We are a volunteer, non-profit organization that strives to provide a positive atmosphere for girls and boys in East Texas to play basketball.

ETBL has teams for all kids in the 1st - 6th grades.

For 2024-2025 Season, we have will have 9 towns in our league!

First games will be Saturday, December 7, 2024.

Last regular season games will be Saturday, February 15, 2024.  End of season tournaments will follow for A divison ONLY.

The following towns play in the ETBL, and these are your community contacts:

ETBL Commissioner- BJ Threlkeld: 

Gilmer - Tommy Denton: 903-431-3100

Grand Saline - Jeremy Gunnels: 469-615-0235

Fruitvale - Heath Yates: 214-325-4086 

Mineola - Michael Cain: 903-522-2299

Quitman - Paige Brown: 214-507-3955

Emory - Jennifer Patterson: 806-543-6205 

Lone Oak - Rob Lewis: 214-335-1704

Big Sandy - Kelsey Sheeley : 817-313-6717

To find your team's information and schedule, please look in the division they are playing in and find the coach's name. 

GYM LOCATIONS

Gilmer - 111 Bruce St, Gilmer, TX 75644

Grand Saline - 400 W Stadium Drive, Grand Saline, TX, 75140

Fruitvale - 244 VZCR 1910, Fruitvale, TX, 75127

Mineola - Middle School - 1050 W. FM 564, Mineola, TX 75773

Mineola - (Little Dribblers Gym) 409 E University St, Mineola, TX 75773

Quitman - 1101 E. Goode St, Quitman, TX, 75783

Emory - 1651 US 69, Emory, TX 75440

Lone Oak - 8204 US 69 Lone Oak TX, 75453

Big Sandy 401 N. Wildcat Drive, Big Sandy Texas 75755

As a basketball organization, we have one of the most important and exciting jobs in the world!  Think about it.  Teachers would do anything to get the enthusiasm that we get from our players. Kids actually like and want to play basketball.  Our players look up to us. They listen to us, and we have the opportunity to make a POSITIVE impact on their lives. We take that opportunity very seriously at ETBL!  

Bottom line...we have a very important and rewarding job! We would love to have you be a part of this rewarding organization!  It's going to be another great season!  See you on the Court!

East Texas Basketball League

*Alba*Emory*Fruitvale*Gilmer*Grand Saline*Mineola*Lone Oak*Quitman*Big Sandy*

The official basketball rules as adopted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (UIL) has been adopted as the official East Texas Basketball League playing rules except as changed by the following special rules:

Entry Fees for Games is $5 dollars for Adults and $3 dollars for Students during Regular season games. During Tournaments Entry fee will be $6 for Adults and $4 for Students

1.  QUALIFICATION:

All players must play in every game.  Not playing all players on your roster for reasons other than disciplinary will result in a review of your coaching status by the ETBL board of directors. All Players Must Play in 75%

of regular Season Games to be eligible for the end of season Tournament!

All players must play for  the school where they attend or school district they live in.

2.  DEFENSE IN THE BACKCOURT:

3rd & 4th Grade division: Is Straight Basketball Except for Defense in the backcourt is prohibited except during the last 9 minutes of regulation and overtime.

1st & 2nd Grade Division: You cannot guard your man (play defense) until they cross the half court line.  Each team must play half-court man-to-man defense the entire game.  Full-court defense (press) will not be allowed at any time regardless of the score. 

Additionally, no half-court zone defenses will allowed in the 1st & 2nd Grad Division.   Offense in the back court will have 10 seconds to cross the mid-court line.

This rule shall not be interpreted to allow a “free” outlet pass starting a fast break or to allow rolling the ball during the inbounds of the ball. 

Penalty:  Technical Foul after one official warning will be put into place for defense in the back court.

Further explanation: A zone defense penalty should be called when: a defensive player plays the balls as opposed to guarding an offensive player ("chasing the ball"), or a defensive player guards an area of the court as opposed to guarding an offensive player.

Additionally, "zoning" will be a judgment call of the official.  Officials will be cautioned that the zone defense rule does not prohibit a defensive team from playing "help defense" which may include "double-teaming," "switching," or "sagging."

The intent of the rule is to prevent "chaser" defenses where one or more players chase the offensive player having the ball, and the traditional zone defenses where one or more defensive players' primary responsibility is protecting an area of the court.  Each of these situations is easily detected by anyone knowledgeable of basketball and should be strictly enforced.

Coaches and players should not expect complete uniformity in the enforcement of this rule. No two officials will judge a situation the same.  A good team will be one that is coached to adapt its offense and defense based on how the officials are calling the game.  This is true regarding how the officials call fouls, lane violations and traveling violations.  It should be the same with the zone defense rule.

1st and 2nd Grade Division the offense is not allowed to run isloation of any kind. Each player must Engage on every set play.  This is included on inbound plays under the offense goal as well. This is to NOT include fast break situations.

3.  LANE VIOLATION: 

In the 1st & 2nd Grade division and the 3rd & 4th Grade division, the lane violation rule will be 5-second lane violation rule.  In the 5th & 6th Grade division the rule will remain as 3-seconds.

