Purpose
This policy outlines when teams may use fill-in players, who is eligible to fill in, and the responsibilities of coaches when arranging a fill-in.
When can a team use a fill-in player?
- A team must have a minimum of four players to take the court. Fewer than four players will result in an automatic forfeit.
- A team may use one or more fill-in players when five or fewer registered players from that team are availablefor the scheduled game.
- Where six or more registered team players are available, a fill-in may only be used in exceptional circumstances and with prior approval from the Celtic Tigers Committee.
- Fill-in players cannot be used during finals.
- A fill-in must not miss their own registered team's game in order to fill in for another team, unless an exception has been approved by the Celtic Tigers Committee.
Who is eligible to fill in?
A fill-in player must:
- Be registered with the Celtic Tigers Basketball Club.
- Come from a younger age group than the team they are filling in for.
- Be entered into PlayHQ before the game commences.
- Comply with BBA restrictions on the number of games a junior player can play each week. Junior players (U8–U16) are limited to two junior games and one senior game per week.
- Be available to play without affecting their commitment to their own registered team.
In addition, A Grade players cannot fill in for the lowest grades of an older age group.
Arranging a fill-in player
Coaches may contact coaches or parents/carers from younger age groups, or approach the Celtic Tigers Committee, to identify suitable fill-in players.
When arranging a fill-in, the coach must:
- Ensure the player meets all eligibility requirements outlined above.
- Obtain parent/carer consent before the player participates.
- Ensure the fill-in player is entered into PlayHQ before the game.
- Check that there are no uniform or playing-number clashes. Where a clash occurs, the coach may resolve it directly or contact the Celtic Tigers Committee to arrange a temporary replacement uniform.
- Notify the Celtic Tigers Committee of the fill-in within 24 hours after the game:
- Boys teams: celtictigerscommittee@gmail.com
- Girls teams: naomi.celtictigers@gmail.com
- Inform the team's players and parents/carers of any arranged fill-ins before the game.
Fees for fill-in players
Fill-in players are not required to pay match fees or be added to TeamPay when occasionally filling in.
However, if a player fills in for the same team for more than five games, they must be added to the team's TeamPay registration and pay the applicable fees.
Exceptions
Exceptions to this policy may be approved by the Celtic Tigers Committee on a case-by-case basis. This includes circumstances where:
- A team wishes to use a fill-in despite having six or more registered players available; or
- A player would otherwise need to miss their registered team's game to fill in for another team.
Coaches should seek Committee approval before the game wherever practicable.
Ineligible fill-ins
It is the coach's responsibility to ensure that any fill-in player meets the eligibility requirements of this policy.
Use of an ineligible fill-in player will result in the team's immediate forfeit, regardless of the game result.
Need further information?
For questions about fill-in eligibility or assistance finding an appropriate player, please contact:
