Youth Basketball Rules & Regulations

Youth basketball leagues offer an opportunity for children to learn the basics of basketball. The experience players have will help them decide if they want to play at higher levels such as high school or college basketball teams. Youth basketball helps develop skills needed at higher levels--and also educates the players about the basic rules of the game.

  1. Basketball Size

    • The basketball used by youth leagues up to age 12 is the standard size basketball for high school girls basketball, according to the Ultimate Youth Basketball Guide website. This ball measures between 28.5 and 29 inches in circumference and weighs between 18 and 20 ounces. According to the website, children under 8 may use a ball that is smaller in circumference and weight--and the measurements vary based on individual league rules. Boys over 12 use a ball that is 29 to 30 inches in circumference and weighs 20 to 22 ounces.

    Basketball Hoops

    • The standard basketball hoop is 18 inches in diameter. The official height for a baskeball net, according to Ultimate Youth Basketball Guide is 10 feet. This height can be adjusted lower for younger children, based on individual league rule agreements. According to fieldsports.org, the rim is frequently only 8 feet off the ground for players in kindergarten through second grade.

    Time

    • A youth basketball game lasts 40 minutes, according to fieldsports.org. The game is divided into two 20 minute halves. The time runs without stopping for the first 19 minutes of each half. During the last minute the clock stops when the ball goes out of bounds or there is a foul committed.

    Non-Shooting Fouls

    • There are two different types of fouls in youth basketball. One type awards possession of the basketball to the defending team when the foul was committed. If the defending team commits a foul, the offensive team retains the ball and starts play again by passing it onto the court from outside the playing boundaries. Possession fouls are frequently non-contact such as walking with the ball instead of dribbling it and dribbling the ball a second time after holding it without passing it to a teammate. Another non-shooting foul is when physical contact is made when the player is not attempting a shot at the basket.

    Shooting Fouls

    • Shooting fouls occur when a defender interferes when a player is attempting to shoot a basketball in youth leagues. Two free throws are awarded when this foul occurs. A free throw is a shot attempted from the free throw line which is 15 feet from the basket--without any opponents permitted to defend against the shot.

    Court Dimensions

    • A youth basketball court is 74 feet in length according to the Ultimate Youth Basketball Guide. That length is divided in half by a center court line. The court is 42 feet wide for the entire length of the court.

    Number of Players

    • Youth basketball is played by two teams. Each team has five players on the court at any time. Additional players on the team sit on the bench, outside the court boundaries. Substitutions can be made when a basket is made, the ball goes out of bounds or a team calls a time out.