[RecRef]

Originally posted by Barry C. Morris
Unfortunately, this can cause the refs problems on enforcement.

I appreciate your suggestions.

Refs and the kids have no problems. It is the coaches and the parents..
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Be realistic with your rules and the enforcement of them.

Man to Man/No Double Team Defense:
-For kids these ages the court is not a rectangle. It is really 2 triangles. The base of each is the division line and the point is the basket. o<|>o As the ball moves toward the basket you are going to have more and more players around it. If the dribbler moves close to another player allow that player to swipe at the ball or to block the dribbler’s progress. If the dribbler enters the lane allow close defenders to defend the lane.
-Depending on the size of the court you are using, set a reasonable distance, say 3 to 5 feet, which a defender must stay within the person he is guarding.
-Allow switching off by the defender if he is blocked. Do not allow the original defender to go back to his man until the next dead ball. This stops the problem of double team.
-While not strictly a man-to-man issue you need 100% enforcement of offensive contact on a screen. Too often a screener will plow into B1 on a screen/pick.
-It is advisable that the same players defend each other as a good number of this kids will be “lost in space.”

Backcourt Defense:
-No backcourt defense on an inbounds play.
-Allow a momentary defense on a turnover or missed shot.
-Never allow a fast break or a long pass to take place undefended. Said another way, don’t put the defense at a disadvantage. Make the offensive player either hold the ball or dribble in place until the defenders cross the division line. If they are going to fast break let anyone defended it not just the assigned defender.

Time counts:
-10 seconds: Enforce it; don’t let a team kill the clock because there is no backcourt defense.
-5 seconds: If the ball handler is moving don’t count. If the ball handler is stopped or trapped, count the count.
-3 seconds: Open for debate how long it should be. We use 6 seconds for our 7&8 year olds and 3 for our 9s. The point is to call it early and call it often. Remember the triangle above? Most kids are going to hangout in the vicinity of the basket. Get them out of the lane.

Operational:
-Think about no score or turning off the score on the clock if a team gets a 20-point lead.
-Seven-minute quarters with stop clock. These kids are in better shape than you think.
-Remember to teach them what they did wrong. Don’t just call a travel or a block but tell them what the did.
-The refs need to remember that these are children. If they need to talk to a kid they should either kneel or bend down to get to there level.
-Most leagues struggle with equal playing time. There is no easy answer. Our league requires that each player plays 2 full quarters per game. We have 8 players per team.
-Basket height is 8 feet for the 7&8s and 9 feet for the 9 year olds.
-The foul line is moved up 3 full feet. This even though the courts used at this age are small.

-AND LAST BUT REALLY FIRST- Safety above all else. Call held balls as soon as 2 kids get their hands on the ball. If they go to the floor after a loose ball, which the will because the have no fear, call a jumpball.