Kentucky High School Basketball Season Kickoff Guide

when does basketball start for high school in ky

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) has released basketball scheduling and corresponding dates reminders for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. The KHSAA has developed a prime date basketball scheduling requirement to ensure fairness for female basketball players and those within the programs, including parents, students, and fans. This policy mandates that 40% of girls' home basketball games be played on prime dates, which are defined as Friday nights, Saturdays, or Sundays. Schools must play at least one prime date game in December, January, and February. The KHSAA also adjusts its calendar to accommodate the incongruence of NCAA and NFHS planning calendars, resulting in an additional week of play for the 2023-24 season compared to the previous and following years.

Characteristics Values
Organization Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA)
Date of Scheduling Reminders 03/23/23
Applicable Seasons 2023-24 and 2024-25
Additional Week of Play 2023-24
Prime Date Requirement 40% of girls' home basketball games must be played on Friday night, Saturday, or Sunday
Penalty for Non-Compliance with Prime Date Requirement Reduction of boys' regular season total game schedule for the following school year by two games

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Basketball Online Rules Clinic

The Basketball Online Rules Clinic is a mandatory clinic for all basketball coaches and officials at the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman levels in Kentucky's High School Athletic Association (KHSAA). The clinic covers the rules and regulations that govern the sport of basketball in the state and is designed to ensure that all coaches and officials are up-to-date on the latest rule changes and interpretations.

The clinic is typically offered annually, and there is usually a fee associated with it. For example, in 2021, the clinic was offered from October 5th to January 12th, with a makeup period from January 13th to 27th for a $30 fee, and then from January 28th to February 11th for a $60 fee. Those who do not complete the clinic by the end of the makeup period may be subject to postseason penalties per Bylaw 27.

The Basketball Online Rules Clinic is an important event for Kentucky's high school basketball community as it helps to ensure fair play and consistent officiating across the state. It is also a great opportunity for coaches and officials to come together and discuss any rule changes or interpretations that may impact the upcoming season.

In addition to the annual online rules clinic, the KHSAA also offers other resources and clinics throughout the year to support the development of coaches and officials. For example, in 2022, the KHSAA offered a "Sweet 16® online media credential system" and clarified hair adornment and shot clock guidelines in the basketball rules.

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NFHS State Coaches of the Year

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association recognizes Coach of the Year honorees from each state. The winners are chosen based on their coaching accomplishments, particularly for the season in question, as well as their contributions outside of competition to help grow their respective sports.

The NFHS has a contact person in each state who is responsible for selecting deserving coach award recipients. This contact person often works with the state coaches' associations in their respective states. The recipients of the NFHS Coaches of the Year Award for 2021-22 in Kentucky were:

  • Baseball: David Rexroat, Russell County
  • Boys’ Basketball: William Unseld, Warren Central
  • Girls’ Basketball: Kristy Orem, Pikeville
  • Boys’ Cross Country: Ian Johnstone, Conner
  • Girls’ Cross Country: Tom Stickel, Lexington Christian
  • Field Hockey: Jody Schaefer, Assumption
  • Football: Noel Rash, Beechwood
  • Boys’ Golf: Greg Zimmerer, Christian Academy-Louisville
  • Girls’ Golf: Sam Westfall, Madisonville-North Hopkins

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) also announced the 2022-23 NFHS State Coaches of the Year, which included:

  • Boys’ Track & Field: David Stewart, St. Xavier
  • Wrestling: Thomas Carta, Greenwood/South Warren/Warren Central/Warren East
  • Girls’ Basketball: Scott Sivills, McCracken County
  • Girls’ Cross Country: Bernadette Madigan-Dugan, Lexington Catholic

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Bylaw 9: Basketball organised play before practice

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) has a set of rules and regulations for basketball, including Bylaw 9, which relates to organised play before practice. This bylaw aims to define and restrict certain activities that could give some teams an unfair advantage during the basketball season. Here is a detailed overview of Bylaw 9:

Definition of Organised Play

Bylaw 9 considers an activity as "organised play" if it meets any of the following criteria:

  • Basketball skills are practised or refined outside of the high school program under the supervision of a third party not affiliated with the student's enrolled school. Collegiate coaches are not permitted to evaluate in this case.
  • Preparatory practices are conducted before the event.
  • Teams are assigned in advance and are known to participants before their arrival.
  • A team comprises three or more members of the same high school team.
  • Team members have previously played or practised together as a unit.

