Entry & Eligibility
Team Allocations & Structure
Competition Format & Home Games
Entry Process & Compliance
League Rules & Conduct
Home Venue Hosting Responsibilities
Pre-Game Responsibilities
Post-Game Responsibilities
First Aid Requirements
Club Contact
Club Delegate
Sponsorship Compliance
Overview
Rule Adjustments
General Rules
Score Table Officials
SEAJBL will provide one score table official for all scheduled grading and regular season games.
Home teams must provide a competent score table support person for all Championship Division games and 18U Division 1 games.
Scoresheet Details
All participating players must be correctly entered by each team prior to the start of the game.
Late-arriving players may only be added to the scoresheet once they have arrived, and during a timeout or at the end of the 1st quarter.
Players not entered into the scoresheet are not permitted to enter the game.
Players arriving after the end of the 2nd quarter are ineligible to participate.
All players must be registered via the SEAJBL website and assigned to their team at least 2 hours before their scheduled game.
If a player is not listed under their team at game time, they are ineligible to participate.
Basketball Size
Time In The Key
All 12U divisions will play with a 5-second key (paint) violation rule.
All 14U divisions and older will play with a 3-second key (paint) violation rule.
Foul Line
All 12U divisions will use a shortened free throw line. If no dedicated markings are available, referees will indicate a spot approximately one foot closer to the basket than the standard free throw line.
All 14U divisions and older will shoot from the standard free throw line.
Warm Up Time
All teams will be allocated 5 minutes of warm-up time before the scheduled game start.
In the event of delays, referees may reduce the warm-up period to a minimum of 3 minutes at their discretion.
Scoretable officials must operate the clock to display the warm-up countdown before the game begins.
Timing & Shot Clock Rules
Unsportsmanlike Fouls
An unsportsmanlike foul is contact by a player that, in the judgment of the referee(s), meets any of the following criteria:
Referees must apply the criteria consistently throughout the game, judging only the action, not the intent.
Penalty for unsportsmanlike foul:
If neither team had control or possession, a jump ball situation will occur.
At the start of the first quarter, the game will resume with a jump ball at the center circle.
Number of Free Throws:
Technical Fouls
A technical foul is a non-contact foul of a behavioural nature, including but not limited to the following actions:
Ignoring referee warnings.
Disrespectful communication or behaviour toward referees, score table officials, opponents, or bench personnel.
Using offensive language or gestures likely to incite or offend spectators.
Baiting, taunting, or provoking opponents.
Obstructing an opponent’s vision by waving or placing hands near their eyes.
Excessive swinging of elbows without making contact.
Deliberately delaying the game by:
Touching the ball after it passes through the basket, or
Preventing a prompt throw-in.
Faking being fouled (flopping).
Hanging on the ring to the extent that the player’s weight is fully supported by it, except when:
Momentarily grasping the ring after a dunk, or
Grasping the ring to prevent injury, at the referee’s discretion.
Goaltending during the last free throw by a defensive player (resulting in the offensive team being awarded 1 point plus a technical foul against the defender).
Penalty for technical foul:
One free throw shall be awarded to the opposing team.
After the free throw:
If a team had control of the ball or was entitled to possession when play was stopped, that team will resume play with a throw-in from the spot nearest to where the ball was located.
If neither team had control or possession, a jump ball situation will occur.
At the start of the first quarter, the game will resume with a jump ball at the center circle.
Disqualifications / Ejections
All disqualified players must leave the court promptly and in an appropriate manner.
All disqualifications will be referred to the SEAJBL Tribunal for review.
First-time disqualifications will be reviewed, and penalties will be determined by the Tribunal.
A second disqualification will result in a minimum one-game suspension.
Any further disqualifications will be reviewed, with additional penalties applied at the Tribunal’s discretion.
No Zone Policy
Mercy Rules
To ensure a respectful and positive playing environment for all teams, SEAJBL applies a Mercy Rule guideline for games where the score margin becomes significantly unbalanced.
When the Mercy Rule Applies
If the Mercy Rule is Accepted
If the Mercy Rule is Declined
Overview
All player registrations and payments must be completed through the SEAJBL website.
Players are responsible for ensuring all required information is submitted accurately.
If SEAJBL requires clarification or additional information, the league will contact the player and/or parent.
A 7-day response policy applies: if the requested information is not provided within 7 days, SEAJBL reserves the right to take appropriate action, which may include temporarily suspending the player’s participation in the league.
Team Lists
Club administrators are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all team lists.
Each team is permitted a maximum of 15 registered players per season.
Additional player slots beyond 15 are only allowed in cases of season-ending injuries, and require submission of a valid medical certificate.
Injured players who are replaced become ineligible to participate in game play for the remainder of the season.
Any player who has participated in a Championship Division game during the season is ineligible to play in a lower division.
Players are only eligible to compete in one SEAJBL age group, per season, per competition.
If fill-in players are required, please refer to the Fill-In Player Policy.
Breaches of any team list rules will result in a walkover loss applied to the relevant game(s).
Unregistered Players
All players must be registered via the SEAJBL website and allocated to their team prior to the start of the game.
