All Basketball clubs are welcome to Gothenburg Basketball Festival. The club has to be registered with their country's FIBA affiliated basketball federation. In the countries where school basketball is a form of competition, also school teams are allowed. The competition will begin with a group-games. Teams are divided into groups of 4-5 teams where they all meet each other. The first and second team in the group qualify for the A finals, the other teams go on to the B-finals. This does not apply to EB11.

Organizer
Gothenburg Basketball Festival is organized by Högsbo Basketball Club.

Regulations
Gothenburg Basketball Festival will be played according to the rules and guidelines described in this document. Otherwise, the FIBA official contest rules will be applied and adhered to.

Age groups
Following 20 groups will be playing in Gothenburg Basketball Festival:

B40+/G40+(new group born 1982 and older)

B20+/G20+ (born 2003 and older)

B19/G19 (born 2004 and later)

B17/G17 (born 2006 and later)

B16/G16 / born 2007 and later)

B15/G15 (born 2008 and later)

B14/G14 (born 2009 and later)

B13/G13 (born 2010 and later)

EB B12/G12 (born 2011) play group games and playoffs

EB B11/G11 (born 2012) play group games and playoffs

Open class wheelchair

§ 1 Representation Rules
1.1  Age group U11-U19: All players must be members of a basketball club and the club must be registered as a basketball club in the national or regional basketball federation of their country. The players of the team must be registered members of the same participating club.

Age group 20+: All players must be members of a basketball club and have a licens to play basketball. The Swedish players in the 20+ need not to be members of the same basketball club. The club the players belong too has to be a registered as a basketball club in the national or regional basketball federation of their country.

1.2 Leader who accompany a team to the tournament must be 18 years old.

1.3 For each game, a team may sign a maximum of 12 players. There can be different players in different games if the team has more than 12 players registered. Each club has the right to use players in different teams in different age categories, although not in the same age category.

1.4 Players can’t be older than their age category in the subsequent calendar year (U12=max 12 years old in the calendar year of the tournament).

In the age groups U11-U19, no over-age player is allowed without an approved exemption from the GBF tournament committe (see “exemption”).

In the age group 20+/40+, no minors players can participate without an approved exemption from the GBF tournament committe (see “exemption”).

1.5 Girls may participate in games with boys teams, boys may not participate in games with girls’ teams.

1.6 All players must be registered in the team’s entry via the GBF’s notification system in order to participate in the GBF.

§ 2 The competition form
2.1 The teams are divided into groups of four or five teams. Each team will play against each other in round robin format. The group rankings will be decided by points. A victory gives you 2 points, a loss gives you 0 points. If two or more teams have the same number of points, the rankings will be decided as follows:

1. The result in the matches between teams with equal points.

2. Goal difference in the matches between teams with equal points.

3. The team that has scored the most points in the matches between teams with equal points.

2.2 Playoffs (do not apply to U11-Easy Basket)

The two first placed teams in each group go to A-playoffs, the other teams go to B-playoffs. The playoffs are a single elimination format i.e. if you lose your team is eliminated.

2.3 Playoffs U11

Games played on Saturday - the teams will be divided into playoff games according to their level. No points will be posted. All teams will play two games in playoffs.

§ 3. Basketball sizes
3.1 Matches in Göteborg Basketball Festival are played with an official indoor ball from Molten, in the following sizes:

Boys U20 – U15 play with size 7
Girls U20 – U13 play with size 6

Boys U13-U14 play with size 6
Boys and Girls EB U12 -U11 play with size 5

§ 4. Game Schedule
The tournment committe reserves the right to make changes in the program in terms of groups, start times and schedule plans.

§ 5. Game Gear
5.1 All team shirts must be numbered.

The numbering should be on the back of the playing shirt. Two players may not have the same number in the same match.
If two teams have the same game gear color, the away team in the program must change color. If there is a mutual agreement the home team are allowed to change color at the game gear.

5. 2 It is recommended that all teams should be ready at their court 20 minutes prior to the start of the match to insure that the protocol is filled out and that the match can start as scheduled.

§ 6. In game regulations
Valid for U13-20+:

• All matches are played 2×15 minutes running time, except for the last 2 minutes of the 2nd half, which will be played with a stop clock.
• The clock does not stop for free throws, except for the last 2 minutes of the 2nd half.
• If the score is tied at the end of regulation, there will be extension of 2 minutes of effective time. After the extension “Sudden Death” will come into affect, start with jump ball and the first score wins.
• Each team is entitled to one time-out per half. The time-outs do not carry forward into the following period. No extra time-out in the over-time period.
• 24 seconds will be at the discretion of the referees. The referees will inform when it is 10 seconds left.
• Substitutions can be performed at every whistle, but the referee must approve all substitutions. You are not allowed to substitute on the fly.
• All forms of defense are permitted except in U13 and EB – categories, where zone defense and other combined defense is not allowed. In these series, only man-man defense is allowed.

