Junior Competition Frequently Asked Questions
We now run two equal-length seasons per year:
- Season 1: Terms 4-1
- Season 2: Terms 2-3
Each season includes:
- A Grading Carnival Weekend
- 14 regular season games
- Semi-finals and Grand Finals
This structure is designed to:
- Align with other basketball associations across Queensland
- Provide more games across the year
- Allow for mid-year regrading and fresh starts
- Promote ongoing player development and enjoyment
Each season begins with a Grading Carnival.
- Clubs nominate teams into a starting division.
- Grading results help determine final division placement, based on performance and competitiveness.
Yes.
We’ve introduced Challenge Rounds at the end of grading. Top-performing teams can challenge a lower-ranked team in the division above for a chance to move up before the regular season begins.
Teams can request to play a Challenge Game against a team from the division above. These will occur on the Sunday of grading weekend to finalise team placements.
Each season typically includes:
- Grading Carnival: 1 weekend
- Regular Season: Over 2 school terms
- Finals: 1–2 weeks
(Subject to school calendar and venue availability)
Teams will usually play 14–16 games per season, depending on the draw and finals qualification.
Grading games are additional and not included in this count.
Our junior competitions include:
- Mixed U10 – Saturday mornings
- Boys U12 – Saturday mornings
- Girls U12 – Saturday mornings
- Boys U14 & U16 – Friday nights
- Girls Junior (U14 & U16) – Friday nights
- Boys U18 – Wednesday nights
- Girls Open – Wednesday nights
Age groups will now roll over at the beginning of the Summer season.
To be eligible for an age division, players must not turn the age of that division on or before 31 December 2026.
For example:
- A player in U14 must not turn 14 on or before 31 December 2026.
Yes.
The top 4 teams in each division will compete in semi-finals and grand finals at the end of each season.
Yes.
Clubs must register all teams for each new season, as divisions are reset and new grading occurs.
Absolutely!
Players are encouraged to continue through both seasons for ongoing development and competitive play.
Please speak directly with your club.
Each club may have different policies regarding subs, replacements, or flexibility.
Game rules will remain the same.
However, during the Grading Carnival, games will be shortened (e.g. 2×12 minute halves), and only one referee per game this is due to the high number of games.
To ensure fair and balanced competitions, each team is subject to the Player Points System:
- Players are assigned a point value based on their experience and representative history.
- Division 1 teams must stay under a maximum point cap for their division.
- This helps prevent teams from being stacked with high-level players, creating more competitive and enjoyable games for all.
Clubs will be guided on how to build teams within the cap and can contact competition staff for clarification.
Representative eligibility will remain unchanged for now.
To qualify for selection, players must have played in at least 50% of the regular season games during the Winter season prior to the representative season.
As of Summer 2025, all new players must first register with their geographical catchment club, based on home address or school.
- Players are encouraged to select the club that is closest to them geographically.
- This helps support local participation and balanced competition across the region.