CHAPTER I

GENERAL REGULATIONS

Article 1.-  The rules of the present Regulation apply for all the Regional and World Championships of both branches supported or organized by FIMBA

AUTHORITIES OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Article 2.- The Regional and World Championships authorities shall be:

a)      FIMBA Authorities,

b)      FIMBA Regional Committees Authorities,

c)      The Championship Technical Coordinator

d)     The Championship Organizing Committee,

e)   The Championship Disciplinary Board.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

Article 3.- The official languages for the championship are Spanish and English. The Organizing Committee is obliged to have available interpreters of these languages.

WORLD AND REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Article 4.- The World and Regional championships shall last up to ten (10) days. They will begin on Friday at 09:00 am with the teams, players, companions and participants’ registration, and the mandatory Technical Congress and will be played in nine eight (8) or nine (9) days, starting on Saturday morning and ending Saturday or Sunday of the next week at 20:00 pm. There shall be two (2) or three (3) rest days for team throughout the whole event. The rest days must not be consecutive nor occur in the same phase.

CHAPTER II

THE TEAMS

AGE CATEGORIES

Article 5.- Maxibasketball Regional and World Championships age categories (referred categories in the following) are as follows:

Women: Pre maxi (27), 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65 years and over.

Men: Pre maxi (30), 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 65, 70 and 75 years and over.

Article 6.– In the future new categories could be introduced.

AGE OF THE PLAYERS

Article 7.- Players have to be at the age of his/her category or reach it during the year of the tournament. Player cannot play in any higher age category.

a)      Men players with age to play in the categories 45+ and 50+, and women players with age to play in the categories 40+ and 45+ may play in any of the two younger categories. (E.g. a player with age to play in 50+ may play in the categories 45+ and 40+, but not in 35+)

b)      Men players with age to play in the categories 75+, 70+, 65+, 60+ and 55+, and women players with age to play in the categories 60+, 55+ and 50+ may play only in the next younger category. (E.g. a player with age to play in 65+ may play only in the category 60+)

QUANTITY OF COUNTRIES AND TEAMS BY CATEGORY

Article 8.- The minimum quantity of countries for setting a category shall be three.

Article 9.- If there is not a minimum of four teams in an official category, the teams of this category shall play against the teams in the lower category. For the final standing and if there are at least two teams from different countries, there shall be final games for the first place amongst the teams of their own category. The teams will receive only the corresponding championship medals on the basis of their placing in their own category.

TEAMS PER COUNTRY AND CATEGORIES

Article 10.- Every country may register more than one team by category. The teams will be identified as A, B, etc.. The home country will have privilege and preeminence in the registration. The FIMBA Technical Committee will give the registration permissions.

1)      All teams need the endorsement of the national FIMBA Representative in order to make the registration.

FINALS BETWEEN COUNTRIES

Article 11.- No country may be worthy for both 1st and 2nd place awards in the same category.

a)      If more than one team of the same country play in the same category, they shall play amongst them until their elimination, so only one team of any country qualifies for semifinals.

b)      If more than of two teams of the same country qualify to the semifinals, the timetable of the tournament should anticipate the mandatory elimination among them.

PLAYING REGULATIONS

Article 12.- The teams registered in any category are ordered to the necessary amount of qualification groups by a draw led by the application authorities according the official games schedules.

a)      Every team shall play in a round robin pool. If there are two or more groups in a category the winner team of one group plays against the team placed second in another group. The winners of the semifinals play for the first place and the losers against each other for the third place.

b)      If among the four semi-finals teams there are two of the same country, they shall play among themselves, regardless the group they belong to and their placing.

c)      Those teams requiring changes of date or time in the Official Schedule may ask it to the Organizing Committee only due to: creed, departure schedule on the final day or force majeure. The request for a change in written form must be submitted to the Organizing Committee no later than thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the tournament. After that date no change will be allowed for any reason.

CHAPTER III

PARTICIPANTS – PLAYERS AND ROSTERS

PARTICIPANTS

Article 13.– Participants means: all players, delegates, delegation presidents, coaches, auxiliaries, referees, score keepers, journalists, registered companions, event governors, staff and FIMBA governors, etc. An auxiliary means an official team member other than a player, coach or delegate.

DIPLOMAS

Article 14.- The Organizing Committee will give a diploma of participation to all the Championship’s participants, signed by the President of the Organizing Committee, the President of FIMBA and/or the President of the Regional Committee.

DELEGATIONS

Article 15.– A team or the teams from one country may have a president of the delegation but always shall have a team delegate responsible of each team.

