Junior Competitions

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SUMMER 2025-26 SEASON INFORMATION

Important – Summer Season Age Group Change

📢 The Summer 2025/26 season is when players move up to the next age group.
Please read the information below carefully to check which age group your child will be placed in.

🗓️ Age Groups Are Based on Year of Birth
Please note that basketball age groups are determined by the year you were born, not the age you are at the start of the season. It doesn’t matter when during the year you have your birthday—there are no exceptions to this rule.

Age Group Breakdown for the Summer 2025/26 Season
Effective from 25/26 Summer Season.

Age Group Year of Birth
U10s 2017 and younger
U12s 2015, 2016
U14s 2013, 2014
U16s 2011, 2012
U19s 2008, 2009, 2010

 

Trial Registrations Now Open!

Registrations are now open for Summer 2025/26 trials!  There will NOT be trials for the 2026 Winter season.

Please read the flyer below carefully for trial dates and details.

All players should attend trials, regardless of skill level (including new players).

Please check the correct trial date/time based on your child’s age group and playing experience for the summer season changes listed above.

Register

Junior Summer Open & JPL Competition – Important Updates

Basketball ACT has made some important changes to how the Summer Open and Junior Premier League (JPL) competitions will run, based on community feedback, official input, and long-term planning.

Why the Changes?

      1. To create clear, consistent pathways for players and teams.
      2. To improve the competition structure for fairness, development, and sustainability.
      3. To better align Summer Open and JPL with the overall junior calendar.

What’s New? (Summarised – The full By-law changes will be published by BACT soon)

SUMMER OPEN

      1. Open to all club/school teams – no team limits.
      2. No pools; all teams play across 11 rounds + 3 weeks of finals.
      3. Top 6 teams automatically qualify for JPL. If more than 8 teams, they play qualifying tournament games.
      4. One age group will play Saturday nights to help with court space and referee management.

JPL (Junior Premier League) – Winter

      1. Maximum 8 teams per age group/gender.
      2. Runs for 14 rounds + 2 weeks of finals.
      3. Teams play each other twice – fair and consistent.
      4. Starts in May, and runs alongside Open and Junior seasons.
      5. U19s can now have up to 4 restricted players.
      6. U12s will have no restricted players.

Trials & Transfers

      1. Summer Open trials must follow BACT trial dates.
      2. Players wanting to transfer between clubs must have a valid reason (e.g. moved house or changed schools) and approval from BACT.
      3. Restricted players from teams not qualifying for JPL may be moved on a local interchange, only if space allows.
      4. Players from Open teams who qualify for JPL must meet participation requirements (e.g. played 50% of games or have medical clearance) to continue in Division 1.

Important Notes for Clubs & Parents

      1. JPL is a privilege, not a guarantee – teams must earn their place.
      2. Clubs should focus on developing depth, especially through junior programs like Aussie Hoops.
      3. Player movement should be respectful. Poaching rules will be more clearly communicated.
      4. JPL will also be capped at 8 teams for consistency for all age groups and genders.

Information for new players

We welcome new players with or without experience. If you haven’t played basketball before, please come along to the trials so we can place you in a team. If you are a new player with previous basketball experience, let us know so we can make sure you are placed in the right team.

Note if you are coming from another Club, the PlayHQ system will require you to submit a transfer before you can complete your registration. Please let the Club know in such cases ([email protected]) so we can reserve a place in a team for you.

There is no minimum age to play basketball but generally players who are 7-8 years or older are more likely to enjoy the competition while younger players will benefit more from participating in the BACT run program (Aussie Hoops) to develop their ball skills first.

Competition structure and age groups

The 2025 winter junior season is running currently – from May to September. The JPL Winter Season is from March to September.

2025/26 SUMMER SEASON

The 2025/26 Summer Season starts mid October and runs until late March for all divisions.

There are 5 junior age groups competing in Basketball ACT competitions – under 10, under 12, under 14, under 16 and under 19. What age group you play in is determined by what age you turn in the year of the competition (regardless of whether you actually reach that age in the competition itself).

Year of birth Age at the end of 2026 Age group for Summer 2025/26
2017 or later 9 or younger Under 10
2015, 2016 10-11 Under 12
2013, 2014 12-13 Under 14
2011, 2012 14-15 Under 16
2008, 2009, 2010 16-18 Under 19

Under 10s is non-competitive, however there are still 2-3 divisions to cater for different ages and abilities.

Under 12-19s are then broken down into grades (divisions 1-6), and play Saturday-Sunday. There is also a separate JPL (junior premier league)/Summer Open run on Friday nights for elite level players.

Training for all teams are from Monday – Thursdays (day depending on coaches availability) at Tuggeranong Basketball Stadium and other Tuggeranong courts.