NCBL RULES & REGULATIONS
The Northeastern Conference Basketball League (NCBL) is designed to be an integral part of the Northeastern Conference Youth Ministries Program. This is designed to give each local Adventist Youth Society and its basketball team another opportunity to fellowship with other societies and teams, to demonstrate and foster Christian friendship and to further demonstrate God’s gift through physical, social, mental and spiritual capabilities.
COMMISSION
The NCBL shall be governed by a Commission chosen by the Northeastern Conference Youth Director or an Associate Youth Director. This Commission shall consist of:
1. The Northeastern Conference Youth Director & Associate Youth Director.
2. A local Pastor
3. A professionally trained or educated person in physical education or recreation.
4. A minimum of two others approved by the Youth Director or Associate Youth Director as recommended by the basketball commission. This commission shall set forth all rules and regulations of the basketball programs and shall represent the last avenue of appeal and disputes with in the NCBL.
TEAMS
1. Each A. Y. Society or department within the Northeastern Conference approved by the NCBL Commission is permitted to field a basketball team.
2. Each team is under the sponsorship of the local Adventist Youth Society Council and the local church board and is governed by the decisions of these bodies.
3. Each team shall consist of a certified Seventh-day Adventist coach and no less than eight (8) players and no more than fifteen (15) players. Each certified coach and player must present their identifications badges to at every game. Failure to do so will result in a penalty fine of $4 to enter the gym.
4. Team must complete all forms supplied by the NCBL and return them by the specified date.
1. Each team shall be composed of members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
2. Ages for each member is left to the discretion of the sponsoring society and coach.
3. A small church which is unable to field a team may join together with another church providing any one church or both churches agree on supporting their members with the proper coverage of insurance.
4. Beginning with the 1991-92 season, all names of non-Adventist submitted on rosters have been frozen. These non-Adventist may continue to play for as long as they make their particular team each year or as long as the local Youth Society and/or church Board allows. When the non-Adventist ceases to be a member of the local team, then the person taking his place must be a Seventh-day Adventist member. It is hopeful that by this ruling in the near future all participants of the NCBL shall be Seventh-day Adventists.
4a. Any non-Adventist player, under rule #4, whose church does not field a team for two consecutive years, on the third year, that player can appeal to the Commission for eligibility status.
4b. All non-Seventh-day Adventists shall be exposed to the precepts and teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church by regular invitation and encouragement to attend church. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are prohibited in the NCBL.
4c. If a non-Seventh-day Adventist player leaves the team or is dropped for any reason other than injury, he cannot again be added or reinstated in the league for that or any subsequent season.
5. All new teams entering the league will not have any non-Adventist members.
5a. New team members entering the league will have to prove their eligibility by submitting their baptismal certificate.
5b. Players who attend church, who are active members, but have not yet taken a stand to be baptized and their parents/legal guardians are members of the church, those players would be considered members of the Adventist Society up and including the age of 20 years.
DIVISION
The NCBL shall be divided into divisions and the commissioners shall decide the composition of each division and shall notify each team of the division to which it is a part.
FEES
All league fees shall be determined by the NCBL Commission prior to the beginning of each season and shall be paid by the specified date set by the commission. Failure to comply with this or any other registration requirement, prohibits the team from participation in the league.
1) Forfeiture Fees: Any team forfeiting a game due to its failure to show or not being prepared to field a team, will be charged one-half the expenses for each forfeited game which will be added to the team’s indebtedness, and must be paid before the team will be allowed to continue the schedule.
2) The members of a team which is under disciplinary action are ineligible to play for any other team within the league.
PLAYOFFS
The NCBL Commission shall be responsible for determining format and sites of the playoffs and championship games. Notifications shall be sent out no later than March 1st of the current season.
Teams participating in the NCBL numbering 19 and above will use the sweet sixteen format.
The commission will set a date for the Conference Championship Game.
SPECIAL RULES
1. Prayer is to be offered before each game night.
2. The NCBL Commission members shall be responsible for all gyms, scorekeepers and officials, and shall maintain the records of the NCBL.
3. Once a game is started, the officials are responsible for the continuation, completion and conduct of the game. The commissioner on site may intervene either upon request of the officials, or when deemed necessary.
4. The coach shall be responsible for the conduct and eligibility of all members of his/her team.
5. Each team member must play in each of his/her team’s games that he/she is present for and is physically able to play in. Non-compliance will result in game forfeiture.
5a. Team members listed on their previous roster as an injured player cannot re-enter the following season under the same status.
5b. Coaches not complying with special rule #5 terminates NCBL certification and are immediately ineligible to coach.
6. League play shall be governed by the NCAA rules and regulations regarding basketball except where the NCBL Commission has adopted special rules.
7. Any player or coach using profanity on or off the court shall be ejected from the game and shall be suspended for the remainder of the season including tournament competition. The interpretation of off the court will include both the interior and exterior of the venue being used.
8. Fighting is prohibited in the NCBL and participants are subject to the same penalties as mentioned in rule #7, pending commissioner’s decision.
9. No player or coach verbally threatening or physically attacking an official or commissioner will be allowed to participate in the NCBL.
10. All protests shall be forwarded to the Conference Youth Director in writing by the following Tuesday. A ten dollar ($10.00) fee must accompany each written protest. This ten dollar ($10.00) fee will be refunded if the protest is deemed legitimate. Protests involving an official’s judgment will not be entertained and protest arriving after the specified time will not be honored.
11. All games must begin within thirty (30) minutes of the starting time. If a team is not prepared to start a game at the end of the thirty (30) minute period, the commissioner will consult with the coaches and may impose a grace period of up to 15 minutes. After the grace period expires, the commissioner will declare a forfeit.
12. Running Time: The decision regarding running time for any game will be at the discretion of the official and the commissioner on site. However, if running time is caused by the tardiness of a team, then the team at fault shall start in the FOUL penalty for the first half of the game.
13. A player must play in a minimum of three (3) regular season games in order to be eligible for play in the post season games. The only exception will be if the individual is away at school (out-of-town) at the start of the season, and his name is on the roster from the start of the season.
14. Uniforms: In compliance with standards of NCAA all teams participating within the NCBL must wear complete uniforms (shorts and shirts) with visible numbers from the outset of each season. No sweat pants or unconventional shorts will be accepted. Team members not in uniform for any one game will not be allowed to play. No exceptions will be granted.
Note:
a) All uniform shirts and shorts must be tailored the same (i.e., in regard to length, trim, color and design.) The coach of any player who enters a game without proper uniform will be assessed a technical foul, and the player will be removed from the game upon which they can not re-enter until the aforementioned has been corrected.
b) All players of the NCBL must wear their team uniforms appropriately and as so designed or fashioned.
c) All new teams entering the league must be in uniform from the onset of the season. All new uniforms must comply with the NCAA rules of numbers for size and location.
d) The following numbers are legal:
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The following numbers are legal:
| 0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
00 |
| 10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
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| 20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
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| 30 |
31 |
32 |
33 |
34 |
35 |
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| 40 |
41 |
42 |
43 |
44 |
45 |
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| 50 |
51 |
52 |
53 |
54 |
55 |
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Team rosters can include 0 or 00 but not both. The numbers on the front and back of the team jersey shall be the same color and style. 
