2026 HONAN LEAGUE RULES

 

The Honan League uses NCAA Women’s Basketball playing rules for games with the following exceptions specific to the Honan League:

 

1. Each game will be two 20-minute halves of running time.
2. The last minute of the first half and the last two minutes of the second half will be stop time.
3. Each team will be allowed two timeouts per half. Unused timeouts DO NOT carry over.
4. In the event the score is tied at the end of regulation, three-minute overtime periods will be played until there is a winner. The last minute of each over time period will be stop time. 
1. Each team will have a single timeout during an overtime period. Unused timeouts from regulation or previous overtimes DO NOT carry over.
5. During stop time segments, the clock WILL NOT stop on a made basket.
6. There is no shot clock.

1. Starting with the seventh team foul of the half, the fouled team will shoot “one-and-one” (Bonus)
2. Starting with the 10th team foul of the half, the fouled team shall be awarded two free throws (Double Bonus).
3. Team fouls from the end of the second half carryover into overtime.
4. Each player has five personal fouls before disqualification.
   • If a player is disqualified after the fifth personal foul and there are no substitutes, the team must play with just the four remaining players.
• Exception: The opposing team allows the disqualified player to remain in the game with each subsequent personal foul by the disqualified player resulting in a technical foul.

1. 1. 1. If a game starts and is interrupted by rain or any other disruption, the following criteria will be used to determine the result:
         1. Interrupted in the first half then a new game with a 0-0 score will be scheduled
         2. Interrupted in the second half;
            1. With more than fifteen (15) minutes remaining, resume from the point of interruption
            2. With 10:00-14:59 remaining,
               1. If the score differential is 20 points or fewer, resume from the point of interruption.
               2. Otherwise game is complete
            3. With fewer than 10 minutes remaining, the game is complete.

1. The Honan League has a zero-tolerance forfeit policy. If a team were to forfeit a game they would be dropped from the league.
2. However, the league has a flexible roster policy to help avoid such situations:
1. A team may start an official game with FOUR (4) players. The opposing team may choose, BUT IS NOT OBLIGATED, to also play with four players.
2. There is a substitutes list available for people who were interested in competing in the Honan League, but could not commit to a full season. (LINK)
3. Flexible roster policy: Understanding that people take vacations and have additional family obligations during the summer, the league has maintained a flexible roster policy during the regular season.

1. The 2026 Honan League will have two four-team championship brackets. Each tournament will feature two semifinals and a final.
2. The top four teams in the final league standings will qualify for the "Allston Bracket" and the next four teams will qualify for the "Brighton Bracket", seeded by overall winning percentage.
3. Should two or more teams have the same winning percentage, the below tiebreaking procedure will be used to determine seeding. Ties will be broken from the top of the standings down. Any time a team (or group of teams) can be separated using a tiebreaker (with priority being separation at the top), that tie shall be considered resolved. Once a team (or teams) have been separated, the tiebreaking procedure begins again with the remaining teams from the beginning.
   • If teams do not have the same number of games against a common opponent, that team will be skipped during the comparison
1. Head-to-head competition among tied teams;
2. Results against other league teams in rank order;
3. Head-to-head point differential (capped at 10 per game)
4. Coin flip