MPBL RULES AND REGULATIONS
I.
OBJECTIVE The MAHARLIKA PILIPINAS BASKETBALL LEAGUE (MPBL) was organized primarily to promote friendly competition and interaction through the field of sports and to encourage physical ph ysical fitness as well as the spirit of sportsmanship
II.
LEAGUE ORGANIZERS The Board of Governors is composed of members who are representatives of each participating teams and will be chaired by a representative duly appointed by the organizer. The board of Governors can vote on any matter relating to the rules provided that they have a quorum during any meeting. The Chairman votes only to break any ties. Aside from this, the Chairman has veto power on any decisions that the Board of the Governors may make.
III. REGISTRATION A. All participating teams must register with wi th the Technical Committee. All completed forms should be duly accomplished acc omplished and the team manager, for file and reference purposes, should retain a copy. B. Each team should properly fill up a line-up sheet indicating the name of the coach and manager, player’s name, playing play ing number and recent picture (1x1 size) of its players. All duly accomplished line-up sheets s heets are to be submitted to the office or by email to the Technical Committee. However, any team who fails to submit, within the allotted period, the line-up sheet with a minimum of ten players with complete details shall not be allowed to play ; moreover, any player who fails to submit his picture, fails to sign the waiver and/or submit his contact number will not be allowed to play until he completes the requirements. C. Individual team members should also submit a signed waiver before they may be allowed to play in any game. IV.
TEAM COMPOSITION / LINE UP CHANGES : CHANGES :
A team shall have a minimum of ten (10) and a maximum of eighteen (18) players, a maximum of 18 players can play in a game. Any player who signs up in any team line- up may no longer play for another team even if he has not yet played pla yed single game for the team where he originally signed up with. Teams however are given a deadline of one (1) week from the start of the tournament to effect these additions to their respective line-ups. Teams cannot change or remove a player whose name has already been entered into the lineup sheet submitted to the Technical Committee prior to the start of the tournament. Additions to the team line-ups can be made by submitting
a supplementary line-up sheet to the Technical Committee before the team’s next play date. Players who are placed in the injured list must present a medical certificate and submit to examination by the official physicians. A minimum of one (1) week shall be required before injured players can be reactivated.
V.
HOUSE RULES
A. General Rules : 1. OFFICIAL BALLS. Only the official balls designated by the Technical Committee will be used during the games. 2. SCOREBOARD. During the game, in case the scoreboard scores different from that of the table official’s scores, the board scorer and the table officials cannot come to an agreement, then the score on the scorebook will be considered correct. B. Uniforms : All teams must have two (2) sets of uniform or one (1) set reversible. Only the color white will be accepted as light color, the rest shall be classified as dark color. Each player must wear his team uniform in order to play for his team. A uniform refers to the official distinctive attired of each team as per the submitted sketch. This will consist of a shirt and pair of shorts that have the same color, appearance, style, materials, etc. as the uniform of all the other players in the same team. Any player found to be wearing a uniform other than his own will result in a Technical Foul on the Team of Coach and the corresponding penalties that go with it. 1. The team name and jersey number should appear in front of the shirt; the official registered player’s surname and jersey number on the back of the shirt. In the event that the ream has two or more players with the same surname, the initial(s) of the said players should also appear so as to distinguish the said players from each other. 2. Players in the same team may not wear duplicate numbers. 3. No two teams can have the same appearance or style of the uniforms. 4. No player will be allowed to play without proper and complete attire consisting of rubber shoes, socks and his official team uniform. 5. Player must tuck their shirts during actual games. 6. Absolutely no sharp objects are allowed on court. Players are encouraged to have short fingernails and to avoid wearing rings, chains, necklaces, bracelets, wristwatches or earrings while playing. 7. All additional sets of uniforms must be registered with the Technical Committee and must follow the general guidelines stated in Section III-E. Each player must have the same name and number on all the sets of his uniform. Needless to say, all the players of the same team in any specific official game shall use only one uniform set.
8. Player shall not wear t-shirt under their team jersey, except cut-off t-shirt which is the same color as their uniform. Compression jerseys (cut-off or otherwise) of any color may be worn under the team jersey. NOTE: The Technical Committee reserves the right to refuse the use of any marks or words on any uniform if it deems the use of such to be for malicious or unsound purposes. In the event that the Technical Committee stops a game cannot be played for any reason, the Technical Committee has the option to order either stoppage of the game, replay of the game, postponement of the game or constitution of the game as warranted based on the following circumstances: 1. If the game has not yet started, the Technical Committee may order the postponement of the game to another convenient date. In such case teams my field any eligible player who is in the team’s line up when the game is played at a later date regardless as to whether or not said players was present at the time the game was postponed. 2. If the game was stopped prior to the end of the first half, the game will be replayed. If the game was stopped any time within the second half, the game will be resumed at the point when the game was stopped. If the game is stopped at a point where the result of the game can no longer be changed, the Technical Committee may order that the game be considered concluded with the prevailing score noted down as the final result of the game. In the event that a replay or a continuation of game is ordered, only the players who are present in the bench are at the time the game is stopped may be allowed to play when the game is played or resumed at a later date. VII.