Restrictions on Organised Play

The restrictions outlined in Bylaw 9 apply from the first day of school through the day before the first permitted day of practice. During this period, students who have been in grade 9 and have represented a member school in a contest are prohibited from participating in outside organised play. They can, however, attend true recruiting opportunities that meet specific criteria between the start of school and October 14. After the first date for allowable practice, there should be no outside organised play for these students.

Amendments and Reminders

The KHSAA approved amendments to Bylaw 9 at the Annual Meeting on September 22, 2022, and these changes are now in effect. Schools are reminded to pay attention to these amendments and the definition of "organised play" to ensure compliance with the restrictions. The KHSAA also periodically adjusts its calendar to account for the incongruence between the NCAA and NFHS planning calendars, which can result in an additional week of play for certain seasons.

Youth Basketball Guidelines

The NBA and USA Basketball have adopted guidelines for youth basketball, particularly for the Grades 9-12 age segment. They recommend that young athletes participate in multiple sports and delay single-sport specialisation until age 16 or later. This promotes overall personal development and well-being, and it has been shown to contribute to higher levels of achievement in athletes. Additionally, when young athletes participate in tournaments with consecutive daily games, they should be allowed additional time off for recovery.

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Basketball playing rule changes

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSSA) has announced several basketball playing rule changes for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. These changes were approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Basketball Rules Committee and the NFHS Board of Directors. Here are the key rule changes:

2023-24 Season Rule Changes:

  • Free Throw Procedures and Foul Administration: High school basketball teams will now shoot two free throws for common fouls when in the "bonus." This change eliminates the previous one-and-one scenario and sets new foul limits each quarter for awarding the bonus free throw. Teams will reach the bonus when their opponent commits five fouls in each quarter, and team fouls will reset at the end of each quarter.
  • Undershirts: Rule 3-5-6 addresses undershirts, allowing teams to wear a single solid color or solid black for visiting teams with dark jerseys. This accommodates schools with hard-to-find jersey colors.
  • Returning to the Court: Rule 9-3-3 was amended to allow a player to step out of bounds and return to the court without penalty as long as they gain no advantage. A player is penalized only if they are the first to touch the ball or avoid a violation after returning inbounds.

2024-25 Season Rule Changes:

Flopping Definition and Warning: A new definition for faking being fouled (flopping) has been added to the NFHS Basketball Rules Book. Faking being fouled is defined in Rule 4-49-1 as simulating being fouled or making theatrical or exaggerated movements when no illegal contact occurs. This rule change aims to maintain a focus on player safety and fairness.

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association periodically announces rule changes and adjustments to ensure the fairness and safety of the game. These changes are communicated to schools, coaches, and players through official channels and online rules clinics.

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Basketball scheduling and corresponding dates

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Board of Control has approved revisions to the corresponding date calendar for basketball. The calendar is periodically adjusted to account for the annual rollover of calendar dates, the movement of the NCAA championships calendar, and the availability of postseason championship facilities.

For the 2023-24 season, the calendar rollover will result in an additional week of play compared to the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons. The season will remain corresponding in 2024-25, with a length of 12 weeks mandated by Bylaw 23. However, there will be an extra week between the first and second state tournaments as Rupp Arena hosts the NCAA First and Second rounds.

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) had previously pushed back the start dates for boys' and girls' state basketball tournaments for the 2020-21 season due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, winter sports practices, including basketball, were allowed to begin on January 4, 2021, with the boys' and girls' Sweet 16 tournaments moved to a later window from March 29 to April 8, 2021.

The KHSAA's postseason tournaments, particularly the boys' basketball tournament, are the primary source of funding for the organization, allowing it to support high school sports. The official dates for the boys' and girls' Sweet 16s tournaments may need to be negotiated due to conflicts with other events.

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Frequently asked questions

The basketball season for high schools in Kentucky usually starts in October.

Yes, the Board of Control has developed a policy to ensure that girls' basketball games are played on "prime dates", which are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Schools must play at least one prime date game in December, January, and February.

If a school's total home games for girls' basketball do not comply with the 40% requirement, the boys' regular season total game schedule for the following year will be reduced by two games.

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