Protest Procedures

Should a team believe that it has had its interests adversely affected by a decision of an official (referee or umpire), or by any event that took place during a game, it must proceed in the following manner as per FIBA rules:

a) At the moment when the incident takes place, either immediately when the ball is dead and the clock is stopped, or at the first time-out that follows, the captain of the team shall make their observations to the referee, provided this is done in a calm and courteous manner.

b) The referee may explain their decision or, if necessary, may examine the score sheet and check the score and the playing time.

c) The interruption of play thus caused, should it exceed 30 seconds, shall be charged as a time-out to the team in question unless the referee, recognizing the validity of the observation, decides otherwise.

d) If, at the end of the game, the team in question should deem to have been put at a disadvantage by what has occurred, its captain shall immediately report to the scorer’s table and inform the scorer and the referee that their team is appealing against the result of the game. The team captain shall then sign the score sheet in the space marked “Captain’s signature in case of protest”. In order to make this declaration valid, it shall be necessary that the official representatives of the team on the court, either its coach or the captain, give confirmation of the protest in writing to the Canada Basketball representative within the 20 minutes following the end of the game, without, however, giving detailed explanations, then depositing with the representative of Canada Basketball as security, a sum of $300.00.

e) The coach/captain of the team in question must submit to the chairperson of the Protest Committee the text of its protest within one hour that follows the end of the game.

Videos, films, pictures or any equipment, visual, electronic, digital, or otherwise, may be used only to:

  • Decide if a last shot at the end of each period or any extra period was released during playing time.
  • Determine responsibility in matters of discipline or for educational (training) purposes after the game has ended.

A final decision of the Protest Committee shall be rendered within one hour of notification of the protest. If the protest is accepted as valid, the $300.00 security shall be refunded. Decisions of the Protest Committee are final and binding and are not subject to further appeal. The rules of play are not subject to appeal.