2026–27 Travel Family Guide
What to expect from the Newtown Travel basketball season, and how we all show up for the kids.
Welcome
Why we have a Travel program.
The Newtown Youth Basketball Association Travel program exists to develop Travel-level players while giving them a competitive, positive and meaningful basketball experience. For every player we want to:
Develop
Build fundamentals, skills, basketball IQ and confidence.
Build fundamentals, skills, basketball IQ and confidence.
Compete
Learn to compete as a team, overcome challenges and strive to be their best.
Learn to compete as a team, overcome challenges and strive to be their best.
Enjoy the game
Be challenged and supported while continuing to love basketball.
Be challenged and supported while continuing to love basketball.
Grow beyond Travel
Carry skills, confidence and teamwork for years to come.
Carry skills, confidence and teamwork for years to come.
NYBA is run by volunteers. Your child's coach is almost certainly a parent who gave up their evenings and weekends, and the officials and scorekeepers are often teenagers learning their craft. This guide explains how the season works and what we ask of families so the experience stays good for everyone.
Quick answers
What to do when… Tap a question.
My child is hurt or sick
Sick:
keep them home from practices and games. Injured:
if it is safe and appropriate, they should still come to practice to watch and stay part of the team. Tell the coach as soon as you can. If a player is hurt at a practice or game, the coach files an accident report with NYBA within 24 hours.
School is closed
There is no practice that night, and your coach will contact you. This does not affect practices or games at NYA.
Where do I find the schedule?
Practice and game schedules can be located in TeamSideline. Coaches enter game schedules and NYBA enters practice schedules. Your coach will tell you about changes. FCBLhoops.org also has the schedule, standings and results for FCBL games. For TeamSideline help, contact Andrew Philbin ( philbin.andrew@gmail.com).
Can I give my child instructions from the bleachers?
Cheer positively and as loudly as you like, but do not coach. A child listening or looking to the stands is not engaged in the game or listening to their coach. See the Family Card.
I disagree with a coaching decision or my child's playing time
Wait until the next day, then talk to the coach. Strategy, positions and playing time are not discussed during or right after a game. If it is not resolved, contact the board member who runs the program. Anything about your child's safety or wellbeing is raised right away.
I have a concern about the officiating
Do not comment on officiating or speak to an official during a game. Nearly all our scorekeepers are teenagers, and in the youngest divisions so are the referees. Send concerns in writing after the game to the board member responsible for officials.
Someone from another team behaves badly
Do not respond in kind and do not handle it yourself. Tell your coach or the board member who runs your program. NYBA will pursue it with the other organization or league. Reacting in the moment takes that option away.
A guest of mine, like a grandparent or sibling, causes a problem
You are responsible for everyone you bring. Their conduct is treated as yours under the Code, so talk to them before the game.
The team wants to join an extra league or tournament
Extra events need NYBA approval. Their costs are paid by the team and families who take part, and your coach should tell you the cost before committing the team. See costs
My child's team won a tournament. Can I send a write-up to the newspaper?
Write-ups are done at the program level and submitted to Kristi Buell by NYBA, not by individual families or team parents. Tell your coach about the result and the program directors take it from there.
The Family Card
A summary for parents, guardians, spectators and players. The NYBA Code of Conduct governs.
For parents and everyone you bring
- Cheer, do not coach. Loud is fine. Instruction is not. A child listening to the bleachers is not listening to the coach.
- Leave the officials alone. Do not comment on officiating and do not address an official during a game. Nearly all our scorekeepers are teenagers, and in the youngest divisions so are the referees.
- The 24 hour rule. Position, strategy or a coaching decision waits until the next day. Anything about your child's safety or wellbeing is raised immediately.
- No calling out any child. Including your own. Do not speak to another family's child about their play at all.
- Stay in the bleachers. Not on the sidelines or baselines, behind a basket, or near a bench.
- You are responsible for your guests. Grandparents, siblings, family friends. Their conduct counts as yours.
Away games
- If someone from another organization behaves badly, do not respond in kind and do not handle it yourself. Report it to your coach or the board member who runs your program. NYBA will pursue it. Retaliating in the moment takes that option away.
What happens if it goes wrong
- First: the officials warn the coaches and a coach comes over. Nothing is recorded, and if it stops it never happened.
- If it continues: the officials can charge a technical to that coach, and a written warning follows. Where the spectator is identified, that warning counts against the family, not the coach.
- An ejection means leaving the building before play resumes. The person sits the team's next game.
- Before any suspension, you will be told in writing what is alleged and given a chance to respond. Any outcome comes in writing and can be appealed.
Raising a concern
- Coach first for team matters, then the board member who runs your program, then the President. In writing once it goes past the coach.