Games will not be delayed to accommodate last-minute player registrations.
Any team found to have fielded an unregistered player will incur a walkover loss for the relevant game(s).
Starting Players
Fill-In Player Policy
Fill-in players are permitted when a team has five or fewer players available for a game.
When using a fill-in player, teams may field no more than seven players for that game.
Fill-in players must come from a lower age group and/or lower division.
Players from any Championship Division (regardless of age group) are not eligible to fill in for Division 1 teams.
All fill-in players must be registered in advance via the SEAJBL website.
A fill-in player may participate in an alternate team for a maximum of two games per season.
To request a fill-in player exemption, please submit your application [here].
Team Transfers
Any player who participates in one or more games with a team during Grading Round 1 is ineligible to transfer or play for another team within that phase, unless exceptional circumstances are approved by SEAJBL.
Similarly, any player who competes in one (1) or more games during Grading Round 2 is not permitted to change teams for the remainder of Grading Round 2 or the regular season, except where exceptional circumstances are approved by SEAJBL.
Any player who has participated in a Championship Division game during the season is ineligible to play in a lower division.
Club Transfers During The Season
The new club must initiate the transfer by lodging a request [here].
Transfers may take up to 5 business days to process. Until approval is granted, the player is ineligible to compete for their new club.
A valid reason must be provided with every transfer request.
Change of Residence: Player has moved house and can no longer reasonably travel to the original club’s location.
Welfare or Wellbeing Concerns: Includes issues such as bullying, mental health, or other safeguarding concerns reported by the player or guardian.
Conflict of Interest: Situations involving family breakdowns, player-parent coaching conflicts, or other sensitive relationship issues within the team or club.
The player’s current club has the right to veto the transfer. In such cases, SEAJBL will assess whether the reason provided is sufficient to override the veto.
Approved transfers must remain within the same age group, division, and league for the remainder of the season.
Breaches of any player transfer rules will result in a walkover loss applied to the relevant game(s).
Club Transfers During Off Season
The new club must initiate the transfer by lodging a request [here].
Transfers may take up to 5 business days to process.
A reason must be provided with every transfer request.
New clubs must adhere to a transfer cap of no more than four (4) players per age group and gender from the same opposing club.
An exception to this rule applies if the opposing club is not returning for the upcoming season.
All off-season transfer requests must be submitted at least 14 days prior to the scheduled start date of Grading Round 1 to be eligible for participation.
Overview
SEAJBL uses the LetsPlay platform for all game scheduling, and all clubs are required to utilize it to schedule and confirm fixtures.
Auto AI Scheduling
Clubs must submit their teams’ availability and venue requirements to SEAJBL by the published deadline. The platform will then automatically allocate games based on this information.
Manual Scheduling
Clubs receive a blank calendar to allocate their home games. These games must then be confirmed by the opposing (away) team.
Clubs must ensure all scheduled games are completed within the designated timeframes for each competition phase.
Acceptance Timeline
Once a home team schedules a game, the away team has 7 days to either accept or decline the proposed fixture.
If no response is received within this timeframe, the game will be automatically accepted.
This same 7-day response window applies to all neutral venue games scheduled by SEAJBL.
Comprehensive guidelines, expectations, and support documentation for club administrators using LetsPlay can be found [here].
Grading Rounds
Home teams are responsible for coordinating and scheduling their grading game against the next ranked opponent within their pool.
Neutral venue games will be scheduled and assigned directly by SEAJBL.
Pool | ||||
Team 1 | Away @ Team 2 | Neutral vs Team 3 | Home vs Team 4 | |
Team 2 | Home vs Team 1 | Away @ Team 3 | Neutral vs Team 4 | |
Team 3 | Neutral vs Team 1 | Home vs Team 2 | Away vs Team 4 | |
Team 4 | Away @ Team 1 | Neutral vs Team 2 | Home vs Team 3 |
Crossover Games
All crossover games will be played at neutral venues, with scheduling managed and assigned by SEAJBL.
Regular Season Games
All teams will be required to play 14 regular season games, consisting of 7 home games and 7 away games.
Game Changes
Each team is allowed one (1) game change request per game without penalty.
A S$175 cancellation fee will apply per game.
In addition, court booking fees will be charged, based on the venue’s individual rates.
Abandoned Games
If the game is abandoned before halftime, it will be fully rescheduled for a new date and time.
If the game is abandoned at or after halftime, the score at the time of abandonment will stand as the final result.
Exception – Crossover Games: If a crossover game is tied at the time of abandonment, it will be rescheduled in full, regardless of when the game was stopped.
Numbers Of Players For Finals
Games Qualifications
Players must participate in a minimum of eight (8) regular season games with their team to be eligible for finals.
For game qualification purposes, a player is deemed to have played if they are in uniform, listed on the scoresheet, and verified by the score table officials.
Any team found to have fielded unqualified player for finals games will incur a walkover loss for the relevant game(s).
Games Qualification Exemptions
If a team is unable to field the minimum of seven (7) qualified players for a finals game, the next most qualified player(s)—up to a total of seven—may be deemed eligible to participate.
