Hot Shots Official Rules

1. Participant: Must be legally registered, meaning they have agreed to the Hot Shots release and liability waiver and the sportsmanship policy.
2. Eligibility: All adults and youth players in second grade or older may participate.
3. Team size: Each team may have a maximum of four players and a minimum of three. Only three players per team are on the court at a time. For co-ed divisions, each gender must be represented on the court at all times. All games must start with three players, but can be finished with 1, 2, or 3 players.
4. Brackets: Tournament brackets will be established based on age, grade, height, competitive level, etc., based on information provided on the team entry form. Data on the form may be checked for verification. Submitting false data on the forms is grounds for team dismissal. Adult players should have identification with them at all times during the tournament.
5. Equipment: Players may not wear a guard, cast, metal brace or other potentially dangerous equipment on an elbow, hand, wrist, finger or forearm. This includes equipment made of hard leather, plastic, metal or plaster that is covered with soft padding. Soft braces, sleeves and wraps will be allowed as long as they don’t pose a danger to other players. Hot Shots officials may disallow any equipment that they believe poses a threat or danger to other players.
6. Baskets & Balls: All other brackets will use ten-foot baskets. The intermediate sized ball will be used for all youth games for grades first through six and for all games involving female only divisions. A full-sized ball will be used for all other games.
7. Shooting distances: For all grades and divisions, the free throw distance will be 15 feet and the two-point line will be 19 feet.
8. Fouls: Court monitors will call fouls for teams eighth grade and under. In all other games, the participating players will call their own fouls. The player fouled will call the foul. All fouls will result in one free throw, except when the field goal is made. There will be no additional shots after a made field goal. During free throws, all players will stand behind the free throw shooter. Any taunting or trash talking to the free throw shooter may result in a technical foul. A change of possession will result after a free throw unless a technical, intentional or flagrant foul is called.
   • Technical Fouls—A team will shoot one free throw and maintain possession of the ball if their opponent is called for a technical foul. Technical fouls will be called for unsportsmanlike conduct. This can include, but is not limited to, taunting, baiting, arguing with court monitors, throwing or kicking balls and similar acts. A technical foul may be called on players, coaches or fans. Insulting opposing players, court monitors or tournament officials will not be tolerated. Players, coaches or fans may be suspended from a game or removed from the tournament for unsportsmanlike behavior. The court monitor may also call a technical foul if a team is stalling with the intention of preserving a winning margin. This is a style of play in which the team in possession of the ball makes no attempt to advance the ball to the basket.
   • Intentional Fouls—An intentional foul is a foul designed to neutralize an opponent’s advantage without making a play on the ball. An intentional foul can also be called when an opponent in the act of playing the ball causes excessive contact. Intentional fouls will be called by the court monitor or court marshal only. The offended team will shoot a free throw and maintain possession of the ball.
   • Flagrant Fouls—A flagrant foul may be of a violent nature or an act that displays unacceptable conduct. It may or may not be intentional. It may involve inappropriate conduct such as striking, kicking, kneeing, undercutting an opponent in the air, hipping or pushing an opponent in a manner, which could cause severe injury. It could also involve dead ball contact or dialogue that is abusive, excessive or persistent. A flagrant foul results in one free throw for the offended team, and possession of the ball. The player committing the foul will be suspended for the remainder of the game and possibly the tournament. Technical, intentional and flagrant fouls cannot be called by players. A court monitor or court marshal will make this call. Their decision is final and cannot be appealed. Please refer to the sportsmanship policy.
9. Opening possession: The initial possession of the game will be determined by a coin flip. The winner of the coin flip gets the ball first. The team that loses the flip will receive the ball on the first held ball or alternating possession opportunity. Alternating possessions will continue for all held ball or jump ball situations.
10. Scoring: All baskets made from inside the arc are worth one point. All made free throws are worth one point. Baskets beyond the arc are worth two points. Games are played to 20 points, and win by one point. See Rule 11 for exceptions.
11. Length of Game: For all divisions, games end when a team reaches a score of 20 points, or the teams play a time limit of 25 minutes. The target score is 20 and a team does not have to win by two. The 25-minute clock is stopped during team time outs, or if the court monitor stops play for injury or other circumstances. If a score of 20 is not reached, the following criteria shall apply in determining the outcome of the game:
    • If a team is leading by two points or more, that team is declared the winner.