- Raising a concern in good faith is never a violation of the Code, no matter how many times you raise it. Retaliation, including against your child, is a serious violation on its own.
- Suspected abuse or a child at risk goes straight to DCF at 1-800-842-2288 or the Newtown Police. Not through NYBA.
For players
- Play by the rules. Listen to your coach and the officials. Shake hands afterward and mean it.
- No taunting, trash talk or retaliation, whatever the other team is doing. No profanity.
- Pick up a teammate having a bad game, because you will have one.
- If an adult makes you uncomfortable, tell a parent, a coach or any board member. You will not get in trouble for it.
The full Code of Conduct and Athlete Safety Policy are at newtownhoops.com
. Every registering parent or guardian acknowledges the Code at registration, and taking part in an NYBA activity means agreeing to it.
Season at a glance
Key dates for families. Your coach will share your team's practice and game schedule on TeamSideline. Optional events are not part of the Travel season cost.
October
Oct 12 – Nov 14
— Pre-season practices
Oct 16–17
— Uniform fittings, Newtown Middle School Cafeteria
By Oct 30
— Team/parent meeting with your coach
November
Nov 14–15 and Nov 20–22
— Milford Tip-Off Tournament
Nov 16
— Regular-season practices and schedule begin
Nov 29 – Jan 31
— Milford Knights Basketball League (MKBL), Sundays only Optional
December
December
— Danbury PAL Holiday Tournament. The FCBL regular season runs December through February.
January
Jan 1–3
— Vertical Hoops, Mohegan Optional
Jan 16–17
— BasketBull Jr. HoopHall Championships, Springfield Optional
February – March
Feb 5–7
— MKBL playoffs Optional
February–March
— FCBL playoffs
Feb 20 – Mar 7
— Milford Hoopfest (weekends only)
Mar 19–21
— New England Basketball Championships, Rhode Island Optional
What to expect
Commitment, practices, uniforms and playing time.
The Travel commitment
- Players are expected to attend practices, FCBL league games, tournaments and playoffs.
- Attendance affects team preparation, player roles and playing time. Tell your coach as soon as you can if your child will miss a practice or game.
- Your coach will cover team expectations at the team/parent meeting: effort, attendance and attitude, teamwork and sportsmanship, player roles, practice routines and team terminology.
- Every team teaches man-to-man defense as a core skill.
Injured or sick
Injured
If it is appropriate and safe, an injured player should still come to practice to watch, learn and stay part of the team.
If it is appropriate and safe, an injured player should still come to practice to watch, learn and stay part of the team.
Sick
Stay home rather than attend practices or games.
Stay home rather than attend practices or games.
If a player is hurt at a practice or game, the coach fills out an accident report for NYBA within 24 hours.
Practices
- A coach is responsible for players from arrival until a parent picks them up. Stay close at pickup time and be on time.
- Your coach meets players as they arrive and stays at the site until every player has been picked up.
- If school is closed for any reason, there is no practice that night. Your coach will contact you. This does not affect practices or games at NYA.
- In school buildings, players and siblings must stay with the group and may not roam the halls. Follow each building's rules. Problems can put all NYBA use of school facilities at risk.
Uniforms
NYBA Travel runs on a three-year uniform rotation. 2026–27 begins a new cycle, so every Travel player buys a new uniform.
- Fittings are October 16–17 at the Newtown Middle School Cafeteria.
- 8th graders get a $50 courtesy discount toward the uniform, since it is their final Travel year.
Playing time
8 min Minimum per player in regular and non-league games
4 min Minimum per player in tournaments and playoffs
- A coach may play a player less than the minimum only for discipline, such as missing games or practices, attitude or lack of hustle.
- Before doing that, the coach must tell the VP Travel, then tell you in writing and explain why.
- A coach's own child gets no extra minutes, roles or attention. A coach can be asked to account for how every player was used.
- Questions about playing time go to the coach after the 24 hour wait described on the Family Card. If that does not resolve it, contact the board member who runs the program.
Schedules and TeamSideline
Game and practice schedules live on TeamSideline. Coaches enter game schedules and NYBA enters practice schedules, so check it regularly. Your coach will tell you about changes.
FCBL: the league
NYBA registers each Travel team with the Fairfield County Basketball League. Here is what that means for your child.
- Teams play a league schedule from December through February, then FCBL playoffs in February and March.
- Each team gets 10 home-game slots, and the league assigns required opponents in each division. Coaches handle the scheduling and post games on TeamSideline.
- Only players on the team's approved preseason FCBL roster may play in league and tournament games.
- Only the first league game against an opponent in the division counts toward the standings.
- Boys teams in 5th–8th grade must submit a team photo to FCBL before their first league game. Your coach takes care of this, so please make sure photo requests reach them quickly.
