Youth Basketball Rules by Age Group in Canada

Canada Basketball's Youth Rules Guidelines don't use one set of rules for every young player. The game is built around the developmental age and stage of the child, so the rules change from one age group to the next.

At U7–U8, players use an 8-foot basket and play 3v3 or 4v4 on a half court or cross court. By U13–U14, both recreational and competitive basketball use full courts, 10-foot baskets, running scores and four 10-minute quarters.

In between, U9–U10 and U11–U12 are part of the Learn to Train stage. This is where the differences between recreational and competitive basketball start to show up in scoring, playing time and tactics.

The guides below cover each age group in full. If you only need the highlights, start with the parent rules checklist. If your child is changing age groups this season, read what changes when moving up.