Man-to-man in quarters 2 & 4

At Conference level, teams may play zone or combination defences in quarters one and three. Man-to-man can be played at any time, and is compulsory in quarters two and four.

Premier level teams have no defensive restrictions. If a Conference team plays a Premier team in a cup or playoff game, Premier rules apply, so zones can be played all game.

What happens if it’s broken?

The referees first stop the game for an “officials’ time-out”, warn both coaches, and give them 30 seconds to talk to their players. After that, every further breach gives the coach a bench technical foul and the other team one free throw. A coach is sent off after three bench technicals.