New for 2026–27
3-game weekend max.
No team plays more than 3 games in a weekend, all season.
Rules by grade
| Rule | 4th | 5G | 5B | 6G | 6B | 7G | 7B | 8G | 8B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball | 27.5" | 28.5" | 28.5" | 28.5" | 28.5" | 28.5" | 29.5" | 28.5" | 29.5" |
| Press limit | Final minute | Final 2 min | 15-pt lead | 15-pt lead | 15-pt lead | 15-pt lead | 15-pt lead | 15-pt lead | 15-pt lead |
| Mercy rule in playoffs | — | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Special defense | Man-to-man only | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Rules for all grades
- Four 8-minute quarters, with a three-minute overtime
- Three full timeouts and two 30-second timeouts
- Three-point baskets are allowed at every grade
- Seven team fouls in a half means a 1-and-1. The 10th team foul means two shots.
- Two technical fouls on the same person is an automatic ejection
- The press rule: at a 15-point lead the leading team stops pressing. The trailing team may keep pressing, and the leader may resume once the lead drops below 15.
4th grade details
- Stopped-time quarters and five personal fouls
- Man-to-man defense only, with no zone, no trapping and no double-teaming
- Pressing only in the final minute, and never when leading by more than 4
- Isolation and four-corner plays are not allowed
- Fighting means removal and at least a two-game suspension
5th grade girls details
- No backcourt pressing except in the final two minutes and overtime
- 10-point mercy rule in the regular season and in playoffs and tournaments
- 13-foot free-throw line
Leagues and tournaments
The Travel season cost covers the FCBL regular season and playoffs, Milford Tip-Off, Danbury PAL and Milford Hoopfest.
| League / tournament | Dates | Cost | In Travel cost? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milford Tip-Off Tournament | November 14–15 and 20–22, 2026 | $0 | Yes |
| Milford Knights Basketball League (MKBL) | November 29–January 31 (Sundays only); playoffs February 5–7 | $1,295 | No |
| FCBL Regular Season | December–February | $0 | Yes |
| Danbury PAL Tournament | December | $0 | Yes |
| Vertical Hoops, Mohegan | January 1–3 | $600 | No |
| BasketBull Jr. HoopHall Championships, Springfield | January 16–17, 2027 | $450 | No |
| FCBL Playoffs | February–March | $0 | Yes |
| Milford Hoopfest Tournament | February 20–March 7, 2027 (weekends only) | $0 | Yes |
| New England Basketball Championships, Rhode Island | March 19–21 | $395 | No |
Teams may join extra leagues and tournaments with NYBA approval. Those costs are paid by the team and families who take part.
Your coach should tell you the cost before committing the team.
Newspaper write-ups.
Write-ups for championship and runner-up tournament results are done at the program level and submitted to Kristi Buell by NYBA. They are not submitted by individual families or team parents. If your child's team wins or finishes as runner-up, your coach shares the results with the program directors, who handle the rest.
Game day
Who is in charge, where to sit and what happens when something goes wrong.
Who is in charge
The officials own the game
They have final say on the playing rules, fouls, technicals, ejections and whether play continues. No coach, parent or board member can overrule a call. Judgment calls are never reviewed.NYBA owns the event
NYBA decides whether someone can stay in the gym, whether a coach keeps coaching and whether a family keeps participating. An NYBA representative is on site at every game, and a duty officer is reachable by phone.Where to watch
- Stay in the designated seating or bleachers. Do not stand on the player sideline or baseline, behind a basket, or next to a team bench.
- Some gyms have limited space. Keep a reasonable distance and do not interfere.
- NYBA rents every gym it uses. Follow each facility's rules on food, drink and footwear, and leave the space as clean as you found it.
- Where all the officials are under 18, the two head coaches are jointly responsible for spectators. Either coach may stop the game and call the duty officer.
If you are asked to leave
An ejection applies to anyone, including spectators. Leave the building before play resumes.
You will sit the team's next scheduled game, with no further review. Refusing to leave, or coming back during a suspension, is a Tier E violation. An ejection on its own is not a finding that you broke the Code. NYBA reviews that separately.
