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  2. Rules and Regulations

Rules and Regulations

Bookstore Basketball 2025 Rules

Sportsmanship

  1. Any fighting during a Bookstore Basketball game will result in the IMMEDIATE EXPULSION of any individual player involved. The Executive Board will make final judgments and decisions.
  2. At the coin toss of each game commissioners will make teams aware of the Flagrant Foul/Technical Foul Rule:
    • A player or team engaging in questionable behavior, aggressive physicality, verbal abuse towards others, etc. may be given a technical by a referee. In rounds without referees, members of the Executive Board have the ability to give a technical foul in case of such behavior. A technical foul results in one free throw and possession for the opposing team.
    • A second technical will result in an automatic ejection for the remainder of the game. No Sub will be allowed to come in for an ejected player and the opposing team is gifted a free throw.
    • The ejected player must follow up with the Executive Board on why he/she was ejected before participating in the next round of games.
  3. A flagrant foul and/or unsportsmanlike conduct may result in an immediate ejection without warning, if deemed necessary.


Crowd Control

  1. Teams will be responsible for the behavior of their fans at each game.
  2. Fans are encouraged to actively support and cheer for their favorite teams but we ask that remarks and behavior be kept appropriate.
  3. In addition, any time the crowd disrupts the game and commissioners are unable to determine who is at fault, both captains will be warned and if the behavior persists, BOTH teams will be awarded technical foul shots.

Rules Decisions

In the event of a conflict or controversy concerning the rules, the head executive(s) and his/her staff will make the final judgment and interpretation.

Tournament Eligibility Rules

    • Students must be currently enrolled or have graduated within the semester prior to the tournament.
    • Full-time & part-time regular employees and full-time & part-time temporary employees are eligible if working at the time of the tournament.
    • Summer and seasonal employees are not eligible.
    • Volunteers of the University are ineligible.All graduate and undergraduate ND/SMC/Holy Cross men, women, faculty and staff are eligible with the following exceptions:
  2. Only one player who has dressed for a NCAA Division I basketball team within the last 10 years, male or female, per team. Any NCAA Division I basketball player may not be substituted for another Division I player. Also, any Division I basketball player, scholarship or walk-on, may not participate in the tournament in the academic year which he/she has dressed for a Division I team, unless that player’s NCAA eligibility has expired.
  3. Any team with a NCAA Division I basketball player, as described in Rule 2, may have only one Division II/III or NAIA basketball player. All other teams are permitted to have 2 Division II/III or NAIA basketball players. A Division II/III or NAIA player is anyone who has dressed for an NCAA Division II/III or NAIA basketball team within the last 10 years, male or female.
  4. Only two players who are currently a part of a club basketball team may play on the same team. This number would decrease to one club basketball player if a former Division I player with expired eligibility is on the team or a Division II/III or NAIA player is on the team. If you have a former Division I player with expired eligibility and a Division II/III or NAIA player on the team or 2 Division II/III or NAIA basketball players on the team, you may not have any club basketball players on the team.
  5. Only 3 football players (current or former for the University of Notre Dame) may play on the same team. If one football player is injured, another football player may be substituted in the next game, but at no time can more than three football players be on the court for one team.
  6. Only one basketball (former Division I with expired eligibility, Division II/III or NAIA, or club basketball) player and one football player may play together on the same team.
  7. For the Men’s and Women’s tournaments, the five players who start the game must finish the game – SUBSTITUTIONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM THE ROUND OF 32 AND ON (MEN’S) & ELITE 8 (WOMEN’S). For the CoRec tournament, there may be up to 8 people on the roster (4 boys and 4 girls) who are eligible to play at any point in the tournament.
  8. If a player is unable to continue, then the team is allowed ONE sub who is not on any other team’s roster. A team is permitted to start a game with as few as two players.
  9. NO ONE CAN PLAY FOR MORE THAN ONE TEAM STARTING AT THE ROUND OF 32 (MEN’S), ELITE 8 (CoRec and WOMEN’S).
    If this occurs, both the player and the second team will be disqualified. The first team will also be disqualified should the player return and play for the first team after being disqualified.
  10. Commissioners reserve the right to stop the game at any point they deem necessary to resolve any possible eligibility issues.

    If a team member or members cannot be at the game for some reason, teams are free to use other players, provided that those players have not played for any other team.

