Travel CYO League Rules
These Rules apply to the Travel Program and are adopted and implemented by the Diocesan Rules Committee.
Eligibility Requirements
1. Age and grade requirements:
a. Biddy division – Must be in 6th grade or under. A student shall be eligible for competition until his/her 13th birthday. If the age of 13 years is reached on or after September 1st of the current calendar year, the student may continue to finish the season.
b. Junior division – Must be in 8th grade or under. A student shall be eligible for competition until his/her 15th birthday. If age 15 years is reached on or after September 1st of the current calendar year, the student may continue to finish the season.
2. Continued membership and eligibility for all players on the team roster shall be subject to the following conditions and limitations:
a. A player may not play on two CYO teams and/or a team that plays in our CYO structure.
b. Girls playing on a junior varsity or varsity team are not allowed to play CYO; unless, for girls, they play junior varsity for a school district or a private high school program that does not have a freshman or modified 9 team. For boys, players playing on a freshmen, junior varsity or varsity team are not allowed to play CYO. Boys playing modified basketball are allowed to play CYO.
c. In order for a player to be eligible for the end of the year diocesan tournament or local playoffs, he/she must play in at least 50% of the scheduled league games. (Exception, if a player has been sick or injured and this prevented them from doing so.)
d. If a player was eligible because they attended a school and they leave said school to attend another they are no longer eligible.
3. With prior approval, the league is open to all Catholic schools in the diocese providing that all league rules are complied with.
4. All rosters have to be signed by the pastor or athletic director stating that all players have been checked and are eligible to play per all eligibility requirements set forth in the current rules.
Note:
In order for a player to be put on your roster as a member of your parish, he/she must be a member of your parish one year prior to December 31st of the current playing year. However, the pastor has a right to waive this requirement if he feels there is a legitimate reason for doing so. (This is not meant for coaches to go out and recruit good ball players for their team.) Ex: has been an active member of the parish for years, but never officially registered.
Exception:
If a player has moved in from out of town, this rule is waived. However, they will be assigned to the closest church edifice as defined in rule 9b.
5. The dates for submitting roster, fees, and birth certificates must occur before the team’s first league game of the season and no roster additions are allowed after December 31st of the current playing season. Furthermore, no non-affiliated players (see Rule 8) can be added after the due date of the initial roster deadline.
6. A team shall forfeit all games in which an ineligible player has participated.
7. There is no moving down once the date has been established for the rosters to be submitted and your roster has been turned in to the Area Director. Example, junior to biddy even if age and grade requirements are met.
8. Non-Affiliated Players. There are two types of non-affiliated players:
a. Players that do not have a parish affiliation.
b. Players that belong to a parish that does not have a team.
This type of player is allowed to participate; however, in addition to meeting the conditions for participation enumerated in the remainder of this paragraph, the conditions of paragraph 10 must also be satisfied for Non-Affiliated players that do not have a parish affiliation
(i.e. 8.a).
In order for the player to participate a determination must be made by the accepting parish that their parish is the closest church edifice to the player’s legal place of residence. If the closest parish does not accept this player, then he or she would be eligible to participate at the next closest parish and so on. In the case of a player not playing at the closest parish having a team it is recommended that the accepting parish obtain a written, dated and signed waiver from all parishes that have a team and are closer to the player’s legal residence. In no event shall a Non-affiliated player be allowed to be placed on a team that has cut their own players.
9. Transfers – These are two types of transfers:
a. Players from a parish school having a team, who attend a school other than their own, may play for the school they are attending or for their own parish or school. (no limit as to the numbers and no permissions are needed)
b. Players from a parish or parish school having a team will not be allowed to play for another parish or parish school unless they have first tried out for their own team and have been cut by that team.
Note:
This type of player is allowed to participate and can be placed on the closest team, as approved and determined by the accepting pastor as to what is the closest church edifice to their legal place of residence. However, they may not be placed on a team that has cut their own players. There is a player limit per team. See rule 12.
10. Limits
The total number of “Non-affiliated Players” and “Transfers” as defined above shall not exceed the lesser of 50% of the number of players on the entire roster or 5. By way of example a roster of 8 players would be allowed to have up to a total of 4 players meeting the definitions provided in paragraphs 8a and 9; a roster of 9 would be allowed 4; a roster of 10 would be allowed 5; a roster of 11 would be allowed 5; and, a roster of 12 would be allowed 5.
