MERCY RULE / FALL BACK RULE

The Mercy Rule / Fall Back Rule is bylaw as outlined below

• 10.21 Mercy Rule / Fall Back Rule: The mercy rule/fall back rule is in place to promote sportsmanship and to stop teams from dominating a particular game to the point of demoralizing their opposition. The mercy rule/fall back rule requires the leading team to fall back behind their (3) point line following a successful shot attempt, or whenever the opposition team in-bounds the ball. No defence may be played until the ball is dribbled or passed across the centre line. Subject to the following provisions:
  • 10.21.1 Enforcement of this rule is at the discretion of the losing coach.
  • 10.21.2 Applies in Under 10 competitions when the opposition team is leading by 10 points or more.
  • 10.21.3 Applies in all other competitions when the opposition team is leading by 20 points or more.
  • 10.21.4 The penalty for non-compliance is a violation.
  • 10.21.5 This by-law does not apply during grading games or finals.

The Mercy Rule / Fall Back Rule:

• Can only be enforced at the discretion of the losing coach. If you are the losing coach and don’t want to apply it you don’t need to, the referee cannot force the other team to do it if you are the losing coach and don’t want it invoked
• Can be revoked at any stage throughout the game if the losing coach changes their mind, as a losing coach you may decide to have it applied when you reach a 30 point difference and then you score a few baskets closing the gap to 20 points (10 points in U10's) so you ask for it to be revoked. This can continue all game or you may decide not to invoke at all. As the losing coach with a margin of 20 or more points (or 10 points or more in U10's) the choice is yours to make
• Automatically stops being applied once the margin drops to less than 20 points (except U10's which is less that 10 points)
• When invoked changes the “shall stop for all whistles in the last two (2) minutes of the second half” ruling as per KBA bylaw 13.1.2 below -
  

TIMING RULES

• 13.1 Games shall consist of two halves of twenty (20) minutes.
  • 13.1.1 The game shall stop for timeouts in the last two (2) minutes of the second half only.
  • 13.1.2 The clock shall stop for all whistles in the last two (2) minutes of the second half, except where a team is leading by 20 points or more or for under 10’s, if a team is leading by 10 points or more,then the clock will only stop for timeouts.
    
  • 13.1.3 No timeouts will be taken in the last one (1) minute of the first half. Where a timeout is in progress prior to the one-minute point of the first half, that time-out will cease at the one (1) minute point and the players will be called to resume play immediately.