If the team still cannot meet the minimum player requirement, they may request an exemption from SEAJBL to temporarily include players from a lower age group and from the same or a lower division.
Finals Eligibility for Players in Multiple Leagues
If a player is eligible and participating in two teams across different leagues within the same region, and both teams qualify for Finals, the league will notify the player in advance of any clashes.
The player (or their parent/guardian) must nominate which team they intend to represent for that round of Finals.
This nomination will apply for the entire duration of that Finals round and cannot be changed once submitted.
Tie Breaker Situations
The following scoring system is applied for regular season games:
The following process will be undertaken for tiebreaker situations for Finals games.
Two Teams Tied:
Use Head-to-Head result between the two teams to decide placing.
If their Head-to-Head score is equal, use points difference from all group games to decide.
More Than Two Teams Tied:
Use Head-to-Head result between the tied teams to decide placing.
If their Head-to-Head score is equal, use points difference from all group games to decide.
If still tied, the Head-to-Head score difference between remaining tied teams is applied.
Club Finals
Top 4 teams from each league will qualify for finals.
Finals will follow a two-round elimination format (Semi-Finals and Grand Final).
Medals will be awarded to the top three teams: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
Gold medallists, from each league, will earn automatic qualification to the SEAJBL Singapore Cup.
If the gold medal-winning team is unable to participate, the opportunity will be offered to the next highest-placed finisher.
School Finals
The top 2 teams from each school league will qualify for the finals.
Finals will follow a three-round elimination format.
Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals will be awarded to the top three finishers.
Both the Gold and Silver medallists will earn qualification to the SEAJBL Singapore Cup.
If a qualified team is unable to represent their school, the next highest-ranked team will be offered the opportunity to participate.
SEAJBL Singapore Cup
The SEAJBL Singapore Cup is a 4-team invitational event held in May, featuring a single-day, double-header format.
A random draw will be conducted 30 minutes before tip-off to determine the semi-final matchups, with teams selected from both club and school leagues.
The team drawn as Club Pick 1 will face School Pick 1 in the first semi-final.
The remaining two teams will automatically compete in the second semi-final.
Insufficient / Late Players
Each team must have a minimum of 5 players ready to take the court at the scheduled game start time.
If a team has fewer than 5 players at tip-off, the score table official will start the game clock, and a 1-point penalty will be applied for every full minute delayed, up to a maximum of 10 points.
If the team still does not have 5 players by the end of the first quarter, the game will be awarded as a walkover win to the opposing team.
If neither team has 5 players by the end of the first quarter, the match will be recorded as a draw, with no points awarded to either team.
Team No Show
In addition, any applicable court booking fees, as determined by the venue’s individual rates, will also be charged to the club.
In cases of repeat offenses, SEAJBL reserves the right to suspend or remove the team or club from the competition without refund or compensation.
Uniform Penalty
5-point penalty per player for wearing an incorrect or mismatched jersey.
5-point penalty per player for wearing incorrect or mismatched shorts.
A maximum of 10 penalty points may be applied against a team per game.
All uniform penalties will be assessed and enforced at the end of the 1st quarter.
Overview
At SEAJBL, we understand that every club has its own unique branding, colours, and design vision. Our goal is to celebrate that individuality while ensuring all team uniforms remain compatible with our game day technology. To support smooth game operations and accurate performance data, it is highly recommended that uniforms follow a few essential guidelines—particularly around number visibility. These standards ensure that AI systems can accurately recognize players in real-time, while still allowing clubs the freedom to express their identity through design.
Jersey Numbers
Number Style
Acceptable Numbers
Accessories
Prohibited Designs
Approval & Compliance
Blood Rule
Finger Nails
Prohibited Accessories & Safety Policy
Necklaces – must be removed
Earrings – must be removed or securely taped
Rings, bracelets, and wrist accessories – must be removed
Game officials have the authority to assess and address any safety concerns and will instruct players to remove prohibited items at their discretion.
Players who fail to comply with these safety requirements will not be permitted to participate in the game.
Hair Accessories
Drugs & Alcohol
Referees and SEAJBL officials have the authority to assess player fitness and may prevent any player suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol from participating.
Any player displaying signs of intoxication (e.g. impaired coordination, slurred speech, aggressive behaviour) will be immediately removed from the game.
Officials may request the intervention of team staff or venue personnel to assist in removing the player from the court.
Players found to be under the influence will not be permitted to return for the remainder of the game.
Incidents involving suspected drug or alcohol use must be reported to SEAJBL and the tribunal.
Players who breach this rule may face disciplinary actions, including suspension or removal from the league, as determined by the tribunal.
Photography, Video & Live Streaming
All attendees at SEAJBL games and events should be aware that photographs and video footage may be captured during events and used by SEAJBL for promotional, marketing, and media purposes across digital and print platforms.
This includes the live streaming of games, which may be broadcast publicly via SEAJBL-approved platforms such as YouTube or social media channels.
By attending, all participants and spectators consent to the use of their image in such media.
Social Media Policy
Code Of Conducts
More information coming soon!