CLARE AREA BASKETBALL BOARD (CABB)

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Affiliated to Basketball Ireland | Revision: REV008 | Date: 24 August 2026

Key Governance & Framework

Underage Competitions (U8 to U19): Governed by Basketball Ireland's National Underage Rules as updated each season.
Senior Competitions: FIBA Official Basketball Rules apply.
Transfers: National Area Board Committee ("NABC") Transfer Rules apply.
International Players: Basketball Ireland rules on international clearance apply.
Safeguarding & Governance: Basketball Ireland rules apply for Safeguarding, Child Protection, Garda Vetting, Concussion, Injury, Legal, and Diversity. Each club must have a designated Child Protection Officer.
Local Rules: CABB may adopt local rules (e.g., Crossover 4x4 for U12). If there is a conflict between local rules and national rules, national rules apply unless specifically noted otherwise.

Abbreviations and Definitions

BI: Basketball Ireland, the governing body for Basketball in Ireland.
CABB: Clare Area Basketball Board.
FIBA: Fédération Internationale de Basketball, the world governing body for basketball.
NABC: Basketball Ireland's National Area Board Committee.
Blitz Format: League organised into a series of blitzes at a central venue. Teams may play more than one game per blitz.
Home/Away Format: Teams play each other at least twice per season, alternating home venues. For odd numbers of games, the league host proposes a detailed venue plan for CABB approval.
Crossover 4x4 Format: Used in underage development leagues. Two games run concurrently on cross-courts (4 players per team on each court). Teams play 2x 10-min quarters, then swap courts for 2x 10-min quarters. Non-competitive; no scoresheets, recorded results, or league tables.
League Host: The club or delegate responsible for running a particular league in a given season.

1. Affiliation

1.1. All Clubs must register all their teams with Basketball Ireland as outlined in Basketball Ireland Regulations, paying the relevant registration fees confirmed each year.
1.2. Clubs failing to register with Basketball Ireland cannot participate in CABB competitions.
1.3. Clubs wishing to enter a team in CABB competitions must apply by completing the CABB Club Registration Form in full.
1.4. At the discretion of the CABB executive, a senior and juvenile bond may be payable at the start of the season. An additional bond may apply for clubs that failed to fulfill obligations in the previous season. Refunds occur at season end.

2. Registration

2.1. Registration must be submitted via the CABB Secretary's official form before the agreed deadline.
- 2.1.1. Failure to meet the deadline may incur a €30 late fee.
2.2. Payments to CABB must be made to the Treasurer via cheque or bank transfer.
2.3. All Clubs must be fully registered online with Basketball Ireland each season.
2.4. All players, coaches, officials, and volunteers must have an active Basketball Ireland PIN for the current season to participate in CABB activities.
2.5. Only registered club players may compete for that club.
- 2.5.1. A player can only be registered to one club at a time (subject to NABC Transfer Rules).
- 2.5.2. Registration status must show as "Current" with the correct membership type (e.g., "Volunteer" status does not permit playing).
- 2.5.3. Playing an unregistered player results in game forfeit and a €100 fine. Repeat offences may lead to competition bans.
2.6. Clubs competing in other Area Board competitions must complete the National Area Board Link Agreement Form signed by the CABB Secretary/Registrar prior to playing fixtures. Valid for one season only.
- 2.6.1. Playing in non-CABB competitions without an approved Link Agreement carries a fine up to €50 and potential expulsion from CABB competitions (does not apply to BI National Cup).
2.7. International Students (visiting < 1 year) require International Clearance from BI and their home Association:
- 2.7.1. Max 1 International School Student on court per team at any time.
- 2.7.2. Max 2 quarters playing time per game per International School Student.
- 2.7.3. Must be marked on scoresheet with "FP" to the left of their BI PIN.
- 2.7.4. Non-compliance may result in a game forfeit.

