Official Game Rules 2025
In the tournament we will follow the official Finnish Basketball Association rules with the following exceptions.
● Playing time: adults, U19-, U16- and U14-13-juniors 2 x 15 minutes active playing time. U12-11 Mini and U10-9 Micro-juniors play 2 x 12 minutes active playing time.
● Halftime is three minutes.
● One timeout per period, per team.
● Team fouls will be full after 6 fouls per half, two free throws will be granted from the 7th foul.
Overtime and sudden-death
○ In the preliminary matches, overtime is played on the sudden-death principle, requiring the other team to reach a lead of at least two points during the overtime.
○ One three-minute overtime is played in playoff matches (i.e. in all matches played after the preliminary rounds). If the score is still tied after three minutes, a second overtime is played on the sudden-death principle, requiring the other team to reach a lead of at least two points during the overtime.
○ During the three-minute overtime, each team has one time-out available. During the sudden-death overtime, there is no time out available for teams.
○ Overtime played on the sudden death principle is started with a jump ball.
Form of defence
● U12-11 juniors and younger are required to use player guarding (no zone defense). Adults, U19-, U16 and U14-13-juniors are allowed to use any kind of defense (player guarding or zone defense).
● If a team is leading by over 30 points it is advised not to continue full court defense.
Jerseys
● The away team must switch the game jersey color, if both teams have the same color.
● Boys U12 (2013) competition/challenger will play in the higher baskets (305 cm). Girls U12-11 will be played in higher baskets (305 cm).
● Boys U11 challenger (2014), U10-9 boys and girls and younger play to small baskets (260 cm)
Ranking and play offs
● The team to rank highest in the preliminary rounds is the team with the most points. Every win grants the team 2 points, and loss 0 points. In situations where teams rank the same amount of points the system follows these steps:
1. most games won in mutual games
2. the point difference in mutual games
3. the higher point count in the mutual games
4. the point difference in all the games
5. the higher point count in all the games
5. Dice
● If a team is late by more than 5 minutes from a game, the courtmanager will talk to tournament jury, that makes a decision about a possible forfeit win, new game time ect.
● The teams must prepare to warm up outside of the court.
● Every court has an attending person who is in charge of the games, equipment and game sheets.
One team is allowed to have max. 2 over-aged players per team and need permision from the tournament organisation before hand.
GAME BALL
Size of game ball:
● U12-11 juniors and youger; size 5
● U19-U15 Girls, women and U13-14-junior boys and girls size 6
● U15-junior boys and older size 7.
Normal 3-point line is used in U13-juniors and older. In U12 and younger categories there is taped the Spanish box, which is used as 3 point line.
PROTEST
Protest is directed against the validity of the result of the match.
Protest has to be based on whether the player has the right to participate or not, or on serious violation of the rules by the referee or on some other incident that affected the result of the match. Protest, which is not fixed in the game protocol will not be further discussed.
Protest must be submitted in writing by a team representative (a person who has been designated on the registration form as team leader) no later than 15 minutes after the end of the protested match.
Protest has to be submitted to the organizing office.
All protests which are reported against irregular activity have to be consulted with the game referee before he leaves the field.
A general protest against the whole opposing team is not acceptable. Protests can not be submitted against the fast decisions that the referee makes.
Protest processing fee is 100 EUR. This amount will be refunded if the protest is successful. The jury’s final decision can not be appealed.
FORCE MAJORE
In the event that the tournament can’t be held or is postponed due to events beyond the control of the tournament organizers (force majore) or due to events which are not attributable to wrongful intent or gross negligence or the tournament organizers, the tournament organizers cannot be held liable by the delegations for any damages, costs or losses incurred, such as transportation costs, accommodation costs, costs for additional orders, financial losses etc. Under these circumstances, the tournament organizers reserve the right to either retain the entire registration and accommodation fee and to use it for a future tournament, or to reimburse the delegations after deducting costs already incurred for the organization of the tournament and which could not be recovered from third parties. Kempower Easter Tournament is in no way responsible for injury or economic loss which may arise in the case of war, warlike events, civil war, revolution or civil disturbances or because of the actions of the authorities, strikes, lockouts, blockades or similar events.