In March, USA Basketball and the NBA announced a new set of rules and standards for youth basketball. These new guidelines will come into play in Junior Lakers programming.
Here's what you can expect:
- Smaller Basketballs!
- The NBA and the Junior Lakers share the vision for young basketball players to learn to handle the ball the right way. Using a smaller basketball that is more proportional to the size of a given Junior Laker's hand can help them more easily practice the fundamental skills necessary to developing handles at an early age. The NBA has recommended children ages 7-8 to use size 5 basketballs, and kids ages 9-11 to use size 6 balls.
- No zone!
- The Junior Lakers will again follow the NBA's model for defense. For all participants under the age of 11, man-to-man defense will be encouraged as a part of a vision to promote the development of individual defensive skills.
The full list of NBA new rules and standards and a video from the NBA can be viewed here.
With the Junior Lakers, as always, the goal is to provide young hoopers with a fun experience, and one that develops their fundamental skills in the best way. We're excited to see how these changes affect our program!