Purpose of the 3rd & 4th Grade Non-Competitive League. The 3rd and 4th Grade Non-Competitive League is intended to be an opportunity to develop beginning basketball players to teach them the basic skills and understanding of the game, so they can effectively compete when they begin full-scale traveling basketball. The focus will be on teaching, rather than simply coaching, with both coaches trying to help the players on both teams improve. At times, hearing a coach other than their own make a point will leave a lasting impression on players, as well as confirming their coach’s viewpoint. By not keeping score (officially or unofficially), we allow the less accomplished players and teams to improve in an environment where they need not be embarrassed. If we as coaches all do our jobs well, all of these players, when they start playing in regular League meets, will be able to dribble a ball without looking at it, not travel excessively, know how to shoot with proper form, use a pivot foot, know how to set a screen, understand proper defensive and rebounding position, demonstrate good sportsmanship and, above all, enjoy playing the game more than when they started.
Divisions. There are separate playing divisions for 3rd and 4th graders. Games for 3rd grade teams will be played on 8' baskets; 4th grade games on 10' baskets. Third graders can play "up" in the 4th grade Division, but 4th graders cannot play "down" in the 3rd grade Division. Third grade teams that prefer playing games on 10' baskets may play "up" together as a team in the 4th grade Division.
Communities are not required to field both a 4th and a 3rd grade team in order to play in the League. Basketball programs that do not participate in at least one grade in the competitive 5th through 8th grade in the Great Northwest League, are not eligible to play in the 3rd and 4th grade Non-Competitive League (the boys and girls programs in each community are considered to be two separate programs, even if both are part of the same basketball club). The Non-Competitive League is subsidized by the enrollment fees received from teams at the older grade levels, so it would not be fair to member participants to have non-member teams benefit from this program.
Team Composition. Communities may, but are not required to, form specific teams, with separate rosters for each. They may also adjust their rosters each week to accommodate the different availability of players.
Communities are strongly encouraged, but not absolutely required, to bring between eight and ten players to each meet. With less than eight, players may get too tired. However, more than ten will make substitutions difficult. Players of this age will lose focus on the sideline, and the additional mass substitutions will slow the progress of each game.
Hosting. Every community in the League will ideally host at least once, and twice if fielding a large number of teams with a relatively large number of play dates each.
Host communities will be able to host one, two or three 2½ hour sessions per date with a different team hosting each session. Depending on the number of sessions (1, 2 or 3) on each host date, this will mean a 2½, 5 or 7½ hour hosting commitment. When hosting three sessions on a Saturday, the first session will be held between 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.; the next session will be played from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; and the third session will play from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Some hosts may hold only one or two sessions per date.)
Each session will consist of four teams. Communities typically host a combination of boys and girls events on the same date (for example, a community could host 4th grade girls from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 3rd grade boys from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 3rd grade girls from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) If the host community is hosting three sessions and has only two teams (whether two in the 4th grade Division, two in the 3rd grade Division, or one in each), there will be one session in which the host community will not have a team (usually the middle of three time slots).
When hosting, a community will need two playing surfaces, preferably with baskets that can be adjusted from 10' to 8' and back to 10'. Communities that do not have adjustable baskets will still be able to host, but only in the 4th grade Division (which means if they have a team in the 3rd grade Division, that team will have no home meets).
The objective is to have each participating community host a sufficient number of dates so that they provide as many (or more) playing spots as they use. We will make an exception for those communities fielding only a 3rd grade team where that community does not have adjustable baskets (that team will not be required to host at the 3rd grade level). Since each time a community hosts, they are creating four to twelve playing spots (one group of four creating four spots; two groups of four creating eight spots; or three groups of four creating twelve spots), communities need to think in terms of hosting in a ratio of 4:1 to meet their hosting obligation.
For example:
Format. Each four-team session at each meet is set up with this format:
The schedule at each full three-session meet, then, will be as follows:
Session 1
9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Practice time
9:30 – 10:00 a.m. Teams 1 v 2 Teams 3 v 4
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Rest or practice time
10:15 – 10:45 a.m. Teams 1 v 3 Teams 2 v 4
10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Rest or practice time
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. Teams 1 v 4 Teams 2 v 3
Session 2
11:30 – Noon Practice time
Noon – 12:30 p.m. Teams 5 v 6 Teams 7 v 8
12:30 – 12:45 p.m. Rest or practice time
12:45 – 1:15 p.m. Teams 5 v 7 Teams 6 v 8
1:15 – 1:30 p.m. Rest or practice time
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. Teams 5 v 8 Teams 6 v 7
Session 3
2:00 – 2:30 p.m. Practice time
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Teams 9 v 10 Teams 11 v 12
3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Rest or practice time
3:15 – 3:45 p.m. Teams 9 v 11 Teams 10 v 12
3:45 – 4:00 p.m. Rest or practice time
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Teams 9 v 12 Teams 10 v 11
The opening 30-minute practice time is provided at each meet for several reasons:
During each practice session, each team will be able to use one basket (half of one of the two courts). Teams not wishing to use the practice time can simply show up a little later, but must be on time for their first game. Each game will start and end precisely at the posted time. Therefore, if a team is 15 minutes late at the beginning of a session, they will lose 15 minutes of practice time, but the first game will still start on time.