How NYBA responds
Some consequences are automatic and follow from the game itself. Everything else falls into one of five tiers. The examples below are a plain-language summary. The Code has the full wording.
| Tier | Examples | Possible outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| A | Sideline noise, coaching from the stands, audible frustration, comments on officiating | Officials warn the head coaches, who speak to their bench and spectators. Not recorded. |
| B | Conduct that continues after a Tier A warning, arguing with an official, profanity not aimed at a person | A written warning that stays active for the season. Officials may also charge a technical. |
| C | Profanity aimed at someone, demeaning treatment of a player, intimidating an official, coach or volunteer | One to three events, or removal from a role for a set period. |
| D | Repeat Tier C conduct, threats, discriminatory conduct, unwanted physical contact, retaliation | Four events up to the rest of the season, or removal from a role. Board decision after Grievance Committee review. |
| E | Violence or assault, endangering a child, serious or repeated Athlete Safety Policy violations, refusing to leave when removed | One or more seasons, or permanent exclusion of a person or family. Board decision after Grievance Committee review. |
- Younger officials count extra. Conduct aimed at an official, scorekeeper or monitor under 18 moves up one tier. This most often applies at the scorer's table and in the youngest divisions.
- Sideline technicals. They do not count against the coach. When the responsible spectator is identified, the technical counts toward the family who registered the player that person came to watch. When no one is identified, it is recorded against the team and nothing escalates.
- What NYBA weighs. Whether children saw it, whether the target was a child or young official, whether it repeated, whether the person owned up to it, and any history in the last two seasons.
- Family registration. If a parent's conduct leads to a Tier D or E outcome and they will not accept terms for continuing, the Board may end the family's participation, including the player's. NYBA does this reluctantly because the child has usually done nothing wrong. Removal for conduct does not earn a refund except as the refund policy provides.
- Players. A player in a physical altercation is removed from the game and sits at least one game.
If a division or program has repeated conduct problems, the Board may require a preseason parent meeting, place a board member or volunteer at games, or run a stretch of games under cheer-only rules, where spectators may encourage but not comment. These are management tools, not discipline.
Raising a concern
Who to talk to, and what to expect from NYBA.
Team matters
- Talk to your coach first, after the 24 hour wait if it is about strategy or a coaching decision.
- If it is not resolved, contact the board member who runs your program.
- Then the President, then the Grievance Committee, then the Board.
Officiating concerns
Do not raise them during the game. Send them in writing after the game to the board member responsible for officials. Remember that most scorekeepers are teenagers and some youth referees are in high school.What to expect
- You should get an acknowledgment that your concern was received and notice when it is closed. NYBA may not be able to share the discipline it imposed, out of respect for everyone's privacy.
- Anonymous concerns are accepted, but they are hard to act on without a way to follow up.
- Raising a concern in good faith is never a violation. Retaliation against someone who raises a concern, including against their child in playing time, team placement or treatment, is a Tier D violation by itself.
- A complaint made knowingly falsely, or to harass, is itself a violation. A complaint that turns out to be mistaken is not.
If NYBA says you broke the Code
- Before a Tier C, D or E outcome, you will be told in writing what is alleged and given a reasonable chance to respond, in writing or at a meeting.
- Any outcome from Tier B up is issued in writing with the tier, the outcome, how long it lasts and your right to appeal. An outcome that is not in writing cannot be enforced.
- When an allegation involves safety, violence or threats, the President may suspend someone before the review is finished. That suspension is in writing, is not a finding, and ends when the Board decides the matter.
- Appeals: a Tier C, D or E outcome can be appealed in writing to the NYBA Secretary within 7 days of the written notice. An appeal committee of three people with no prior involvement reviews the record and recommends a decision to the Board, which decides.
- Officials' rulings on the game itself are never appealable. A removal from a gym and a precautionary suspension cannot be appealed, but the underlying matter can.
Suspected abuse or a child at risk:
report directly to DCF at 1-800-842-2288
or the Newtown Police. Do not go through NYBA first, and no one at NYBA may ask you to hold or delay a report.
Athlete safety
What families can expect from every coach.
Screening
Every coach and assistant coach must complete NYBA background screening and be cleared before taking part in any team activity. No other parent may act as a coach unless formally approved and cleared.One-on-one contact
Coaches never meet one-on-one with a player who is not their own child. Group supervision is fine, and waiting with the last player in an open, public place is acceptable. Coaches do not wait with a player in a vehicle.Messages
A coach's messages to players include a parent or a second cleared adult, use a platform that keeps a record, and are never deleted.The Code applies everywhere NYBA programming happens, including practices, games, team events, hotels and travel, and in every kind of communication, including text, group chats and social media. It applies to families and guests as well as coaches.
Who do I contact?
Start with your coach for team matters.
Your coach
Team matters, schedules, practice details, playing time and team expectations.Deena & Jimmy, Travel Program Directors
Program questions and concerns that are not resolved with your coach.Deena: deena.szklarz@nyba.info · 203-217-9901
Jimmy:
newtownhoops.treasurer@gmail.com
Kristi Buell
Newspaper write-ups. These are submitted by NYBA at the program level, so families do not need to contact her or submit anything.DCF / Newtown Police
Suspected abuse or a child at riskDCF 1-800-842-2288