Article 16.- Every delegation member may perform as player, in addition to the specific functions they have been assigned to in their own delegation. Only the FIMBA Representatives of the country or those having executive positions in their own national entity will be entitled to act as president.

Article 17.- Delegations shall afford the following expenses:

a)   Delegation lodging and travel,

b)   Championship Entry Fee,

c)   All members charges and expenses during the tournament, and

e)      Delegation domestic travel expenses.

1)      The teams, the auxiliaries and the companions who by any reason cannot participate in a Championship, will be refunded with the 50% of the payment of the registration fees subject to information to the Organizing Committee not later than forty five (45) days previous to the beginning of the Championship.

2)      After the time mentioned above no refund will be reimbursed for retirement or nonattendance. The registration fees paid will be kept to cover the expenses of the championship.

REGISTRATION CARD

Article 18.- Each member of the participating teams will receive a personal registration card signed by the Organizing Committee’s authorities. The card will be his/her identification during the whole tournament.

PLAYERS

Article 19.- The participating teams shall be composed of native players of their country. Players with at least one-year residence in the participating country will be allowed to play in a team from the corresponding county.

1)      A player won’t be allowed to participate representing another country until the next tournament of the same kind of championship. The qualification period shall include at least two years.

ELIGIBILLITY OF THE PLAYERS

Article 20.- A player eligible to play at FIMBA Championships, Leagues, Regional and World Championships is one who:

a) is of appropriate age or whose corresponding birthday takes place within the current calendar year in compliance with Article 7,

b) as proved his/her age by a document issued by the appropriate authorities previous to the start of the championship,

c) is registered in the Team Roster of his/her team previous to the start of the championship,

d) has paid the registration fee and

e) who has informed of his/her physical aptitude and signed a waiver of responsibilities.

DELEGATES

Article 21.- The delegate is the team representative for FIMBA and for the championship Organizing Committee. The Delegate is:

a)      the press representative of his/her team,

b)      the person responsible for giving the Official Team Roster on time and with all the formalities,

c)      the person responsible to submit the data and birthday of the players.

d)     The delegate is the only one allowed to make changes and to add players in the Team Roster.

1)      The Delegate shall accomplish all and every FIMBA rules and regulations signing the waivers signatures statement form.

TEAM ROSTER

Article 22.- The team roster of each team participating in FIMBA Championship, Leagues, Regional or World Championships shall be filled on-line or e-mailed, or posted to the Organizing Committee, prior to the tournament registration deadline.

a)      The roster will show mandatorily for every player the date of birth and the number of passport or of respective document issued by the appropriate authorities.

b)      The roster shall be integrated by a minimum of players according to the category and up to 15 players of the same category.

c)      In the men categories 30+, 35+, 40+, 45+ and 50+ and in the women categories 30+, 35+, 40+ and 45+ the roster shall have a minimum of 8 players.

d)     In the men categories 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+ and 75+ and in the women categories 50+, 55+, 60+ and 65+ the roster shall have a minimum of 10 players

e)      A team with less than 15 players is allowed to include in the roster a coach, an assistant or a delegate up to 15 members in total.

PLAYING IN MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY

Article 23.– No player is allowed to play in more than one category at the same championship.

EXTRA AUXILIARIES

Article 24.- An auxiliary may request from the Organizing Committee any right and/or obligation, when they had paid the fees for their extra auxiliaries registration. Up to three (3) extra auxiliaries in the same team will be allowed.

CHANGES AND INCORPORATIONS

Article 25.- Any change within the limits of these rules on a team roster is allowed to be made at the Registration Center until the registration of the team and shall be included in the team roster at the time of registration.

1)      The roster shall not be modified or enlarged in any way after that moment.

AGES, PHISICAL APTITUDE AND RELEASED WAIVERS

Article 26.- At the registration the team delegate shall submit to the Organizer Committee the I.D´s of all the members of the team, the information of physical aptitude and the released waivers signed by each member of the team.

1)      The registration cards will be given when these terms are fulfilled.

PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATE

Article 27.- Any participant may request to the Organizing Committee to issue a certificate of his/her participation for the period of the tournament.

PLAYING JERSEYS

Article 28.- At the time of registration, each team delegate shall inform to the Organizing Committee at the Registration Center the colors of the two sets of the mandatory play jerseys, one light and one dark.

1)      Thirty (30) minutes before each next game the delegate shall inform to the score table the roster of the 12 players and the jersey numbers for that game.