3. Transfers

3.1. Transfers follow Basketball Ireland's NABC Transfer Rules and must be signed by a CABB representative.
3.2. If a transfer is refused by CABB:
- 3.2.1. Appeal may be lodged within 7 days of verdict notification.
- 3.2.2. Written appeal requires a €30 bond (refunded if successful).
- 3.2.3. Appeals panel consists of 3 independent members from non-involved clubs.
- 3.2.4. Further appeal can be lodged with the NABC Secretary within 14 days.

4. CABB Meetings

4.1. Meetings are held as needed. Minimum 2 weeks' notice provided; agenda published 24 hours prior.
- 4.1.3. Clubs must have at least 1 representative present.
- 4.1.4. Max 2 delegates per club (unless executive members or invited by Chair).
4.2. Non-attendance fine: €20 for 1st offence; €50 for 2nd and subsequent offences.
4.3. One official advance apology per club per season is accepted without fine.
4.4. Meetings are normally held via videoconference (or in-person at Executive discretion).
4.5. Repeated absences may result in expulsion from CABB competitions.
4.9. CABB AGM: Requires 4 weeks' written notice. Non-attendance results in a €50 fine (payable within 30 days).
4.10. Voting: Each member club receives 1 vote. Delegates must be over 18.

5. Communication Between CABB and Clubs

5.1. Communications sent to Club Secretaries or CABB Representatives are deemed official notification to the entire club.
5.2. Changes in Club Secretary must be notified to CABB and all member clubs within 7 days.
5.4. Secretaries must ensure all club coaches, managers, table officials, and referees are fully informed of all rules and eligibility guidelines.

6. Finance

6.1. All outstanding accounts must be cleared at season end. Unpaid debts prevent registration for the following season.
6.2. Financial statements are presented by the Treasurer at the AGM.
6.3. If a club/team folds owing money, remaining registered players may be held equally liable for the debt before re-registering elsewhere.

7. Safeguarding and Child Welfare

7.1. CABB is committed to child welfare in accordance with Basketball Ireland Safeguarding guidelines.
7.2. Every club must appoint a Child Protection Officer (CPO) with completed Safeguarding training.
7.3. CPOs must have a dedicated, publicly accessible email address separate from general club email.
7.4. Primary head coaches of juvenile teams must hold a current BI Coaching License (requiring active Garda Vetting, Safeguarding certification, and BI Coaching credentials).
7.5. Assistant coaches and volunteers must hold current Garda Vetting and Safeguarding certificates and be registered as "Volunteers" on the BI system.

8. Disrepute

8.1. Bringing the game into disrepute via physical acts, outbursts, public/social media posts, or cyberbullying carries a fine of up to €50 and/or suspension.
8.2. Abusive behavior directed at Area Board Officers incurs severe fines and/or suspensions.
8.3. Anti-Doping: Strict prohibition of drug/alcohol abuse in line with BI Anti-Doping Policy (ireland.basketball/anti-doping).
8.4. Spectator Behaviour: Clubs are responsible for their spectators. Referees may halt play or request venue officers to remove disruptive spectators. Refusal can lead to match abandonment, CABB review, and potential forfeits.

9. Disciplinary Actions & Appeals

9.3. Technical Fouls: 2 technical fouls in a game = 10 disciplinary points.
9.4. Direct Ejection: Straight ejection = 20 disciplinary points.
9.5. Accumulation Scale (Per Season):
- 20 Points: 1-match suspension
- 30 Points: 1-match suspension
- 40 Points: 2-match suspension
- 50+ Points: 2-match suspension for each incident at or above 50 points.
9.7. Disciplinary points do NOT apply to disqualification via 5 personal fouls.
9.8. Bench Rule on Removal: Removed players/coaches must leave to the dressing room. (Exception: For U18 and younger, players may sit at the end of the bench if well-behaved for safeguarding reasons).
9.10. Signed Scoresheet Protests: Captains may sign in protest for rule misapplications (e.g., clock/scoring errors, forfeit decisions, eligibility violations). Disagreeing with referee judgement calls is NOT grounds for protest.
- 9.11. Signing in protest incurs an automatic €30 bond payable to the Treasurer within 48 hours.

