MIAA Basketball Rules

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, or the MIAA, consists of 353 high schools. The organization sponsors athletic activities in over 30 sports throughout the state. The MIAA is governed by the National Federation of State High School Associations, which writes the rules for 17 different secondary sports. As a result, the MIAA rules follow closely with those put in place by the NFHS. There are, however, a few minor variations that the MIAA has instituted.

  1. An Overview

    • Rule 66 of the MIAA Blue Book Rules for Basketball handbook states that both "boys' and girls' high school basketball shall be played under the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations," but that some of those rules have been modified.

    Time Rules

    • Unlike most state and high school athletic conferences, Rule 66.2 states that a shot clock will be used at all levels for both boys and girls game. Rule 66.3 goes on to say that the ten-second violation does not apply to the girl's game. The rule book also sets the limit for the overall game time, similar to limits set nationwide, stating that "all varsity contests shall be played in four 8-minute quarters" and that all other levels should follow suit.

    Time Outs

    • The MIAA states in Rule 6.5 that each team may utilize three 60-second and two 30-second timeouts during a regulation game. If a game goes into overtime, each team is entitled to one additional 60-second time out during each overtime period played. Unused time-outs accumulate and can be used at any time.

    Miscellaneous Game Rules

    • The MIAA follows the NFHS rule prohibiting coaches from leaving the marked coaching box during the course of a game. If a coach is consistently outside of this box while the basketball is in play, the opposing team can be awarded a technical foul. The Rule Book highly recommends the use of mouth guards for all players at all levels while on the court during the game. While some states have rules regarding mouth guards, most do not.

    Athlete Participation Rules

    • Rule 66.7 establishes requirements for athlete participation in basketball. The rule states that a student may practice or play for their high school team only once in any one day. It also states that no member of a high school basketball squad is permitted to participate in more than four quarters, with the exception of overtime periods, per day. The rule goes on to say that a player can participate in more than one game as long as they do not exceed the four quarter limit. Most teams use this rule to allow players to split time between the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams.