Fixtures Policy 2026
2026/2027 Season

By participating within the YBL you agree to follow all regulations and policies set out by the league, including the current League Regulations, Fixtures Policy and Game Addendums for each division. By entering a team, you are committing to play that team with an appropriate coach and infrastructure around that team. It is you ‘the club’, that is responsible for checking the Game Addendum for the division you have entered. 

Setting up your teams

Creation of teams for your club in PlayHQ

Clubs will be invited through PlayHQ to participate in the YBL for the season. Clubs will then be instructed to create the teams that wish to participate for the teams they have entered. All teams should be classed as ‘mixed’ unless they are an exclusively an girls division or a senior women’s division. The YBL will be using the following naming convention;

Mixed divisions naming convention

REGULAR - Birmingham Generic U13 Zone Blue

REGULAR- Birmingham Generic Senior (West)
REGULAR - Birmingham Generic (YBL1) Senior

CUP - Birmingham Generic U14 (Cup) Blue

Female or All-Girls divisions naming convention

REGULAR - Birmingham Generic U13 All-Girls

REGULAR - Birmingham Generic U18 Women

REGULAR - Birmingham Generic Women/Ladies

Once you have created your teams, you will be unable to change their name. Clubs will then be able to place their teams into the desired divisions or age groups in PlayHQ (Click Grade at the top). Once registration closes, the YBL will then place teams into their respective divisions and competitions. 

At club level

Club creates team

Club enters team into desired age/group (junior) or league (senior)

At league level

Teams placed into a division (hidden from club view)

Fixtures are created by the league in accordance with our current regulations and policies, in-line with our published league calendar.

Fixtures published accordingly in PlayHQ.

Fixture creation

Creation of fixtures for divisions and competitions

Fixtures will be created for all divisions and competitions, so that club rearrangements can be done before the season commences. Our regular zonal divisions are based on geographical location, trying to keep travel to a minimum. Some divisions or competitions, like our senior division or cups, may involve more travelling.  Traveling will become necessary in play-off rounds and finals. 

Release of fixtures…

At the appropriate time, all fixtures for all divisions will be made available in PlayHQ. For clubs and teams to arrange their fixtures accordingly. 

All fixtures for cup competitions and the regular season must be played on or before the set deadline as displayed in the YBL Calendar.

Confirming your fixtures

Actions for the home team

The home team should confirm with their visitors team(s) of their fixtures with their opponents at least seven days before the game. The confirmation should be regarding the scheduled fixture. This is not part of the rearrangement process. Confirming the tip time, venue and their kit colours (if there is a kit clash, the home team should change colour).
It is the home clubs’ responsibility to make sure their fixture in PlayHQ matches the information confirmed.

Actions for the away team

The away team or visiting CVL teams are to respond to confirm their attendance at the venue/fixture within 24 hours of the home club’s communication. The response should be confirming the tip time and date along with their playing kit colour. If you haven’t heard from your opponent, you can contact them.

League Standings

Game points for YBL games

All YBL fixtures will use the PlayHQ standings and will be awarded as follows;

League standings/ladder will be ranked by game points and then head to head.

League standings and results will not be made public for Under 9 and Under 11 competitions. 

Default of games

For all competitions U13 and upwards

For U9 and U11 comeptitions

Withdrawal of teams

Once fixtures have been produced and the season has started, any team withdrawal will be recorded as a default 2-0 (or 1-0 CVL) win on all games. The fixtures will be moved to the earliest date/round as possible within that competition. Their team name will be amended by the league and show the word ‘withdrawn’. Moving these results to the earliest round, removes them from your upcoming fixtures list in PlayHQ and HoopsHQ. 

Live Scoring (E-Scoring) & Match Results

Home teams to score all YBL games

It is the each clubs’ responsibility to make sure their squad list, players and coaches are in the team line-up ahead of the game. We follow Basketball England’s rule regarding e-Scoring. Unless contradicted in this policy.

All games must be Live Scored using PlayHQ. The YBL shall impose a fixed penalty in accordance with this policy. You can start a session by clicking the ‘live’ button at the top of every YBL webpage.

If there is a technological problem that prevents the game being Live Scored, the only paper scoresheet permitted is the official 'YBL Emergency Scoresheet'. Any technological issues must be reported to the YBL when uploading the scoresheet in accordance with this policy.

A legible copy of the Scoresheet, shall be uploaded via the YBL WhatsApp number - 07810146224, no later than 23:59 on the day of the game following the completion of the Match. The YBL shall be entitled to impose a fixed penalty.

Where a game is not Live Scoring the home team is responsible for uploading the result to PlayHQ no later 23:59 on the day of the game. This includes the full breakdown of player points (by basket type) and fouls (by foul type).

The use of “fill-in” players on Live Scoring should not be used. The YBL will check any players who have been listed as fill-in. Any participant found not to be eligible will result in the fixture being forfeit by default.

The home team shall be responsible for ensuring the game data has been synced (if not connected to internet at time of the game) to PlayHQ no later than 23:59 on the day of the match.

One match cannot be used to produce the result for two league fixtures or a league and cup fixture. For example, where two teams are scheduled to play each other home and away in a league, they cannot agree to only play once, with the result of this match being recognised for both scheduled matches. 

