Special Olympics Middle School Unified Sports^® Basketball Rules

Valid through 2025

Special Olympics New Hampshire has created this set of rules based on the rules outlined by Special Olympics International, NFHS, and the Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA), which is the international governing body for Basketball.

These rules shall be used to govern all Special Olympics New Hampshire Middle School Unified Sports Basketball competition through the end of 2025 when we next review these rules.

Events Offered

• Unified Sports Full Court 5v5 Competition
  • Competitive
  • Recreational

Registration

• Team’s roster should have a minimum of 10 players and a maximum of 15. Teams are strongly recommended to have at least 6 partners on their roster.
• Teams will compete in one event.
• All teams must have a non-playing coach.
• Teams must select a category when registering:

Category	Unified Model	Description
1	Competitive	Unified Sports partners have full participation (athletes & partners shoot)
2	Recreational	Unified sports partners manage and facilitate play, they do not shoot. At this level, athletes who use devices may participate.

 Equipment

• A women’s basketball will be used for all competition.
  • Circumference: between 724 millimeters [28.5 in] and 737 millimeters [29 in] Weight: between 510 grams [18 oz] and 567 grams [20 oz]
• The baskets shall comprise the backboards, rings, and nets. For competition, the basket ring is 3.05 meters (10 feet) above the floor.

 

Uniform

• All players must wear basketball attire with identifying numbers and flat rubber soled athletic shoes.
• The number on the front of the shirt shall be at least 4 inches high. The back of the uniform shirt must have a number at least 6 inches in height.
• Legal numbers are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 00, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41 42, 43, 44, 45, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55. Only 0 or 00 may be used on a team, not both. No team members wear the same number.
• Team uniform shirts and shorts must be identical in trim colour and style.

 

Competition

Unified Full-Court 5v5 – Level 1 Competitive

• A team shall consist of five players.
• There must be 3 athletes and 2 partners on the court.
• All players will play in the game and the principle of meaningful involvement shall be practiced by each team.
• Athletes and partners are teammates and are expected to contribute to all facets of the game (dribbling, passing, rebounding, defending and shooting); however, no player will be permitted dominate the game.
• A Unified court monitor will sit at the score table and watch for player dominance. If the Unified court monitor deems player dominance has occurred, the following protocol will be administered:
  • The Unified court monitor will warn the coach at the first dead ball.
  • With the next offense, he/she will assess that coach with a technical foul. The offending player will be noted.
  • If it occurs again, the coach will receive a second technical, removal from the gym allowing the assistant to assume the role of head coach and finish coaching the team.
  • If the same player is involved, he/she may be removed from the game.
• The game will be played using four, 8-minute quarters with a five-minute intermission for halftime.
• The game is played with running time, stopping only for time outs and fouls until the last two minutes of each quarter and overtime, when it is stopped on all whistles.
• If the score is tied at the end of playing time for the fourth period, the game shall continue with as many extra periods of 4 minutes as is necessary to break the tie.
• Each team is allowed two 30-second timeouts per half.
• For substitutions instead of the buzzer sounding, a whistle will be used.
• Substitutions cannot be made “on the fly,” but the referee may be permitted to stop the clock at a dead ball to allow for substitutions.
• A full-court press is not permitted.
• Rule violations (i.e. traveling, double dribble, 3 seconds) are enforced to the degree of advantage-disadvantage and at the discretion of the referee.

 

Unified Full-Court 5v5 – Level 2 Recreational

• A team shall consist of five players.
• There must be 3 athletes and 2 partners on the court.
• All players will play in the game and the principle of meaningful involvement shall be practiced by each team.
• All participants have a limited ability to dribble, pass and shoot and only athletes can score. No player will be permitted dominate the game.
• A Unified court monitor will sit at the score table and watch for player dominance. If the Unified court monitor deems player dominance has occurred, the following protocol will be administered:
  • The Unified court monitor will warn the coach at the first dead ball.
  • With the next offense, he/she will assess that coach with a technical foul. The offending player will be noted.
  • If it occurs again, the coach will receive a second technical, removal from the gym allowing the assistant to assume the role of head coach and finish coaching the team.
  • If the same player is involved, he/she may be removed from the game.
• The game will be played using four, 8-minute quarters with a five-minute intermission for halftime.
• The game is played with running time, stopping only for time outs and fouls until the last two minutes of each quarter and overtime, when it is stopped on all whistles.
• If the score is tied at the end of playing time for the fourth period, the game shall continue with as many extra periods of 4 minutes as is necessary to break the tie.
• Each team is allowed two 30-second timeouts per half.
• For substitutions instead of the buzzer sounding, a whistle will be used.
• Substitutions cannot be made “on the fly,” but the referee may be permitted to stop the clock at a dead ball to allow for substitutions.
• A full-court press is not permitted.
• Rule violations (i.e. traveling, double dribble, 3 seconds) are modified for success to include:
  • Wheelchairs / walkers allowed on the court
  • Traveling and double dribbles are allowed
  • One-on-one para or aids are allowed onto the court to assist an athlete (these individuals should wear someone to distinguish themselves from the Unified Partners and athletes)
  • Coaches allowed to coach from the court
  • Teams do not switch baskets at half time

Disqualification

• Player dismissal and forfeits
  • Continued misconduct or flagrant and intentional fouling will result in player dismissal.
  • In full-court 5-on-5 competition, you play with five players on the court at a time.  Unified 5-on-5 court make up must always be 3 athletes, 2 partners.  Failure to adhere to the required player count and/or athlete to partner ratio results in a forfeit for that game.