NORMS AND CODE OF CONDUCT OF PLAYERS/TEAM OFFICIALS The proper conduct of the game demands the full and loyal cooperation of the members of both teams (players, substitutes, coaches, assistant coaches, team officials and other team bench personnel) with the game officials, table officials and the directors. Players and team officials are expected to display a high standard of conduct League games. Allowing players and team officials to escape the consequences for marginal offenses in the early stages of a game makes them believe they can continue with it. This contributes to making task of enforcing a high a standard of behavior more difficult later in the game- not to mention as the conference continues. To ensure the smooth functioning of the games, the following shall be observed: 1. All players and team officials shall go directly to their respective team’s dressing room after the end of the first half and after the end of the game; 2. There should absolutely be no crossing on the playing court for purposes of going to and approaching in the direction of the game officials to talk to them; 3. All complaints and grievances regarding perceived wrong calls shall be directed to the MPBL directors during the half -time interval only but not immediately after the game;
4. The “overnight cool-off” period for the offending player/team official shall be strictly imposed; 5. All players and team officials are prohibited to go within the vicinity or directly into the direction of the referees’ dressing room bef ore, during and after their game; 6. Comments and/or remarks coming from players and team officials which undermine the integrity of the MLBP are strictly prohibited; 7. Any violation of these Norms and Code of Conduct shall be dealt with fines and penalties as may be determined by the Commissioner.
VI. INFRACTIONS AND PENALTIES Since the League is organized primarily to promote friendly competition and interaction among players, it is expected that each team member will conduct himself in the most sportsmanlike manner. The same is expected of the fans and guests of any team. The following rules have been formulated, in addition to the MPBL rules to ensure the safe and orderly conduct of the League. A. Any deviation in the official team uniform by any players of any team during the game is considered a major violation and will cause the player to be deemed ineligible to play for his team for that game. Should the Technical Committee find any such players playing in a game the team he plays for will be assessed a technical foul and the opposing team will be given 1 free throw plus ball possession. In case the team refuses to replace the player or change of the uniform, the Technical Committee will award the game to the opposing team regardless of the score. The official score recorded shall be 20- 0 or the prevailing score whichever is more advantageous to the winning team. No protest will be entertained after the game concerning uniforms. Opposing teams shall have the responsibility to call the Technical Committee’s attention regarding cases of inappropriate uniform during the game only. An eligible player, who is fielded either in the said same game where he was discovered or in any succeeding game for whatever reasons(s), will result in the Technical Committee awarding the game to the opposing team regardless of the score. The official score record shall be 20- 0 or the prevailing score whichever is more advantageous to the winning team. The team having said ineligible player shall be suspended for one (1) game and that game be considered in forfeiture and will be fined accordingly. B. When the infraction is done to maliciously manipulate any team’s standings, the said team shall be fined accordingly and will be automatically eliminated from the further participation in the League. The same penalties shall be imposed on the teams who for malicious purposes manipulate team standings by intentionally forfeiting and/or defaulting their scheduled games.
C. Any player ejected from a game for at least one unsportsmanlike foul is automatically suspended for the next scheduled game. Should
this occur during a team’s last scheduled game, the player will be ineligible to play in the first game of the next MPBL he plays in. The player ejected from the game is required to leave the bench area. Said player may be allowed in the spectator’s area provided he maintains proper decorum. Game officials in consultation with the Technical Committee may require that an ejected player leave the premises if the continued stay of the said player constitutes a threat to the peaceful conduct of games. This may be done even if the ejected player was originally allowed to stay in the spectator’s area. In any case, a team is given a maximum of three (3) minutes to remove an ejected player from either the bench area or the school premises as warranted. After the expiration of this grace period, the game will be forfeited in favor of the opposing team. Classification of unsportsmanlike fouls: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Punching ; Closed fists whether punch was thrown or not; Assuming a fighting stance; Body tackle of an opposing player; Intentionally elbowing (below shoulder) a player or a game official; 6. Using profane language or gestures likely to give offense or to provoke an opponent or game official; 7. Any other action deemed as meant to hurt the opposing player by the technical committee. D.
The following violations may constitute grounds for player/coach/team member to be ejected from a game: 1. Intentionally elbowing (if above shoulder) of another player or game official. If the intentional elbow is premeditated or leads to physical harm or dire consequences player will also be ejected regardless of whether elbow was thrown above or below shoulder; 2. Spitting on an opposing player or game official or any part of the court including the immediate vicinity; 3. Using any part of his body to intentionally cause the fall of an opposing player in mid-air (sahod) before, during or after the opposing player attempts a field goal rebound or a block; 4. Physical contact with an official; 5. Throwing the ball with malice at an opposing player, game official or any part of the court including the immediate vicinity; 6. Threatening or attacking the Technical Committee and any member of the participating teams; 7. Physically assaulting an opposing player or game official; 8. Being slapped two (2) technical fouls or two (2) unsportsmanlike fouls in any one game; 9. A player crosses the path of another player who at that specific moment has already taken off from the floor to attempt a running field goal; 10. Any combination of an unsportsmanlike foul plus a Technical foul.