Playing Procedures

  1. As in the past, games will be played regardless of weather conditions unless notified by the Bookstore executives.
  2. Each team will provide a basketball and the team captains will decide which is to be used.
  3. Teams have a ten-minute grace period to field a team of eligible players before forfeiting.
  4. Players must check in with an Executive/Commissioner with their Student ID’s to confirm they are on the roster for that team.

Commissioners reserve the right to move games to another court and possess the authority to suspend games in the case of severe weather that threatens the safety of players and fans.

Bookstore Basketball Official Game Rules

  1. The winner of a coin toss or rock, paper, scissors chooses possession or direction of play.
  2. In the case of a dispute over the ball to be used, teams will play with the ball provided by the Bookstore Basketball Commissioners.
  3. The game is played to 21 baskets; the winning margin must be two (2) points. All baskets are 1 point.
  4. When one team reaches 11 baskets, teams must change ends. There is a short halftime break.
  5. The ball is to be brought back into play after a foul, etc., by passing it off at the top of the key.
  6. Dunking is legal, but goaltending on both ends is not allowed.
  7. The top, bottom and sides of the backboard are in play. Pinning the ball against the backboard is legal. In the case of a jump ball, alternate possession rules. The poles on all courts, however, are out of bounds.
  8. Referees will not be provided until the Round of 32 (Men’s) and Elite 8 (Women’s and Corec). Players call their own fouls with the fouled team retaining the ball. We are sorry, but we have neither the manpower nor the money to have referees for the early round games.
  9. For all refereed games, team fouls will be counted. Teams committing an excess number of fouls will be penalized according to the following rules.
    • Teams will shoot free throws on the seventh foul of each half, NOT including offensive fouls. Half is when one team reaches eleven. Fouls reset to zero at the half.
    • If the shooter is fouled and the basket is good, the foul is counted against the offending team, but no free throw is awarded. If the shot is missed, the fouled player is awarded one free throw. If the free throw is made the other team gets the ball out of bounds. If the free throw is missed, the fouled team gets the ball at the top of the key. This is to eliminate fouling for possession.
    • All free throws have the same value as a basket – one point.
    • In the case of a flagrant foul/clear path foul the basket will be counted if the shot was good; a foul shot will be shot and the fouled team will get the ball at the top of the key no matter the result of the foul shot.
    • Technical fouls may also be called when, in the judgment of the officials, a player has committed an unsportsmanlike act toward another player or the official. Technical fouls will result in a free throw and the ball for the non-offending team. Two technical fouls on the same player will result in an ejection of the offending player
  10. After each foul that does not result in a free throw, the ball is awarded directly to the fouled team. The team must pass it in off the check. The team cannot dribble off the check.
  11. At the start of the second half, the team that is losing starts with the ball.

PLEASE NOTE: In all situations not explicitly defined in these rules, normal basketball rules apply. BACKCOURT VIOLATIONS ARE ENFORCED IN ALL ROUNDS.

Rescheduling Policy

  1. If for any reason one of the two teams cannot play at the scheduled time, it is acceptable for the game to be rescheduled at an alternative time (see Rule 5 below for the exception).
  2. To reschedule a game, the captain of your team must contact your opponent’s captain. The captains must then agree on a time and place outside of the scheduled Bookstore Basketball hours acceptable for both teams; obviously, THE GAME MUST BE PLAYED BEFORE THE END OF THE ROUND. Please note: You do not have to call a commissioner for permission to reschedule a game. If neither team shows up at the rescheduled time, it will be assumed that the game has been rescheduled.

    If both parties cannot agree on a rescheduled time before the next round game, the team which arrives at the originally scheduled time slot will be awarded the victory. If neither team shows up at the original time, both teams will be eliminated.
  3. After playing the rescheduled game, the winner will simply proceed to the next scheduled game.
  4. In order to better serve our teams, we will be keeping track of rescheduled games. After playing a rescheduled game please email the Bookstore Basketball address at
    bkstr@nd.edu to report the winner.
  5. From the round of 64 (Open) & elite 8 (CoRec and Women’s) onwards, rescheduling of games is prohibited.

    If the winner of a rescheduled game is not reported by the end of the round, the team may have to forfeit its next games.

Court Layouts

Bookstore Lot

1 3 5
2 4 6


Grass field