For each game, the five starting players from each team will be on the court and ready for the jump ball at the exact time the game is posted to begin. A 9:30 a.m. start time doesn’t mean that the coach begins to organize their players for the first game at 9:30 a.m.; but that they are on the court, ready to begin at 9:30 a.m.
When host communities host only one or two sessions on a specific Saturday, the first session will generally start at 9:30 a.m. (instead of 9:00 a.m.). Start times will also be adjusted on a case-by-case basis to accommodate local gym availability and related scheduling issues.
No Score/Scorekeepers. There will be no scorekeepers or scoreboard functioning. The purpose of these games is to give young players court time; not to determine who has won or lost. Coaches should refrain from, and discourage parents and players from, keeping track of the score in some other way.
No Clock/ Clock Operators. There will be no scoreboard clock and, therefore, no clock operator. Each game will be 30 minutes of running time in length.
Referees/Officiating. There will be no official referees. Each team will provide one coach to referee (each must have a whistle). While there will be no “official” referees on the court wearing a striped shirt, it is critical that the coach from each team who is officiating be very knowledgeable about the rules of the game. Given the relative inexperience of these players, most infractions (for example, traveling, three seconds, over and back) should not be called closely. Players should be given warnings and, even on a whistled infraction, the coaches should tell all 10 players (plus those on the sidelines), not just their players, why the whistle was blown. Each stoppage of time is an opportunity to teach. Make a point in 10-15 seconds and move on – don’t lecture to the point that the players are getting more lecture time than playing time. Be judicious in blowing the whistle. At this age level, one could blow the whistle every five seconds. Let them play, even with some infractions; blow the whistle when something stands out that is so noticeable that you’d be concerned some of the players will begin developing bad habits, or get confused about the rules, unless the incorrect actions are addressed.
Treat these games as a controlled scrimmage. Be positive and encouraging, teach when making corrections, and focus on the big issues. Coaches who are officiating should use higher standards in the 4th grade Division than in the 3rd grade games; and expect more from all players later in the season than early on.
Each team should have one coach as an official on the court, but no more. If each team has two adults on the court, it gets too congested. When officiating, coaches should position themselves much as certified officials do – one under the basket, the other at half court. Both officials need to stay out of the way so as not to impede a player’s path during the game.
The biggest points of contention at 3rd and 4th grade games usually occur when one coach on the floor wants to call the game very closely and another wants to ignore most infractions. This usually happens where one team is significantly more developed than the other, with the coach of the stronger team arguing that they don't want their team to develop bad habits. In these cases, the coaches need to privately reach a middle ground consensus about how close to call the game and not argue in front of their players, or bring parents on the sideline into the debate. The League prefers that games be called more closely than too loosely. While inexperienced players will travel, double dribble and set illegal picks (probably the three most common violations), teams should be addressing these issues in practice.
Scheduling. On most Saturdays, there will be two or more venues in each Division to allow teams from some distance apart to play each other. For instance, when Prescott hosts, the League would try to have the other venues be communities like New Richmond and Menomonie, so that no team would have too long a trip.
Meets will be scheduled on these seven Saturdays: October 21, October 28, November 4, November 11, December 2, December 9 and December 16. While no team will be forced to play more dates than they want, all teams will be expected to be reasonably flexible within that time period and be available on as many of those Saturdays as possible.
Cost. There is no charge to play in the Non-Competitive League. There will be no awards or referees to pay. If there is a facility charge for gym rental or janitorial services, the host team must bear that expense directly. The 3rd and 4th Grade Non-Competitive League is subsidized by teams playing in 5th-8th grade of The Great Northwest Basketball League, which is the reason only GNBL member communities are allowed to participate.
Rosters, Liability Waivers and Concussion Agreements. All teams must submit rosters and completed waiver/concussion forms at least one week before their first play date or absolutely no later than November 1.
All teams must submit the following information.
To submit Liability Waiver/Concussion forms online, for each player on the team have the parent/legal guardian visit our website at gnbl.org, then click on "Waiver/Concussion Info" in the top menu bar. From there they can follow the online instructions. Parents (guardians) must complete this process once each season (even if they filled it out last season, we need a new waiver submitted for the 2023 season). If you have questions during the process, please contact Jen Myer at jen@gnbl.org.
Pre-Meet Contact. Each team coach/contact must confirm their participation in each meet by contacting Tracie via email at tracie@gnbl.org or by phone at 715-749-9048, absolutely no later than the Monday before each meet at 10 p.m. When confirming your team’s attendance, include the team name and grade level (for example, “I’m confirming the St. Croix Central 3rd grade boys will be at the November 4 meet in Colfax”). If a scheduled team is not planning to attend, the League will arrange a replacement and notify the host team of that fact. Teams that consistently do not confirm their attendance risk being removed from meets late in the season or in the future.