    • If neither team has a lead of two points or more, the overtime rule will be activated. A coin flip will determine possession to start overtime. The first team to score a total of two points more than the leading team’s score will win.
    • Score of 19 to 18, the first team to 20 wins. Score of 16 to 16, the first team to 18 wins. Score of 9 to 8, the first team to 11 wins.
12. Checked Ball: All possessions will begin behind the backcourt line. This includes following made baskets, free throw attempts, balls knocked out of bounds, held balls, etc. The ball must be “checked in” by an opposing player before it can be put into play. The ball must then be passed in to a teammate to begin play. For 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders, the initial pass after the check-in may not be contested if the player receiving the pass is behind the free throw line extended. At all levels, opponents who “check” the ball in must use sportsmanship in handing or tossing the ball to their opponent. Throwing the ball at the offensive player or similar conduct may result in a technical foul.
13. Change of Possession: The ball will change possession after all scored baskets and free throw attempts unless a technical, intentional or flagrant foul is called. There is no “make it, take it” rule.
14. Taking it Back: On each change of possession, the ball must be taken back behind the dotted back court or “take back” line for the possession to legally begin. This must occur whether or not a shot was attempted. Failure to take it back results in loss of possession and any points scored during the illegal possession. Taking it back means a person’s whole body and the ball must be behind the dashed take back line. The two-point arc is not the take back line.
15. Boundaries: The actual backboard, including its face, top bottom and sides shall be considered in bounds. The basket structure, padding and structural supports will be played as out of bounds. Court tape will determine court boundaries.
16. Dunking: Don’t even think about it! Dunking is not allowed at any time, including warm-ups. Dunking will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and a technical foul will be assessed. Any basket damaged or broke as a result of dunking, the resulting charges will be incurred by the offender.
17. Time-Out: Each team will receive a single one-minute time-out per game. None will be added for games that go into overtime.
18. Substitutions: Player changes may be made only during a dead ball situation or a time-out. Changes cannot be made while a ball is in continuous play.
19. Player injury: A court monitor has the discretion to stop play for an injured player. If a player is bleeding or has an open wound, they must leave the game and bandage the wound properly. Players must remove blood stained clothing or saturated bandages to re-enter the game. If a player has lost consciousness or is seriously injured during a game, Hot Shots will require a written note from a medical doctor who has examined the player following the injury before that person can continue to participate.
20. Game Times: Printed schedules are effective only through the first game. After that time, it is the responsibility of teams to check the bracket boards or at their court for their next game times. Teams must be ready to begin play at their scheduled time. Teams not at their court at game time will be given a five-minute grace period before a forfeit is enforced.
21. Weather: Wind, rain or other inclement weather could lead to delays and scheduling changes in the tournament. Team captains must check bracket boards and their courts for potential schedule changes. If weather compromises player safety and creates a non-playable situation, the event could be modified or cancelled. Under these unlikely circumstances, team entry fees will not be refunded.
22. Other issues: Decisions of Court Monitors and Court Marshals is final. There is no appeal process! Designated tournament officials shall have the power to make decisions on any points not covered specifically in the rules and regulations. These officials shall also have the right to interpret the intent and application of these rules. Yakima Hot Shots officials can disqualify any team or individual for the following:
23. Use of illegal players: The players listed on the team entry form are the only players eligible to play on that team. Player changes submitted on the tournament Player Change Forms must be accepted by tournament officials prior to the first game of the tournament on Saturday, August 25th. Roster substitutions will not be allowed after the tournament begins. Prior to each game, all players must sign in on the scoring form that includes the liability and release waiver and the sportsmanship pledge. Any team using a player who is not properly registered will be disqualified from the tournament.
24. False Information: The information provided on your team registration form or player change forms is designed to help us in setting up appropriate brackets. The information is expected to be both accurate and complete. Players who list inaccurate information on these forms can be disqualified from the tournament.
25. For 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders, defenders may steal the ball only off a pass. They cannot steal the ball off the dribble.