Article 29.– Jerseys may show the team country name, inscriptions and/or advertising. Advertising shall be informed prior to FIMBA for being authorized. No discriminatory images or morally unaccepted inscriptions are allowed. All the jerseys shall have in any front angle the FIMBA logo.

CHAPTER IV

TECHNICAL CONGRESS OF A CHAMPIONSHIP

Article 30.- The Organizing Committee shall arrange an informative Technical Congress with obligatory attendance of all the teams’ delegates before the start of the games.

1)      All the information will be communicated previously by the Organizing Committee in the official magazine “Overtime” of the Championship. Any additional information during the tournament shall be notified to all the participant teams with certainty of its reception by all teams and their delegates. The Organizing Committee must obligatorily have translators of English, Russian, Portuguese and Spanish during the Congress.

2)      The following information shall be available to the participants of the Technical Congress.

a)    Information about courts location, games schedule, tournament and game rules, referees, and score keepers, celebrations, delegates’ dinners, ceremonies, general information, etc.

b)   Championship meetings schedule.

3)      There will not be change to the schedule nor any modification of games or dates at the Congress.

ISSUES OF MAXIBASKETBALL GENERAL CONCERN

Article 31.- After the Technical Congress it will be able to treat all the matters considered by FIMBA and/or the Regional Committees of general interest for the development and improvement of Maxibasketball, being able to designate time and place of close meetings during the tilt which there will may attend the delegates of the different teams, the presidents of every delegation, the authorities of the Organizing Committee, the Regional authorities, the FIMBA Representatives, the Technical Coordinator and the authorities of FIMBA.

CHAPTER V

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR

Article 32.- The championship Technical Coordinator will be appointed by FIMBA and will be:

a)      The Technical commissioner and the controller of the championship,

b)      The coordinator of the referees and the score keepers,

c)      The technical chief during the tournament,

d)     The evaluator of the aspirants for FIMBA Referee,

e)      The person sending to the Disciplinary Board the referees’ reports and the games disqualifications without report.

1)        His/her duties and rights start at the day of the opening of the Registration Center and shall finish at the hour 24 of the last day of the championship

2)        The Organizing Committee is obliged to name a bilingual person with knowledge of the local language available to assist and cooperate with the Technical Coordinator.

3)        He/she has the duty of attending with the Technical Coordinator to the Technical Congress and all other meetings scheduled during the tournament in which the Technical Coordinator has to be present.

4)        The duties and rights of the Technical Coordinator are as follows:

a)   Before the start of the championship games, in the date and time scheduled by the Organizing Committee according the forced rules will have a technical meeting with the national and international referees for:

aa) introducing the national and international referees, and

ab) informing of tournament rules, the time table, the schedule, any refereeing suggestion, changes and last minute info, etc;

b) To control the game schedule of the Championship;

c)   During the Technical Congress:

ca) to recall the tournament rules,

cb) to present behavior recommendations for teams and players,

cc) to inform about referees and score keepers situation,

cd) to explain any playing rule,

ce) to bring to minds of the participants the duties for home and visitor color of playing jerseys, the importance of on time games starting and the time table of all the categories, and

cf) to answer any technical question;

d)   To appoint referees leading the games. To appoint the main referee and the second and or third one, plus a substitute referee just in case of absence or any circumstantial issue of any of the two appointed. A FIMBA Referee will always be the main referee. To remove from the referees board that or those who does/do not show enough competence and qualified technical skills to perform in the tournament;

e)   To appoint the score keepers -age of not younger than 18 years prior to the start required- and to hold meetings with them in order to test their responsibility competence and knowledge skills;

f)       To supervise the score tables during all the championship games, by himself or herself or through any of the people appointed by the Organizing Committee;

g)      To control and endorse all the score sheets, checking the progressive score and each player score, as well as the partial and the final results and the disqualifications without report;

h)      At the 72 hours of the tournament start to express the evaluation of the aspirants to FIMBA Referee. Those who were showing positive aptitudes will continue and those who are reproved will finish the performance losing the rights of accommodation and extras, returning to the places of origin;

i)        To fill up with the qualified teams the draw for semifinals and finals games once the qualification groups have been expired in compliance with the procedure of the present regulation;

j)        To submit to the Organizing Committee and to FIMBA authorities, a general summary of the championship´s technical development, including the qualification of the aspirants for FIMBA Referee, the result of every game played and the final classification of the participating teams and each category scorer;

k)      To send daily to the Disciplinary Board of the Championship the referee´s reports and the disqualifications without report.

Article 33.- The referees appointment by the championship Technical Coordinator shall not be opposed or objected under any circumstances.

