Section I—Team

a. Each team shall consist of five players.  A player is disqualified from the game
when he receives his sixth personal foul. No team may be reduced to less than
five players. If a player in the game receives his sixth personal foul and all
substitutes have already been dis-qualified, said player shall remain in the game
and shall be charged with a personal and team foul. A technical foul also shall be
assessed against his team. All subsequent personal fouls, including offensive
fouls, shall be treated similarly. All players who have six or more personal fouls
and remain in the game shall be treated similarly.
b. In the event that there are only five eligible players remaining and one of these
players is injured and must leave the game or is ejected, he must be replaced by
the last player who was disqualified by reason of receiving six personal fouls. 
Each subsequent requirement to replace an injured or ejected player will be
treated in this inverse order. Any such re- entry into a game by a disqualified
player shall be penalized by a technical foul.
c. In the event that a player leaves the playing court while the ball is in play, play
will continue until the next stoppage of play and the player will be replaced if he is
not ready to return. No technical foul will be assessed, but the incident will be
reviewed by the league office for a possible fine and/or suspension.
a. EXCEPTION: Rule 10—Section XV

Section II—Starting Line-Ups

a. A team may have a captain and a co-captain numbering a maximum of two. The
designated captain may be anyone on the active list who is in uniform, except a
player-coach.
b. The designated captain is the only player who may ask an official about a rule
interpretation during a timeout charged to his team. He may not discuss a
judgment decision.
c. If the designated captain continues to sit on the bench, he remains the captain
for the entire game.
d. In the event that the captain is absent from the court and bench, his coach shall
immediately designate a new captain.

Section IV—The Coach and Others

a. The coach’s position may be on or off the bench from the substitution box line
(closest to the coach’s bench) to the baseline. A coach is not permitted to cross
the midcourt line and violators will be assessed an unsportsmanlike technical foul
immediately. All assistants and trainers must remain on the bench. Coaches and
 trainers are not permitted to go to the scorer’s table, for any reason, except
during a dead ball.
b. A player-coach, if permitted under NBA regulations, will have no special
privileges. He is to conduct himself in the same manner as any other player.
c. Any club personnel not seated on the bench must conduct themselves in a
manner that would reflect favorably on the dignity of the game and the officials.
Violations by any of the personnel indicated shall require a written report to the
League Office for subsequent action.
d. The bench shall be occupied only by a league-approved head coach, a maximum
of three assistant coaches, players and trainer. During an altercation, the head
and assistant coaches are permitted on the court as ‘peacemakers.
e. If a player, coach or assistant coach is suspended from a game or games, he
shall not at any time before, during or after such game or games appear in any
part of the arena or stands where his team is playing. A player, coach or
assistant coach who is ejected may only remain in the dressing room of his team
during the remainder of the game, or leave the building. A violation of this rule
shall call for an automatic fine of $2000.

Section V—Substitutes

a. A substitute shall report to the scorer and position himself in the vicinity of the 8’
Substitution Box located in front of the scorer’s table. For purposes of this rule,
the vicinity of the 8’ Substitution Box means the area from between the 28’ hash
mark closest to the bench of the player’s team and the midcourt line. He shall
inform the scorer whom he is going to replace. The scorer shall sound the horn to
indicate a substitution. The horn does not have to be sounded if the substitution
occurs between periods or during timeouts.
b. The substitute shall remain in the vicinity of the 8’ Substitution Box until he is
beckoned onto the court by an official. If the ball is about to become live, the
beckoning signal shall be withheld.
c. A substitute must be ready to enter the game when beckoned. No delays for
removal of warm-up clothing will be  permitted.
d. The substitute shall not replace a free throw shooter or a player involved in a
jump ball unless dictated to do so by an injury or ejection. (EXCEPTION: Rule 6
-Section VI – b and Rule 9 -Section II – a – (2)) . At no time may he be allowed to
attempt a free throw awarded as a result of a technical foul.
e. A substitute shall be considered as being in the game when he is beckoned onto
the court or recognized as being in the game by an official. Once a player is in
the game, he can- not be removed until the ball is legally touched by a player on
the court unless: (1) a personal or technical foul is called, (2) there is a change of
possession, (3) a timeout is granted or (4) administration of infection control rule.
f. A substitute may be recalled from the scorer’s table prior to being beckoned onto
the court by an official.
g. A player may be replaced and allowed to re-enter the game as a substitute
during the same dead ball.
 h. A player must be in the vicinity of the 8’ Substitution box at the time a violation
occurs if the throw-in is to be administered in the backcourt. If a substitute fails to
meet this requirement, he may not enter the game until the next legal
opportunity.
a. EXCEPTION: In the last two minutes of each period or overtime, a
reasonable amount of time will be allowed for a substitution.
i. If a free throw(s) is awarded, substitutes are only permitted to enter the game
prior to the final free throw attempt if the ball will remain in play or following the
final free throw attempt if it will not remain in play unless necessitated by
disqualification, injury, ejection or any other atypical situation.
j. No substitutes may enter the game after a successful field goal by either team,
unless the ball is dead due to a personal foul, technical foul, timeout, infection
control or violation.
k. No substitutes are allowed to enter the game during an official’s suspension-of-
play for (1) a delay-of-game warning, (2) retrieving an errant ball, (3) an
inadvertent whistle, (4) instant replay review or (5) any other unusual
circumstance.
a. EXCEPTIONS:
1. Suspension of play for a player bleeding. See Comments on the
Rules—N.
2. Seriously-injured player. Player must be removed and opponent is
permitted one substitution.
l. A substitute shall not be allowed to re-enter the game after being disqualified.
EXCEPTION: Rule 3—Section I—b.
m. Notification of all above infractions and ensuing procedures shall be in
accordance with Rule 2—Section VII.

Section VI—Uniforms (Players Jerseys)

a. Each player shall be numbered on the front and back of his jersey with a number
contrasting with the color of the
b. Each number must be no less than ¾” in height on the front and 6” on the Each
player shall have his surname affixed to the back of his game jersey in letters at
least 2½” in height. Some exceptions to the front number height and surname
may exist from time to time.
c. The home team shall wear light color jerseys, and the visitors dark jerseys unless
otherwise For neutral court games and doubleheaders, the second team named
in the official schedule shall be regarded as the home team and shall wear the
light colored jerseys.