Download the tournament rules as PDF
Categories and Permission to Play
Categories and Gender Restrictions
- Girls: Only girls are allowed to play.
- Boys: Only boys are allowed to play.
Age Restrictions
- U16: Only players born in 2010 or later are allowed to play.
Player Participation
- Players are allowed to play in only one team per category.
- Every player needs an identity card or passport for identification.
- The Euro Hoop Trophy Office will check the identity of players from selected teams during the tournament.
- Penalties for violating these rules range from the loss of a game to disqualification of the whole team.
General Rules of the Games
Game Time, Time-outs, Breaks
- Games are played in 4 quarters of 7 minutes each (running time).
- During the first three quarters, the game clock shall stop during the final one minute of each quarter after every referee’s whistle or successful field goal. During the last two minutes of the 4th quarter and the final one minute of each overtime period, the game clock shall stop after every referee’s whistle or successful field goal. The clock will resume once the ball is legally inbounded and touched by a player on the court.
- The clock also stops during time-outs and free throws.
- Halftime break: 3 minutes.
- Break between quarters: 1 minute.
- Each team gets 2 time-outs per game.
- No extra time-outs are given in overtime.
Sudden-Death, Overtime
- In group-phase games, tied scores at the end of the fourth period lead to a Sudden-Death (first team to score wins).
- In playoffs, playdowns, and finals, 2-minute overtimes continue until a tie is broken.
Substitutions
- Flying substitutions are only allowed when the team has possession of the ball. The substitute player must be ready next to the official scorer’s table. The substitution may only take place after a hand slap between both players. The player leaving the court must fully exit the playing area before the substitute is allowed to enter the court.
- Incorrect substitutions: First infraction receives a warning; subsequent infractions incur a “B”-technical foul.
Fouls
- A player must leave the game after committing 4 fouls.
- Teams enter a penalty situation on the 4th team foul per quarter; subsequent defensive fouls result in free throws.
- Disqualified players, team members, or coaches cannot participate in the next game. The Euro Hoop Trophy Office jury may impose additional penalties.
Shot Clock
- No official shot clock, but referees may enforce a 10-second warning and countdown if deliberate delays occur.
- If possible we bring in the official shot clock during playoffs.
Team Defense Rules
- No full-court press or trap-defense allowed when leading by more than 25 points. Defense must start at the midline.
- Penalty for illegal defense: First infraction receives a warning; subsequent infractions incur a “B”-technical foul.
Uniform Colors
- If both teams have similar colors, the first-named team in the schedule must change uniforms.
Team List, Warm-Up
- Coaches must enter team line-ups in the tournament software before check-in.
- No guaranteed warm-up time on the court. Teams can warm up in available space without disturbing ongoing games.
Ball Size
- Girls U16: Size 6.
- Boys U16: Size 7.
- Teams must bring their own balls for warm-up.
Late Arrival
- Teams must be ready to play on time. A 10-minute delay results in a 20-0 forfeit.
- Delays due to prior games must be reported to the Euro Hoop Trophy Office before the scheduled game time.
Protests
- Protest fee: 50€. Must be signed and reported within 5 minutes after the game.
- The Euro Hoop Trophy Office Jury decides on protests. The fee is non-refundable if the protest is rejected.
Referees
- Games are officiated by 2 referees.
- Teams are expected to play fair and show respect to referees, opponents, and spectators.
Game Mode
Group Games, Playoffs, Playdowns
BOYS
- The tournament begins with group games. Teams are ranked based on performance and proceed to playoffs or playdowns.
- Group system typically includes 5 teams per group. Top 2 teams advance to playoffs; others to playdowns
- Schedule may vary based on the number of registered teams.
GIRLS
- 6 teams participate in the tournament.
- The tournament is played in a “round-robin” format (each team plays every other team once).
- Each team plays one game against every other team.
Classification in Group Games
- Teams earn 2 points for a win, 1 for a loss.
- Tiebreakers: If 2 or more teams have the same win-loss record of all games in the group, the game(s) between these 2 or more teams shall decide on the classification. If these 2 or more teams have the same win-loss record of the games between them, further criteria shall be applied in the following order:
- Higher game points difference of the games between them.
- Higher number of game points scored in the games between them.
- Higher game points difference of all games in the group.
- Higher number of game points scored in all games in the group.
If these criteria still cannot decide at the end of the group phase, a draw shall decide on the final classification. If at any level of these criteria one or more team(s) are already classified, the procedure above shall be repeated from the beginning for all the remaining teams not classified yet.
Duties of the Teams / Table Officials
- Teams must work 3-4 times as table officials (scorer, timekeeper, streamer).
Jury
- A jury (Head of Schedule, Head of Referees, Office Representative) handles protests and disqualifications.
- Protests must be reported within 30 minutes after the game.
- Disqualifications result in a one-game suspension and possibly further penalties after consultation.
