of his/her choosing. This
includes coaches needed if registrations are accepted at the evaluation that
necessitates the creation of additional teams.
III-C. Evaluation
& Player Drafts
III-C-1. The HABL shall hold a
player evaluation event after registration and before the draft.
III-C-2. The evaluation is encouraged
for all players.
III-C-3. Exceptions to the player
evaluation must be approved by a vote of the board of directors before the
draft with consideration to special circumstances.
III-C-4. The draft shall be handled
in the following manner:
III-C-4-a. The president or
appointed representative shall run the draft as a meeting, and make available a
draft grid, and list of all players eligible to be drafted.
III-C-4-b. The league president
places the names of the coaches’ players in the draft grid at the approximate
round he/she feels appropriate and may solicit opinions.
III-C-4-c. Exceptions to these rules (for example, the placement of
siblings together, etc.) may be voted upon by the league’s coaches during the
draft.
III-D. Playing Rules
All games of the Hurricane Amateur
Basketball League are governed by the current playing rules published by the
National Federation as interpreted by the West Virginia Secondary Schools
Athletic Commission, except as those rules may be modified below:
III-E-1. All games will be played with six (6) minute quarters; five (5) minute
halftimes; and three (3) minute extra periods.
III-E-2. Injured and/or bleeding players must leave the game. Any clothes that
contain blood must be changed prior to the player returning to the game.
III-E-3. An unconscious player cannot return to the game without written
permission from an attending physician.
III-E-4. Ejections of a player or coach by a game official will be disciplined
by the board of directors on a case-by-case basis instead of automatic
suspensions.
III-E-5. Ejected players must sit on the bench with their team; ejected coaches
must leave the facility.
III-E-6. Each team must have four (4) players to start the game. If one (1)
team does not have four (4) players present at the scheduled starting time,
that team shall forfeit the game to its opponent. If both teams do not have
four (4) players to start the game at the scheduled starting time, a forfeit
loss will be recorded for both teams. A team can start the game with five (5)
players even if their opponent can only start the game with four (4) players.
III-E-7. Undershirts may be worn and must be the same color as the uniform
jersey. Undershirt sleeves must be the same length and shall be presentable.
III-E-8. Compression shorts may be worn and must be the same color as the
uniform shorts. Compression shorts and/or uniform shorts may not extend below
the knee.
III-E-9. No jewelry of any kind may be worn during games. Elastic or cloth
headbands may be worn by girls to secure hair. No clips, pins, or barrettes may
be worn.
III-E-10. Each team will be allowed three (3) full and two (2) 30-second
time-outs per game, plus one (1) extra full time-out per each extra period.
III-E-11. One-plus-One bonus free throws are awarded on the 7th, 8th and 9th
non-shooting team fouls per half. Two (2) free throws will be awarded on the
10th non-shooting team foul per half, and on each additional team foul
thereafter.
III-E-12. Three (3) point goals will be counted. Three (3) free throws will be
awarded on a shooting foul occurring behind the three (3) point line.
III-E-13. All technical fouls will result in two (2) free throws plus
possession of the ball.
III-E-14. Coaches must place all team information (players and numbers) in the
official scorebook prior to the start of each game. The HOME team sits to the
RIGHT of the scorer’s table.
III-E-15. Each player must play a minimum of six (6) minutes in each game.
Coaches are encouraged to maximize the playing time of each player, and to play
each player in each half of the game if possible. Coaches are expected to use
the honor system on playing time, but the Hurricane Amateur Basketball League
reserves the right to investigate and audit any game for compliance with
playing time requirements.
III-E-16. Women’s sized (28.5) basketballs will be
used in all leagues.
III-E-17. Ten (10) foot rims will be used in the Senior
League; nine (9) foot rims will be used in the Junior League.
III-E-18. Full court defense may be played only in the
last two (2) minutes of each half in the Junior League, unless the pressing
team is ten (10) points or more ahead. Full court defense may be played in the
second and fourth quarters in the Senior League, unless the pressing team is twenty
(20) points or more ahead. Full court defense is allowed in all extra periods.
III-E-19. Coaches and teams shall not be allowed to conduct practices outside
of those specifically scheduled by the Hurricane Amateur Basketball League.
III-E-20. Violations of these League Playing Rules and/or the Coaches’ Code of
Conduct by coaches are subject to appropriate action by the Board of Directors
of the Hurricane Amateur Basketball League, including a written warning,
additional mandated playing time requirements for selected players, or suspension
for one (1) or more games up to the balance of the season. All such
disciplinary actions taken shall be subject to the sole discretion of the Board
of Directors without right of appeal. No game protests of any kind will be
considered.
III-E-21. Home teams are
responsible for collecting admissions at the door and operating the game scorebook.
Visiting teams are responsible for the concession stand and keeping the game clock.
III-E-22. The league authorizes officials to be paid $20.00 per
league game.
III-E. Tournaments
& Awards
III-F-1. The HABL shall hold a
year-end tournament for each league. Regular season standings of each league
shall determine the seeding. After overall record the tiebreaking priority is
as follows: Two teams: 1. Head-to-head record, 2. Head-to-head margin of
victory, 3. Overall margin of victory (points scored less points allowed), 4. Coin
flip. Three or more teams: 1. Winning percentage of games between teams, 2. Margin
of victory of games between teams, 3. Overall margin of victory (points scored
less points allowed), 4. Lots drawn. (Note: if a tie between three or more
teams is broken leaving only two teams tied the two-team tiebreaker is used.
III-F-2. All league awards shall be
awarded after each league’s tournament championship.
IV. ALL-STARS
IV-A. Player
Selection
IV-A-1. Early in January the HABL
shall meet to select ten all-star players for each grade.
IV-A-2. Grade-by-grade each head
coach may nominate players on his/her team for consideration and speak to each
nomination. If less than eight nominations are made the players nominated shall
be considered elected, and a new round of nominations and election shall
follow.
IV-A-3. Each board member that has
a direct relationship with the league in question (parent, guardian, coach or
referee) shall vote for eight players from the nomination list. All ballots
shall vote for eight eligible players, else be disqualified. Ties shall be
broken by an additional vote of the players in question by the head coaches of
the grade’s league. If a tie remains the tie breaker shall be postponed until
the head coach is selected. The head coach shall choose the player(s) from the
players in question to bring the roster to eight players, and then choose any
eligible players to fill the final two roster spots. No distinction shall be
made between any players after the entire selection process.
IV-B. Coach
Selection
IV-B-1. After eight of ten all-star
players have been chosen, except for certain ties (see above), nominations may
be made for head coach.
IV-B-2. If more than one nomination
is made and accepted the prospective head coaches shall have up to five minutes
to address the board of directors. Each board member that has a direct
relationship with the league in question (parent, guardian, coach or referee) may
vote for head coach.
IV-B-3. If more than two coaches
are on the ballot the voting process shall operate in a manner that eliminates
the lowest vote receiving candidate before proceeding. If the vote is tied among
the final two coaches the president shall break the tie between the coaches as he/she
sees fit (i.e., appointment, another vote, coin flip, etc.)
IV-B-4. Once selected, the head coach may appoint two assistant coaches of
their choosing, provided they served as a coach during the regular season, and settle
any unresolved ties and appoint the final two players to the roster.