What is the Division?
The Division Program is the heart of FYB, created to provide a competitive and organized level of youth basketball. The Foothill FYB Chapter offers three divisions for boys and girls. Currently our we do not offer a rookie program, which is a division for children in first and second grades. Here are the divisions we currently offer:
| Division | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| D3 | 3rd/4th Grades | 3rd/4th Grades |
| D2 | 5th/6th Grades | 5th/6th Grades |
| D1 | 7th/8th Grades | 7th/8th Grades |
FYB division games are five eight-minute periods with a running clock played on ten foot baskets. The first four periods are equal playing time periods. Each player will play 2 full periods. The fifth period is open substitution, and the coach can play any of the ten players on the team. Each division is structured to teach basketball fundamentals and is tailored to the age of the players.
Division Three (D3 for 3rd/4th grades)
- Free throws are shot from ten feet
- Boys and girls play with a 27.5 inch basketball.
- Game begins with each player shooting a free throw with points counting toward the score of the game. This rule teaches players that free throws are very important.
- Transition rule to encourage teamwork where the player rebounding the ball must pass to another player before crossing the half court line.
- No full court press until the last two minutes of the fifth quarter.
Division Two (D2 for 5th/6th grades)
- Free throws are shot from 13 feet
- Boys and girls play with a 28.5inch (women’s) basketball.
- Teams are required to play man-to-man (1 on 1) defense in the first half forcing players to learn how to guard their opponents. No free throw shots at the beginning of the game.
- Half court press is allowed the entire game with full court press in the fifth quarter.
Division One (D1 for 7th/8th grades)
- Free throws are shot from fifteen feet.
- Boys play with 29.5 inch (high school) ball, girls play with 28.5 inch women’s basketball
- Still required to play man-to-man (1-on-1) defense in first half.
- Full court press is allowed the entire game.
Division Evaluations & Wait List
The evaluations are mandatory and all registered players are required to attend the evaluations. All players who attend evaluation not guaranteed a spot on the team. Typically, we have more players attend evaluation than there is space. The number of teams are determined based on the availability of Gym space, the number of players and the number of head coaches who have signed up.
The evaluations are used by the coaches and independent evaluators to rate the players. These confidential ratings are tabulated by the Player Agents or Division Coordinators and used to rank the players based upon skill and abilities. These player ratings/rankings are provided to the coaches on draft night, so they can take turns drafting players onto their teams. The Player Agent and Division Coordinators manage the drafts to ensure they are done fairly. The player ratings are collected at the end of the draft to maintain confidentiality. i The coaches will contact the players after the draft to let them know which team has selected them.
We will create a waitlist after the evaluations are completed in October. The waitlist is used to pull from when a player drops out of the league for various reasons. Teams with players injured in the first three weeks of the season may take a player off the wait list to replace the injured player.
Division Evaluations Schedule & Location
There are several evaluation sessions. Due to the large number of players, we need to divide them into smaller groups. These smaller groups give the coaches and independent evaluators the best opportunity to see each of the players. The evaluation sessions will be posted on the Chapter’s web site once the gym locations have been finalized and we know how many teams we will have in each division. The evaluations will always be on the second or third weekend in October. The schedule will be posted on the website as soon as we have it, so please don’t send emails asking when the schedule will be posted.
The players should attend the session for their division based upon the first letter of their last name. If a player has a conflict during their assigned evaluations session, they may attend one of the other weekend sessions. In order to be drafted onto a team, the player MUST ATTEND ONE evaluation session, and it must be a session for their division. Attending the All-Net try- outs does not fulfill this obligation, because none of the Division coaches will be at the All-Net try-outs to evaluate and rate the players.
The players should arrive 15 to 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the evaluation session. They will be measured for height and assigned a number. This number is what the coaches use to identify the players during the evaluation. The player must attend the entire session, so the coaches have the opportunity to see them complete each of the drills and participate in the scrimmage. Be sure to note the location of the gym and plan to arrive early so that your player has enough time to check-in and get warmed up.
Please note that these evaluations are NOT try-outs. Please do not make this session stressful for the players. Encourage them to do their best and to have fun. There will be a large number of players with a wide range of skills.
Important Roles
Each team will have a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach. There may be more than one Assistant Coach, but FYB rules only allow two coaches and a scorekeeper to sit with the team during games. We go to great lengths to try to select coaches that have previous coaching experience and have a positive record of working with youths. We offer our own coaching clinic and the FYB Section offers additional coaching clinics for our coaches. Please give them your support.
Each team needs a Team Coordinator (Team Parent). This important position/role off-loads coaches from the administrative tasks of running the team. The Team Coordinator is the communicator and coordinator for the team, so if you have good organization skills then please consider signing up for this job. Gym monitors and Score/Time Keepers are critical to the success of our program.
Gym monitors setup and close gyms in better condition than we started with and supervise the gym during games. Both gym monitors and score/time keepers are paid an hourly rate. We ask your help in recruiting adults for gym monitors and teens/young adults for score/time keepers. Each weekend our Chapter will be hosting 28 to 32 home games in one of our gyms. It takes a large number of volunteers to provide a good environment for our children to play basketball.
Thanks for volunteering and supporting the children in our community.