10. Game Attire

10.1. Teams must wear matching, correctly numbered uniforms matching FIBA/BI guidelines. Shorts can differ in color from jerseys if uniform across the entire team.
10.3. In the event of a color clash, the Home Team must change uniforms.

11. Games & Playing Rules

Standard Game Durations are as per the table below:

11.5–11.6. Equipment (clock, score sheet, horn) is provided by the Home Team (Home/Away format) or League Host (Blitz format).
11.9. Each team must supply one trained Table Official per game.
11.10. Minimum 5 minutes warmup time must be provided.
11.11. Teams not on court with sufficient players within 15 minutes of scheduled tip-off forfeit the game.
11.14–11.15. Fees (Referee & Blitz Fees) are paid to the Venue Officer prior to tip-off.
11.17. Scoresheets:
- Completed in triplicate: White (League Host record), Pink (Winner), Yellow (Loser).
- Blitz Format: Host submits clear photo of White sheet within 48 hours.
- Home/Away Format: Home team submits photo within 24 hours and sends physical sheet within 14 days.
- Hardcopies missing upon request incur a €10 fine. Incorrectly completed sheets incur a €5 fine.

12. Competitions

12.1. Grading:
- Clubs with a single team in U14 or U16 must enter Division 1 ("A" League).
- Clubs with two teams in Division 1 must maintain separate player rosters (no crossover).
12.4. League Points System:
- Win: 3 Points
- Loss: 1 Point
- Forfeit / Walkover: 3 Points (20-0 score) to non-offending team; 0 Points to conceding team.
12.9. AICC Spots (U14 & U16): Winner of "A" League Final represents Clare as "Clare 1"; Runner-up represents Clare as "Clare 2".
12.11. Minimum Players Rule (U12, U13, U14 Division 1):
- Teams must have at least 10 players on the scoresheet.
- Fewer than 10 players results in an automatic forfeit (20-0 loss).
- For Development Leagues, the minimum requirement is relaxed to 8 players.

13. Scheduling & Forfeits

13.1. Blitz Format: Schedules issued at least 10 days in advance. Cancellations within 5 days result in a 20-0 forfeit plus a fine equal to the Blitz Fee.
13.2. Home/Away Format: Notice of 10 days required. Home team provides 3 reasonable dates; if away team declines all 3, away team forfeits.
13.3. Forfeit Fines: €50 for 1st offence; €75 for 2nd and subsequent offences.
13.4. Walkover Fines (>48h Notice): €30 for 1st offence; €50 for 2nd and subsequent offences.
13.5. Conceding 2 forfeits may lead to removal from the league and a €200 re-entry bond the following season.

14. Tournaments

14.2. Permission to run a tournament within CABB jurisdiction must be submitted in writing.
14.5. Official CABB league fixtures take absolute priority over outside club tournaments.

15. Player Eligibility

15.2. Designated A-Team Players:
- Clubs with teams in both Division 1 ("A") and Division 2 (Development) in the same age group must register 8 Designated A-Team Players.
- Designated A-Team players cannot play in Development League games.
15.3. Cup Ties: Players are cup-tied to one team per age group once nominated.
15.6. Underage players (U16 or younger) cannot play in Senior competitions.

16. Officials & Referees

16.1. U10/U12 non-competitive and U14/U16 Development games may run with 1 registered referee.
16.2. U14/U16 "A" League and older require 2 registered referees.
16.4. Intro/Trainee referees must always be paired with a senior referee.
16.5. A responsible adult must sit at the table for juvenile games if juveniles are acting as table officials.
16.6. Conflict of Interest (FIBA Art 45.4): Referees must not be affiliated with either playing club. If no alternative exists, both clubs must be notified (min 72h) and both must consent before the game can proceed.

CABB Rules REV008 agreed and signed off by Executive on 24 August 2026.

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