Purpose
This policy is to ensure all Celtic Tigers players receive fair and meaningful opportunities to participate, develop their skills and enjoy the game, consistent with the Club’s commitment to developing every player and growing their love of basketball.
Fair and Equal Court Time
As a general rule, all players within a team should receive fair and broadly equal court time.
The Club recognises that achieving exactly equal court time in every individual game is not always practical. Substitution timing, player numbers and the flow of a game can all affect playing time. However, coaches are expected to actively manage their rotations so that, wherever feasible, players receive similar opportunities to participate over the course of each and every game.
A player's ability, the score of the game or a desire to secure a win should not be used as a reason to consistently provide some players with substantially more court time than others.
This reflects our core value to Develop Every Player. Players develop through playing the game, and every player selected in a Celtic Tigers team deserves a meaningful opportunity to participate, learn and contribute.
Exceptions
Court time may reasonably differ where:
- A player is injured, unwell or otherwise unable to safely participate; or
- The team is participating in finals, where coaches are permitted greater flexibility in managing rotations and court time in response to the competitive circumstances of the game.
Even during finals, coaches are encouraged to provide all players with meaningful opportunities to contribute wherever practicable.
Concerns and Compliance
Concerns regarding unfair or consistently unequal court time should not be raised directly with the coach. Instead, concerns should be directed to the Celtic Tigers Committee at celtictigerscommittee@gmail.com.
The Committee will review the concern and, where appropriate, discuss the matter with the coach and take any further action considered necessary.
All Celtic Tigers coaches are expected to abide by this policy. Where a coach is found to have repeatedly disregarded the Club's expectations regarding fair court time, despite the issue having been raised with them, they will not be considered for future coaching appointments with the Club.
This policy is not intended to dictate individual substitutions or require coaches to account for every minute played. Rather, it establishes a clear expectation that all players are treated fairly and given meaningful opportunities to participate and develop.
Our philosophy applies on the court as much as anywhere else:
Develop every player. Grow the love of the game. Compete the right way.