Article 34.- The Organizing Committee shall have enough score keepers with capacity and quantity to cover all the games of the championship, and an enough auxiliaries to cooperate as supervisors of the official tables when the Technical Coordinator ask for them. Their age shall not be less than 18 years at the start of the tournament.

1)      The Technical Coordinator will appoint these supervisors for each game. At his discretion is, if necessary to:

a) Remove anyone of them from the tournament, and

b) Appoint new score keepers or supervisors.

Article 35.– The person designated by the Organizing Committee to cooperate with the Technical Coordinator, will indicate to him the local referees, which will have to be duly authorized by national and international entity to be eligible to cooperate with the international FIMBA referees designated for the tournament..

1)      Any FIMBA referee will have his/her annual license updated to be eligible for designation.

CHAPTER VI

CELEBRATIONS

OPENING CELEBRATION

Article 36.- An Opening Celebration -the participation in which is mandatory for every team-, will take place the starting day of the Championship, in the gym where after the celebration one game scheduled will be played.

1)      The Organizing Committee and FIMBA may resolve any other kind of celebration appropriate to the tournament interest.

Article 37 - All participants of all countries shall:

a)      Parade behind their flags and their countries names, carried by people appointed by the Organizing Committee, in alphabetical order of countries, excluding the Delegation of the Organizing country, which shall close the parade.

b)      They will stand in front at the Honor Stage in a row behind their banner or flag.

c)      The official FIMBA music will be played during the parade.

d)     Once the Delegations are in their positions, the National Anthem of the Organizing Country will be played.

e)      Next:

ea) the President of the Organizing Committee will say a few welcome words. He/she shall not exceed two (2) minutes.

eb) FIMBA President or his representative will greet and give special awards. His/her speech shall not exceed three (3) minutes.

ec) The Director of the Regional Entity where the championship is held will then officially open the Championship, with these words: “As President of (regional entity), I declare the (number) (Regional or World) Maxibasketball Championship (City and year) officially open”.

f)       A fanfare or the official FIMBA music will sound and the Delegations will leave the court through the shortest way, in the entrance order.

g)      After that a show in agreement with the event will be presented.

h)      The celebration must not last more than 45 minutes in total.

i)        Once the celebration has finished, a game scheduled for that date should be played.

SOCIAL EVENT

Article 38.- On Tuesday night or before the ending of the qualification groups a free social event with dinner and amusement will take place joining all the championship participants, authorities and staff. During the event the next Tournaments and host cities will be announced.

DELEGATES' DINNER

Article 39.- On Thursdays night a formal dinner will be served for FIMBA Representatives, teams delegates, authorities and staff of FIMBA, authorities of the Organizing Committee and special guests.

THE AWARDS OF A CHAMPIONSHIP

Article 40.- Every member of the four best teams in each category shall presented prizes as follows immediately after the end of the games:

a)      A bronze medal for the third place and a grey steel medal for the fourth place.

b)      A gold medal for the first place and a silver medal for the second place.

c)      There will be 15 medals in total for each of the four teams.

d)     Every 1^st place team in each category shall receive a cup or a respective award.

TIME OF THE FIRSTS AND LAST GAME OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Article 41.- The firsts games scheduled shall start at, or after 9 am of the first day and the last scheduled game shall start at, or before 6 pm of the last day.

PRESENTING THE PRIZES

Article 42.- FIMBA authorities and the Organizing Committee will present the medals corresponding to the fourth first places.

GOODBYE GREET

Article 43.- The President of the Organizing Committee will give a goodbye greet to the participants in each celebration.

CHAPTER VII

THE GAMES

Article 44.- All the games in the qualification groups shall have the following score:

a)      Two points (2): For a win;

b)      One point (l): For a loss;

c)      Zero point (0): For the team who fails to attend the game on the scheduled time and court or who leaves the game.

Article 45.- Every team shall play no more than only one game a day.

Article 46.- No team may play two consecutive games in less than 20 hours, nor play a game in more than three consecutive days.

Article 47.- All teams will play a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of seven (7) games during the event. Men categories of 60 and over and women of 50 and over may not play more than 5 games.

Article 48.- The games shall be scheduled every one hour and forty-five minutes during the qualification, and every two hours at the finals. There shall not be any tolerance. The team which not shows at the fixed time shall lose the game.

SUSPENSION OF GAMES

Article 49.- A game suspended due to any reason once started or prior its start, shall not be rescheduled. The Disciplinary Board shall decide on the corresponding sanctions and the result.