E. Technical fouls by a player are player’s personal foul that do not involve contact with an opposing player and is considered as behavioral in nature. Any overt dissent or non-verbal by a player will not be tolerated. If any form of disrespect or discredit is made by a player toward a referee that incites the crowd or demean the referee will not be accepted. Players have been told to amend their conduct as it reflects discredit on the game of basketball and upon MPBL. The following non-contact infractions shall be considered as technical foul by a player: 1. Delaying the game by deliberately touching the ball after it passes through the basket or by preventing a throw-in from being taken promptly. However, touching the ball immediately after a successful field goal or successful last or only free throw, if not flagrant enough, shall be given prior warning before a technical foul is called; 2. Deliberate hanging on the ring before or after a shot for a field goal or dunk shot in such a way that the weight of the player is supported by the ring; and 3. Any other delay-of-game acts which in the judgment of the game officials shall place the opponent at a distinct disadvantage.
F.
Important Notice An official warning would be given only when the ball becomes dead the game clock is stopped or after any stoppage of the game. When an official warning is given to a player for an action or behavior which, if repeated, may lead to a technical foul, that warning shall be considered as a personal warning to the offending player of that team, e.g “Player no. 1 warning for delaying the game or warning for preventing a throw-in from being taken promptly”. Such warning shall apply to all members of that team for the remainder of the game. The warning shall also be communicated or relayed to the coach of that team for his appropriate information. However, a separate warning shall be given in each specific offense and/or every different acts and a technical soul shall be assessed only if there will be any repetition of similar infraction after a warning. There are number of delay-of-game tactics that could possibly be committed by a player or by a team and these shall be treated separately and administered according to appropriate procedures and penalties for each of the respective infractions.
G.
The Technical Committee reserves the right to impose additional sanctions and penalties it may deem proper.
VII.FINES AND PENALTIES FINES Election form a game due to or including at least one (1) unsportsmanlike foul Technical foul (player) Technical Foul Forfeiture (fielding of ineligible player, wrong uniform) Forfeiture or Defaults to manipulate standings Unsportsmanlike Foul (no ejection) Playing with the wrong uniform Fighting Walk-out Bench Clearing Threatening or attacking game officials, commissioner or his deputies
AMOUNT P 5,000
P 1,000 P 1,000 P 5,000 P 10,000 P 2,000 P 5,000 P 5,000 P 20,000 P 10,000 P 10,000
The commissioner reserves the right to impose fines and penalties not listed herein which is deemed necessary to preserve the integrity of the MPBL. VIII. AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION FOR COACHES EJECTED/DISQUALIFIED FROM THE GAME Coaches ejected/disqualified from the game as a result of the belowlisted infractions of the rules shall be given an automatic one (1) game suspension, to wit: 1. One (1) technical fouls as a result of his direct personal, persistent and flagrant unsportsmanlike behavior; or 2. Two (2) technical fouls as a result of his direct personal unsportsmanlike behavior; or 3. Three (3) technical fouls accumulated (cumulative) as a result of unsportsmanlike conduct by the assistant coaches, substitutes, team officials and other team bench personnel who are seated on the team bench or a combination of three (3) technical fouls one (1) of which has been directly charged against the coach; 4. Upon ejection/disqualification from the game, the coach shall immediately leave the playing court and building premises or he may choose to stay inside their designated team’s dressing room; 5. Coaches under suspension shall not be allowed to be present at the playing venue and the immediate premises during his team’s next scheduled game. IX. REFEREES All rules and policies regarding the handling of the referees are subject to the terms and conditions set in the contract to be entered into by the Technical Committee and the authorized representative of the referee’s group.
X.
CALL-OUT FOR TEAMS TO ENTER THE PLAYING COURT Starting of the game both teams must enter the playing court 20-minutes before the game is scheduled to begin to start their final warm-up in their respective opponent’s basket. A 20-minute period on the game lock shall be set prior to the start of the game and the game clock shall be switched-on immediately whether the competing teams enter the playing court. This period shall be used to determine if one or both teams shall be given a warning for delay-of-game and consequently be charged a technical foul before the game officially begins. Starting the second half (3 rd period/quarter) of the game both teams must return to the playing court immediately after completion of the 15-minute half-time interval, and as soon as the horn-signal is sounded for the start of the 3 rd period/quarter. The teams must be ready to start to play without delay when the referee blows the whistle and beckons the players to enter the playing court.
XI. GAME STOPPAGE DUE TO FORCE MAJEURE In the event that a game is stopped due to force majeure (e.g. power failure, roof leakage, shattered backboard, natural calamity, etc) the game shall be replayed in its entirety if the stoppage occurs on or before the end of first half. However, if the stoppage occurs during the half-time interval or before the start of the second half, the remaining playing time shall be played out within the next seventy-two (72) hours, the time and venue to be determined by the Office of the Executive Director and/or the Office of the Commissioner shall order the suspension of the game.