11. Birth certificates must be submitted upon request of the Area Directors.
12. It is the responsibility of each pastor, athletic director, coach, and moderator to study and be versed in the rules and regulations as they apply. You are responsible for adhering to the established rules and no deviations will be allowed.
13. It is required that every team competing in the program is accompanied by a coach, moderator, or responsible person 18 years of age or older who will be responsible for the team’s conduct. Absence of such person can result in a team forfeit.
14. Each assigned person who has the responsibility of the team who allows an ineligible player or who violates any of the established rules may be dismissed from his/her position at the discretion of the Area Director.
15. Any player or coach expelled from a league or post season game shall be ineligible to coach or play in at least the next league or post season game.
Such individual will not be allowed on the team bench, in the locker room prior to or at half time of such game. In the case of a coach, any form of communication whether it is verbally, written signals etc. will be considered a violation of this rule and the game is subject to forfeit. This is a self-imposed penalty, which the individual has to adhere to, besides forfeiture of the game, further action will be taken.
16. The CYO Code of Conduct, attached as Exhibit 1, outlines acceptable standards of behavior and penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct and must be followed by all parties associated with CYO.
17. PLAYING RULES:
Note:
The same rules pertain to both boys & girls and will follow high school Section Two rules per the current season’s rules book unless otherwise stated here.
a. Game Time
● Biddy Games. 14-minute halves
● Junior Games. 15-minute halves
● Overtime: 2 minutes
● No stop on the make
b. Timing
● 4 full time outs per game. One additional full time out per OT. Unused time outs carry over.
● 5-minute intermission between games
● Biddy: 5 seconds in the lane
● Juniors: 3 seconds in the lane
● 10 seconds backcourt rule to cross division line
● No shot clock
c. Pressing
● No pressing with greater than 15-point lead
● When pressing is not allowed, players may not pick up the opposing team until the ball / player in control of the ball crosses the
10-second line. Once the defensive team controls a rebound or takes control in the backcourt, the opposing team must back off
and move to defensive positions on their end of the court. Officials will be expected to enforce these rules and repeated violations
may be considered unsportsmanlike technical fouls at the discretion of the officials.
These Pressing rules apply to “A” / Diocesan level games. Lower level games may have more restrictive pressing limits at the discretion of the Area Director.
d. Free Throws
● Biddy: 13-foot line
● Junior: 15-foot line
● Lane players – on the release
● Bonus: Albany and Schenectady CYO 1 & 1 on the 7th team foul of the half. Double bonus on 10th foul; Troy CYO 1 & 1 on the 7th team foul of the half, no double bonus.
e. Other
● Junior boys use regulation / full sized men’s basketball
● All others use 28.5” (women’s sized basketball)
● No three-point goals except in Diocesan Tournament
18. The following may constitute grounds for forfeiture of games:
a. If a CYO team member plays on two CYO teams or a team involved in our CYO structure.
b. If a CYO team member plays on a junior varsity or varsity team in violation of Rule 2.b.
c. If a player has been expelled from a league or postseason game and does not sit out the next league game or postseason game.
d. Violation of age or grade requirement. (This is an automatic forfeiture)
e. Violation of the eligibility requirements, including the non-affiliated or transfer rule.
f. A no-show for a game without prior consent of the Area Director.
19. Possible penalties for forfeited games:
a. If a team forfeits two games in the current playing season it could be suspended from participation for the remainder of the season, including any end of year tournaments and diocesan playoffs.
b. If a team is suspended from participation, no fees will be returned. The coach of a suspended team may not be allowed to coach at any level the following season in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany CYO program pending the review and discretion of the diocesan committee.
Each year prior to the start of the league season, the Diocesan Rules Committee will meet and review any new rules that Section Two has established and if there are any variations or rules that we will not follow, your Area Director will notify you as such.
20. Rulings and Disputes:
The decision of the Diocesan Director and the Area Directors shall be final and binding on all disputes involving the forfeiture of games and forfeiture penalties as well as the interpretation and application of these rules.