§ 7. Easy Basketball
In the age categories U11 and U12 we play Easy Basketball.

Easy Basketball is played om lower baskets where the rimb is 2,6 meters above the floor. Easy Basketball is palyed with ball size 5.

Playing time and substitutes

• The games are played 4 on 4 in full-court

• The playing time is 6 periods x 5 minutes running time

• If its a tie - Sudden Death” will come into affect, start with jump ball and the first score wins (not Foul-score). This rule is not valied for EB-U11 series.

• The break between periods will be 1 minute.

• No time outs are allowed.

• Substitutions are only allowed between periods or when a player is injured.

• Every player must play at least 2 periods.

• If a team does not have enough players, they may play more than 4 periods/per player.

Rules

• The game starts with a jump ball. After that the rule of alternating possession is in hand.
• U11 - Players are NOT allowed to take the ball from another player if the player is holding the ball with both hands.
• U12 - Players are allowed to take the ball from another player if the player is holding the ball with both hands.
• Backcourt violation will not be applied.
• Three-second rule applies at the discretion of the referees.
• Zone press or other combined defense is not allowed. In these series only man-man defense is allowed.
• A score is 2 points. No 3-pointers are registered.
• There are no personal fouls, a foul will be assessed as a team-foul, not a personal foul, a player cannot foul-out.
• Technical foul results in 1 point and possession goes to the opposite team, starting from the middle of the court.
• In Easy Basketball there are no free throws
• A shooting foul results in 1 point and continued possesion for the team who got fouled.
• A shooting-foul when the shoot is made, results in 2 points + 1 point for the foul and the defending team gets possession
• In the EB-U12 series, when tie-results, the game continue until next goal (sudden death) - not including foul-goals.
• In the EB-U11 series, no points are counted therefore we can not play overtime. No results will be displayed.

§ 8. Exemption
8.1 Over-age players in the U11-U19. The player who has received age exemption in his district will also be able to play in the GBF with their team BUT the club must apply for an exemption for its player to Gothenburg Basketball Festival’s tournament committee (maximum one year older than the other players). The club must present a good reason to justify why the player should play with the younger ones. Maximum of 2 over-age players per team.

8.2 Younger player in the 20+/40+. If a younger player (born later than 1997) wants to play in the 20+/40+-group, the team / club must apply for an exemption from Gothenburg Basketball Festival’s tournament committee. A maximum of two younger players per team.

8.3 A maximum of two over-age players in U11-U19 and two younger players in 20+/40+ per team is allowed.

8.4 An exemption application costs 200 SEK / player and must be paid before the exemption is pending. The deadline for applications for exemptions is the same day as the application deadline.

§ 9. Protests and punishments
9  .1 Protests must be submitted in writing to the appropriate hall director within 15 min after the end of the match. The protest fee is 500 SEK and must be paid at the same time as the submitted protest (the fee will be refunded if the protest is upheld). The protest will be addressed by the competition board, whose decision will be final and cannot be appealed.

9.2 Penalties and warnings

• Penalized player will be automatically suspended for the next match even if the next match is a part of the playoffs. NOTE: it is the team’s responsibility that suspended players DO NOT play. The team will automatically be disqualified if suspended player is allowed to play.
• The competition board may also decide on an additional suspension of matches, in the event of a serious penalty.
• In extreme cases, players may be reported to the district association in Sweden or to the corresponding national federation.
• Suspended players participating in any match when the player is ineligible will result in an automatic loss for their team with a score of 0-20.

§ 10. Walkover or suspended games
10.1 All teams need to fill in the protocol at least 20 minutes prior to the start of the match.

10.2 Teams that are late for the scheduled start of the match will be contacted via the contact number registered on the GBF´s registration site.

10.3 Teams that have not appeared within 15 minutes after the scheduled start of the match, will count as a walkover and result in a 0-20 score unless special circumstances exist.

10.4 In case of repeated offense, the team can be excluded from the tournament. If there are special circumstances, such as a deliberate WO benefiting their team, or negatively affect other teams in the group, the competition board may decide that a first offense may warrant an immediate expulsion from the tournament.

10.5 If a match is suspended before the completion of the match. The competition board will decide if the match is to be replayed from the start, to be continued from the time the match was suspended or if the result of the match shall stand from the time of the suspension. They can also decide if one or both teams shall lose the game.

Competition Regulations were updated 2022-05-14

Changes may occur

Note that it is always the digital version that is valid before the printed format.