4.  FREE THROW LINE:

In the 1st & 2nd  and 3rd and 4th Grade division  shall be 13’6” from the front of the backboard.  At schools that have goals that hang on the rim, we will be shooting from the real free throw line. In gyms where regular goals drop down players can shoot inside the regular free throw line from 13’6”.

5.  BASKET:

Applicable to the 1st & 2nd Grade division, the basket shall be 8’6” from the floor.  The basket for the 3rd & 4th as well as 5th & 6th Grade division will be 10’ from the floor.

6.  BALL:

ETBL Official Ball Sizes 

Boys

1st and 2nd Grade - 27.5 JR Ball

3rd and 4th Grade - 28.5

5th and 6th Grade - 29.5

Girls

1st and 2nd Grade - 27.5 JR Ball

3rd and 4th Grade - 28.5

5th and 6th Grade - 28.5

7.  SPORTSMANSHIP RULE:  

Defense in the backcourt is PROHIBITED at all times and in ALL age groups when a team is winning by 20 points.  There is no warning given and will result in an immediate technical foul given to the teamand or bench. 

8.  UNIFORMS:

The U.I. L. Rule making the players tuck their shirts in will be enforced at all times in all gyms.  The uniform jersey MUST have a legal basketball number on the front AND the back. If a player has an illegal number that player is not elgible to play until the illegal number issue is resolved to a legal number. No team can have the same jersey number for multiple players. Legal Numbers are 00,0,1,2,3,4,5,10,11,12,13,14,15,20,21,22,23,24,25,30,31,32,33,34,35,40,41,42,43,44,45,50,51,52,53,54,55. These are the only legal numbers allowed

9.  TIME OUTS:

Each team will be allowed 3 time outs for the entire game.

10.  1ST AND 2ND GRADE INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION:

No Free throws to start the game for 1st and 2nd grade division.

11.  COACHING STAFF:

There will be 2 coaches allowed on the bench during the game and only 1 standing at a time.  A 3rd adult, a scorekeeper for your team, will also be allowed on the bench.  However, this adult must sit on the end of the bench farthest from the official table and is not allowed to speak to anyone other than the coach.  Any violations of this rule will result in a warning to the coach from the official and then removal from the court. 

Coach’s Code of Conduct Enforcement: Coaches that are removed from a gym by an official during a game will be disciplined. First offense coach misses the rest of that day plus next weekend. If coach is thrown out a second time he or she will be done for the year in ETBL league. This will be strictly enforced. This rule is also subject to a case by case scenario. The ETBL Commissioner has final say over the punishment for the ejection.

12.  PARENT/FAN CODE OF CONDUCT ENFORCEMENT:

The following code of conduct enforcement will be in effect for anyone involved in an ETBL function.  If You act inappropriately, in a manner that is not helpful in building a positive environment for our children, you will be asked to leave the gym.  This decision will be made by the officials on the court and or by the gym administrator. this will be enforced by the designated gym administrator.  The first offense will result in you not being allowed in any ETBL gym for the rest of the day.  If this behavior continues and you are asked to leave another gym (2nd offense), you will not be allowed back in an ETBL gym for the remainder of this season. Additional punishments maybe handed down by the ETBL Commissoner depending on the level of the incidents. A parent coming onto the court physically or verbally attacking the officals, players, or coaches, will be banned from all gamesandgyms for the remander of the season. 

13.  OVERTIME:

First overtime will be a 1 minute Running Clock. Second  overtime will be a 1 minute Running Clock. If score is still tied game will end in a tie except in end of season tournament.

14.  RUNNING CLOCK:

1st and 2nd Grade is 7 Minutes Running Clock for 4 quarters.

All other divisions will play 4 Quarters with a 9 minute running clock. The clock will ONLY stop for injuries, timeouts, and the last minute of each game both regulation and overtime for dead balls, assuming the score is within 9 points.

The Clock will start after a timeout once the ball is rebounded from a free throw or inbounded by a player

15. Players Code of Conduct:

 If a player is ejected from a game that player is suspended for the next game. The suspended player must sit on the teams bench during the game he or she is suspended for. If the player is ejected for a second time that player is suspended for the rest of the season. any player ejected for a physical altercation will be suspended for the remander of the season

16. A and B Division Rule:

     Every Town will have at least 1 A division team in both the 3rd & 4th as well as the 5th & 6th Division. A town is welcome to have more than one A division team. If a Town only has one team in that  Grade level they must play in the A division. ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS.Only A teams will go to the end of the season tournament. End of season tournment is for A division only

Adopted by ETBL on August 18th, 2024.

1st & 2nd Grade Boys: Mineola

1st & 2nd Grade Girls: Quitman

3rd & 4th Grade Boys: Grand Saline

3rd & 4th Grade Girls: Rains

5th & 6th Grade Boys: Lone Oak

5th & 6th Grade Girls: Gilmer

End of Season Tournament is on Febuary 22nd!

SUPER SATURDAY

Will be Saturday, March 1st, 2025 in Fruitvale!

(Tournament dates & locations are subject to change.)