Article 50.- Repealed

Article 51.- There shall not be any changes in dates or games, nor any reschedule of games for any reason, once the tournament starts and when the game schedule is already settled.

GAMES

Article 52.- Every game played shall not be played again for any reason, respecting the sanctions and results decided by the Disciplinary Board.

Article 53.- All scheduled games shall be played.

FINAL GAMES

Article 54.- In all the cases finals shall be played by each category, which shall be held, if it is possible, the same day.

TIE SCORE SYSTEM

Article 55.- In the event of a tie between two, three or more teams, the standings shall be defined as follows:

Between two teams, the winner of the game qualifies,

Among three or more teams, the Olympic procedure will be applied:

a)      Winners among themselves,

b)      If still remains, goals difference (for and against) among them,

c)      If still remains, the one who had achieved more goals within the qualification zone.

TRAINING

Article 56.- The Organizing Committee shall foresee, within 48 hours prior to the tournament and during the free time of the Championship, places and times for training and practice of each registered team, who had duly requested and submitted in written to the Registration and Information Center.

CHAPTER VIII

PLAYING RULES

Article 57.– Any playing rule not expressly modified herein, shall be governed by the valid Official Basketball Rules as approved by FIBA.

QUARTERS

Article 58.- Maxibasketball games shall be played in two (2) halves of 20 minutes each, divided into four (4) quarters of 10 minutes each.

REST BETWEEN QUARTERS

Article 59.-  There shall be an obligatory 2-minute rest between the first and the second quarter, and between the third and the fourth quarter. There shall be an obligatory 10-minute rest between the first and the second half, i.e. between the second and the third quarter.

RESTART OF THE GAME

Article 60.- First quarter begins with a jump ball between both teams at the court centre circle. The rest of the quarters follow the rule of the alternate ball.

TIME OUTS

Article 61.- Each team may request three time outs during the first and second half with a maximum of two per quarter.

1)      Each over time shall have one time out per team.

TEAM FOULS

Article 62.- A four fouls accumulation by team and per quarter will determine at the fifth foul, the sanction of two throws by the fouled player.

1)      The accumulation of four fouls is per quarter and shall be informed by the table of control in a visible way.  All the quarters begin without accumulation of team fouls.

PLAY SHIRTS COLORS

Article 63.- The team on the left side of the schedule shall use light jerseys. The team on the right side of the schedule shall use dark jerseys.

SPECIAL RULES FOR UPPER CATEGORIES

Article 64.- The men categories of 60 and over and women categories of 50 and over will be played by the rule of 30-second of ball possession by team and will have 10-seconds for passing the middle court.

a)      The men categories of 60 and over and women categories of 50 and over will have four time outs per half period, having the right to ask only two per quarter.

b)      These categories will play in the shortest and smallest court used for the event.

c)      The men 75+ category will play without stop of the clock except in the last two minutes of each quarter, during the fouls shoots and during the time outs. There won´t be any limit for passing the middle court in the 30-seconds ball position.

SCORE SHEETS

Article 65.- Score sheets shall be issued and filed by the Organizing Committee with the players and numbers submitted by the team delegate 30 minutes prior the game. Players shall be registered at the official roster.

1)      Any administration mistake shall be exclusive on the responsibility of the Organizing Committee and not of the participating teams.

SIGNATURE OF THE SCORE SHEET

Article 66.- The captain of the team shall be the only responsible person for signing the score sheet prior to the start of the game.

CHAPTER IX

DISCIPLINARY BOARD OF A CHAMPIONSHIP

Article 67.– A Disciplinary Board will be appointed for every championship composed by three (3) titular members and one substitute, according the Procedure and Penalties Code for FIMBA Championships. The Organizing Committee shall provide an office at the Registration and Information Center and a visible billboard for the information of sanctions, suspensions, appeals, complaints and the decisions of the Disciplinary Board and a similar billboard at the website of the championship.

PREVIOUS DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Article 68.– A person punished with a sanction to be complete in a future championship, won´t be allowed to play or participate in any way until the whole punishment is completed.

AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION

Article 69.–  A disqualified player in a game is suspended for the next game. If a report is sent to the Disciplinary Board he/she must follow the decision made.

DOUBLE TECHNICAL FOUL

Article 70.– A player punished in the game with a second technical foul will be disqualified from the game.

CHAPTER X

ESPECIFIC REGULATIONS

Article 71.-  Every team, player and assistant, the FIMBA championships organizers and any official attendant shall fulfill and honor all and every FIMBA rules and regulations.