At the beginning of the season and after member league tryouts, each league registers boys and girls teams in grades 4-8 in three divisions (bronze, silver, and gold with platinum also being available for 8th grade boys if there are enough teams in this category.) The registration fee for each team is $275.00, which includes a 4-game guarantee at the end of season playoffs.

We invite new school leagues or teams to join each year, as long as you speak with our league commissioner first to understand your team or school make-up, location, and discuss other league requirements.

Team Format

We are a school-based league (non-club) that came together out of a desire for school programs and high school coaches to invest in and develop their youth basketball players and allow them to compete against similar teams within the region. For this reason, we ask that teams be made-up of school enrollees only and not club (AAU) teams with players from various schools.

Game Format

Each team plays 16+ league games (8 home, 8 away) for a total of over 2000 games league-wide. League games take place on weekdays and weekends depending on home team gym availability and away team availability.  Coaches own their team schedule. They appear at a scheduling meeting and work through their bracket pool scheduling games based on their team's schedules. Game changes after the scheduling meeting are STRONGLY discouraged.

Additionally, teams may opt to participate in additional tournaments. All teams are encouraged to participate in the league opener and the playoffs are required. In order to promote our league members, we also advertise a running a list of member hosted tournaments.

Three Rivers Youth Basketball League follows OSAA high school rules.

Referees reserve the right to make exceptions at the lower (4-5th grade) where learning is taking place.

Rosters and Player Eligibility

• Teams are required to keep fixed rosters required at the beginning of the season during registration. They may be required to show them at a game or tournament if questioned by an official or another team.
• A player can only be rostered on one team within the league.  (Exceptions apply.)
• The high school district that a player lives in dictates which league they can play in with some minor exceptions (private or other tuition based school.) Check with our league president if you have questions. It is the responsibility of each program to educate and enforce these guidelines.
• Player team placement is at the discretion of each school outside of these general rules.
• Rostering Exceptions: Once players are rostered on a team, they are not allowed to play down, for any reason. If a team cannot field enough eligible players to play, they should forfeit or re-schedule the game. Once players are rostered on a team, they are allowed to play up, only due to illness or injury which leaves a roster with 6 or less players, AND either within their age group at a higher division OR at a higher age group at the same division.

Example: A player rostered on 7Silver can never play down to 7Bronze under any circumstances. A player rostered on 7Silver can play up to 7Gold or up to 8Silver if illness or injury prevented the team from having 6 or fewer players.

Team Eligibility

At time of registration, teams are required to place themselves in competition level (Gold, Silver, Bronze). It is encouraged for each program to field teams at the highest level of competition. Once a team is placed in a division, they can only play up in division. Prior to the scheduling meeting, the TRL Commissioner will reach out to Presidents to potentially reseed individual teams based on number of registered teams in a division.

Team Blends

Team blending may be allowed for 4th/5th grade boys where numbers necessitate to field a team. Teams may be blended for girls in 4-6th and 7-8th respectively where numbers necessitate fielding a team. (Numbers in overall girls programs have declined in recent years and this allowance is aiming go allow school programs to keep the girls they have.)

Playing Time and Skill Development

• Teams are required to teach man-to-man defense first.
• Teams registered in grades 4-5 are not allowed to play zone in league games.
• Teams registered in grades 6 are strongly encouraged to play man-to-man.
• Players in grade 4-5 should play a minimum of 16 minutes* per league-sponsored game or tournament wherever possible.
• Players in grade(s) 6-8 should play a minimum of 8 minutes* per league-sponsored game or tournament wherever possible.

End of Season Playoffs

• League fees include entry into the Playoffs
• Tournament brackets are determined based on league standings

* Playing time minimums during league games are a goal in an effort to develop each athlete. This is not always perfectly achievable due to team numbers or other factors. Exceptions are allowed for athlete attendance and/or attitude. Individual talent is not always the deciding factor in playing time. Team play, sportsmanship, attitude, attendance, and differing game opponents/situations are all factors in coach decisions.