G League 101: Everything you need to know before tip-off

PORTLAND, Maine. -The Maine Celtics are preparing for their home opener on November 14th when the Celtics welcome in the Long Island Nets. This year marks the 25th season for the NBA G league and the 16th season for Maine.

Maine will begin the 2025-26 campaign on the road on November 7th when the Celtics begin the NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament against the Greensboro Swarm. Maine will play three games on the road before returning to the Portland Expo for the team's home opener one week later. With the season rapidly approaching, here's what you need to know about the NBA G League, and some of its unique rules.

This season, all NBA G League teams will compete in at least 50 games during the 2025-26 season, kicking off with the 14-game Tip-Off Tournament followed by a 36-game regular season. All 31 teams will compete in the Tip-Off Tournament which will culminate at the NBA G League Winter Showcase with the Winter Showcase Championship Game. Teams will be separated into four regions where they will play 14 games against one another in said regions in NBA G League markets. The teams with the best winning percentage in each region, along with the next four teams with the best winning percentages regardless of region, will advance to compete for the Championship at the NBA G League Winter Showcase. These top eight teams will play in a single-elimination tournament with the winner and runners-up competing for a trophy and a monetary prize pool. Every team will play at least two games at the NBA G League Winter Showcase.

Following the Tip-Off Tournament, team records will reset before the 36-game regular season. Winter Showcase games will count towards regular season records for teams, with game action resuming for the rest of the regular season on Dec. 27.  At the conclusion of the regular season, the top eight teams in each conference will qualify for the NBA G League Playoffs, which conclude with the NBA G League Finals in April 2026. Maine has advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the past two consecutive seasons.

For the 2025-26 season, each NBA team is permitted to have up to three players under Two-Way Contracts on its roster at any time (in addition to the maximum 15 players under Standard NBA Contracts). Maine's Two-Way players are Amari Williams, Max Shulga, and Ron Harper Jr. to start the season. Two-Way players may be active for up to 50 games with their NBA team. Players signed to Two-Way Contracts are paid one salary for their time in both leagues. Only players with three or fewer years of NBA service are able to sign Two-Way Contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons.

G League Teams are allowed to have five Affiliate Players on the roster. From September to October, NBA teams trim their rosters from a maximum of 20 players invited to training camp to 15 on opening night. The “affiliate player rule” allows them to retain up to five of the players that they waive.

Players designated by an NBA team as affiliate players are automatically allocated to that team’s NBA G League affiliate if they choose to sign an NBA G League contract. Affiliate players remain free agents available for any of the 30 NBA teams to sign.

The NBA G League is used as a testing ground for the NBA where unique on-court rules are enforced in addition to the standard NBA game rules and guidelines. As we gear up for gameday, here are some of the unique rules that will be enforced this season that are important to know. Last year, the G League introduced the end of period "heaves" rule, which was adopted by the NBA ahead of this season.

Once again this season, certain unsuccessful end of period "heaves" will be adjusted from an individual player's missed field goal attempt to a team field goal attempt when the following criteria are met: 

If the shot is made, despite meeting the above criteria, then the player will be credited with a standard made field goal attempt. The team field goal attempts will not be tied to the individual player on the final box score. If a field goal attempt meets the criteria, but the shot is blocked by a defender, the attempt will count as a team field goal attempt, and the defender will be credited with a blocked shot. Any associated rebounds after such blocked shot will be credited to an individual player as needed. 

The G League also features an expanded Coach's Challenge, which allows each team two Challenges per game, regardless of the outcome of any particular Challenge. In comparison, the NBA allows just one Challenge per game. If an NBA coach's Challenge is successful, they retain the timeout they used to call the Challenge. In the G League, the challenging team will be charged with a timeout used to initiate the Challenges regardless of the outcome of the Challenge. The only called fouls and violations that are not subject to review via Coach's Challenge are technical fouls, unsportsmanlike acts and flagrant fouls. 

Beginning in 2022, the NBA G League has implemented a Target Score Overtime. This means games advancing to an overtime period will be determined by a Final Target Score of seven points. For example, if the teams are tied at 100-100, the Final Target Score would be 107. Overtime periods are untimed, and games will end when a team makes a basket or free throw to reach or surpass the Final Target Score. 

The G League also utilizes a one free-throw rule, meaning one free throw worth one, two or three points will be awarded in the event of any foul that would typically result in one, two or three free throws being shot under standard NBA rules. For example, if two foul shots are awarded, a player will only take one free throw and if the shot is successful, it is worth two points. This rule does not apply during the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or the entirety of any overtime period. 

Other unique rules in the NBA G League:

14-Second Reset on Advance: The shot clock will reset to 14 seconds or will remain the same, whichever is lower, anytime the ball is advanced to the frontcourt following a reset or a team timeout.

Reset Timeouts: Each team will be entitled to a “Reset Timeout” in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and final two minutes of any overtime period. “Reset Timeouts” do not allow teams to huddle, but otherwise mirror standard timeouts, allowing teams to advance the ball (when applicable) and make unlimited substitutions. If either team huddles or prevents the ball from immediately being put back into play, it will result in a delay of game being issued to the offending team.

Transition Take Fouls: A transition take foul occurs when a defender commits a take foul (a foul in which the defender does not make a play on the ball) against an offensive player who has the ball or has just released a pass; a foul is committed during a transition scoring opportunity; and a foul does not meet the criteria for a clear path foul. The fouled team may select any player in the game to shoot one free throw and retains the ball at the point of interruption. A player that is off the ball and is fouled in an effort to stop a transition scoring opportunity that is an obvious take foul will be considered a transition take foul.

Key difference from NBA rule: There is no transition take foul in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.

Replay Triggers: The G League has five replay triggers.

-Flagrant Fouls
-Two-point/three-point field goal attempts or fouls
-Made basket at the end of a period
-Foul at the end of a period
-Any hostile act / altercation

Key difference from NBA rule: There are 16 total replay triggers for NBA games.