Here are the deadlines for each date meets will be held:
Basketballs. The host team should provide a quality game ball at each court. Game balls must be an official women's (28.5") leather ball of good quality and properly inflated.
Each team participating in a meet must bring their own warm up balls.
Concessions. Host communities are not required to run a concession stand and are discouraged from doing so, to keep this League simple. Since most players and parents will be there for only two and one-half hours, there’s no need to eat a meal, and game time beverages can be brought in by each team. If the players need a snack (granola bar, fruit snacks, etc.), these can easily be brought in by parents and coaches as well. If a host community has a strong desire to run a concession stand, it can do so, but should not bank on heavy sales.
Awards. There are no awards at 3rd and 4th grade Non-Competitive League meets. This will keep expenses low and meet administration simple; also, since there are no winners or losers (we’re not keeping score), the concept of an award at every meet doesn’t make sense.
Attire. Numbered jerseys or t-shirts are required. Jerseys or t-shirts should have a number on both front and back. Fouls will be called in games, but not tracked, so that no player will foul out of a game. Attire from the waist up must be all of the same color for a given team.
Since there will be times when both teams will have the same color regular t-shirt or jersey, each team must have one of the following: an alternate color t-shirt, a regular shirt or jersey that is reversible, or a practice mesh vest (pinnies) that can be slipped over the top of the regular jersey or t-shirt. The latter is probably the least expensive in the long run (you can re-use for many years).
Substitutions. Players at this age need a lot of direction and instructions on what to do when going into a game. Each team should try (although it’s not required) to have two coaches at each meet, so one can help officiate the game and the other manage substitutions. Before each game, coaches from the two teams about to play should confer as to how often they want to make substitutions, so that both teams make substitutions at the same time. This will cut down on the amount of substitution time in each half-hour game and will maximize playing time.
Time-Outs. There will be no stoppage of play for “halftime” and no time-outs. If a player is tired, ill, or injured, this should be handled with a simple substitution. Since informal instruction is being provided by the coaches each time there is a blown whistle or a substitution, formal time-outs are not needed.
Fouls. As noted above, fouls will be called, but will not be tracked, so that no players can foul out of a game. As with other infractions (traveling, double dribble), fouls should not be called as closely as in regular games for more experienced players. However, we do not want players learning bad habits when it comes to untoward intentional contact with opposing players. Therefore, fouls should be called more closely than most infractions. While a player cannot foul out, coaches should use common sense and pull a player out of a game for a period of instruction and contemplation if guilty of overly-aggressive, overly-rough or intentional contacts.
When a foul is called, whether it is in the act of shooting or not, the team being fouled can choose where they want to take the ball out of bounds – we do not shoot free throws, even when fouled in the act of shooting. Most teams will want to take it out directly under the basket at which they are shooting. The reason for this rule is to create some negative impact to committing a foul. If the fouled team has to take the ball out wherever fouled, the fouled team is actually being disadvantaged, since successfully inbounding the ball at this age level can be one of the more difficult tasks. The coach for the fouled team who is helping officiate the game should immediately decide in each instance where to inbound the ball and proceed to that part of the floor, to give their player the ball to inbound.
Jump Ball. Since there is no clock operator or scorekeeper, there will be no possession arrow. Where one player from each team has mutual possession of the ball, the ball will be awarded to the team in the defensive zone. In other words, the team that is furthest away from the basket at which it is shooting will get the ball out of bounds in the case of a jump ball. The only actual “jump ball” will be at the start of the game.
Defense. Only person-to-person defenses will be allowed (no zones) with no pressure defense before half-court. In games that become one-sided after several possessions, or where one team consistently has the ball stolen from them after crossing half-court, the stronger team will be instructed by both referees to not pick up the offensive players above the free throw line extended.
Cancellations. Consistent with The Great Northwest Basketball League’s rules on non-weather related cancellations, teams that fail to show at a scheduled meet with insufficient notice to find a replacement, for any reason other than bad weather, risk having that team removed from the remainder of their schedule and possibly have that team or coach excluded from participation in League meets the next season.
If one team fails to show for a meet, whether for weather-related or other reasons, that meet will be re-formatted as follows (for purposes of this example, we will use the 9:00 time slot):
9:00 – 9:30 All three teams practice.
9:30 – 9:50 Team A v Team B, Team C rests or practices.
9:50 – 10:10 Team B v Team C, Team A rests or practices
10:10 – 10:30 Team A v Team C, Team B rests or practices
10:30 – 10:50 Team A v Team B, Team C rests or practices
10:50 – 11:10 Team B v Team C, Team A rests or practices
11:10 – 11:30 Team A v Team C, Team B rests or practices.
Team A will be whichever team has the fewest players (Team A has to play back-to-back only once). If the host team is not Team A, the host team shall be Team C.