The YBL shall impose a fixed penalty for a breach of this policy in accordance with YBL Regulations and in-line with Basketball England Regulations. 

Failure to Live-Score
First offence
£25.00

Failure to Live-Score
Second offence
£50.00

Failure to Live-Score
Further offences
£100.00

BE Regulation
49.16

At the discretion of the Board of Directors.
These fees will be given to the YBL Development Fund Programme.

Rearrangement process

Agree

Agree a new tip, date and/or venue

Both clubs to agree a new date, tip or venue via email before making the Change Request.

Request

to initiate the Change Request inside PlayHQ

If a club does this within 48 hours of the scheduled tip, the opposing team can (a) rearrange or (b) have the right to claim.

Accept or deny

The request will go through to the opposition to be approved or ddenied

Club administrators must have their notifications switched on in PlayHQ to get these notifications.

Fixtures

Rearrangements
The request process has now been left to club secretaries to administer. The YBL or Basketball England do not need to be copied in on the email thread between clubs. These will be ignored and deleted. Only submit these as evidence, if requested to do so. If you need to change a fixture the rearranging club must initiate the game Request Change in PlayHQ.

Scheduled to Play

The fixture that is scheduled should be played and scored using E-Scoring (Live Scoring) in PlayHQ. All players, coaches and staff that are eligible for the game should be listed inside PlayHQ in accordance with YBL League Regulations.

Games not played

Games that have not taken place and are displaying as Pending inside PlayHQ will be cancelled by the league anytime after 12 hours from the scheduled tip. 

Cancelled games

Games that the league have cancelled or teams cancel will not be eligible for rearrangement. This will effect your league standings. 

Fixtures and play-off games

Play-off games have been scheduled ahead of time and published (normally in January) during the middle of the season before.

It is the clubs responsibility to check their potential play-off routes in the competitions they are participating in. We endeavour to publish this information as quickly as possible. Sometimes delays take place as we are awaiting results or correspondence from clubs.

Extension of the deadline dates for individual teams or clubs will not be granted.

Unless stated, fixtures in any competition can be played in any order.

For play-off games, the hosting club may defer to their opponent and the fixture can be hosted by the away team.

Play-off games, unless set by the YBL, can be brought forward. However, must be played by the week’s end, or by a date set before the competition starts. 

Club to maintain administrative duties

Club administrators and secretaries are responsible for their PlayHQ duties. This involves maintaining their fixtures in all divisions.

If a fixture cannot be played, and you are aware of this up to 24 hours before scheduled tip time, and/or, following the tip time, you are able to move this fixture yourself. DO NOT leave it as pending, as the league will cancel the fixture.

If the league has to get involved or has to change or enter details due to errors, for example, failed to instigate or except a rearrangement, or change items in PlayHQ like a tip time or an error in Live Scoring, the club will be charged an Administration Fee. These fees will be given to the YBL Development Fund Programme. 

Administrative Fee

£20.00

Up to and including £20.00 per involovement

League involvement in admin duties by clubs, Fixture rearrangements changes, tip or venue. 

Late Fee

£30.00

Up to and including £30.00 per-team

At the discretion of the Board of Directors

How to Claim a Game

To claim a game for a forfeit win, your must meet at least four of the six criteria below.

1. The claiming team has sent or received an email confirmation regarding the fixture in question with at least five days notice.
2. The claiming team is not the cancelling team of the fixture.
3. At least one attempt via email with a Game Change Request (through PlayHQ) has been made and no response has been received after 14 days.
4. The claim cannot be heard after the deadline date for that competition, and if claiming on the last day of that competition - the 14 days as above (3) do not apply.
5. A team cancelled their attendance within 48 hours. Without an agreement to change and the fixture request being made in PlayHQ before the scheduled tip.
6. The team failed to attend a scheduled fixture 15 minutes after scheduled tip, if an agreement to reschedule isn’t made. 

In addition, you need to enter the score 2-0 or 1-0 into the final score inside PlayHQ.

A. Using the dropdown menu ‘Set Override Score’

B. Select ‘Team A Forfeit’ or ‘Team B Forfeit’ 

To make a claim, you must complete the Game Form.

Failing to attend

After confirming

A team is entitled to claim a game for a ‘no-show’ of a team after they have confirmed their attendance. The team must complete a Game Form and follow the procedure above. The team failing to attend may occur chargers regarding court hire and officials. The YBL will always charge a fee as listed below in addition to costs claimed by the team. 

Failure to attend a fixture fine is up £100.00

Abandoned Game

The procedure

If a game has been abandoned, the scorer is to record the game as Abandoned inside PlayHQ (top left menu). The Crew Chief of the game must report to the league on the day in question, the reason for the game abandonment. The normal procedure for an abandoned game is a default 2-0 to the non-abandoning team.

A final decision is made by the league. If a replay has been decided as the outcome, then only those players from the original game are eligible for the replay.

Shot Clocks (SCO)

24' Shot Clocks

Clubs are welcome to use shot clocks for player, table and referee development in any competition, excluding U9 and U11 in the YBL. 

Official's Requirements

Level of requirements and payments

Please see the Officials 2026 booklet for further information.