Hoop Time is Basketball Victoria's primary schools competition, run as single day round robin carnivals at local stadiums. It covers Grade 1 and 2 as Minis, Grade 3 and 4 as Junior, and Grade 5 and 6 as Senior, with Rookie, Future Stars and All Stars divisions so beginners are not matched against rep players. Winning teams progress to Regional Finals and a State Grand Final.
Written by Cameron James, founder and head coach at Liddicoat Basketball. Over a decade coaching junior basketball in Melbourne, including at Big V level, and rep teams from Under 12s through to Under 18s.
Last updated August 2026.
Hoop Time is Basketball Victoria's schools competition, run as single day round robin carnivals at local basketball stadiums rather than as a weekly season. A school enters teams, those teams turn up for one day, and they play a series of short games against other schools.
Because it is school based rather than club based, it reaches children who have never set foot in an association. For a lot of Victorian kids, a Hoop Time day is the first time they play a real basketball game with a referee, a scoreboard and a team they did not pick themselves.
In 2026 tournament days ran from April through to September across a long list of Victorian venues, so most schools have a nearby date available at some point in the year. Schools register teams through Basketball Victoria's online forms tied to a specific date and venue.
Hoop Time splits by primary school grade rather than by birth year, which is a genuine difference from club basketball and one that confuses parents who are used to under 10s and under 12s.
Hoop Time Minis is for Grade 1 and Grade 2 students, and runs as a clinic followed by games rather than as a straight tournament. Junior is for Grade 3 and Grade 4. Senior is for Grade 5 and Grade 6.
The grade based structure has a knock on effect worth knowing. A child born late in the year can be one of the youngest in a club age group but one of the oldest in their school grade, or the reverse, so a parent used to club grading may find their child suddenly playing up or down relative to what they expect.
The division structure is the most useful thing about Hoop Time, because it stops a beginner team being flattened by a team of rep players. Basketball Victoria sets three streams within the Junior and Senior age groups.
Mixed Rookie is for genuine beginners, meaning students who have never played basketball before or have only played for fun and are not in a current domestic program. Future Stars is for students playing in Victorian Junior League 6 or below. All Stars is compulsory for students competing in VJL5 or above, or representing their association at the Junior Country Championships.
Schools sometimes get this wrong, usually by entering a strong team in Rookie because a teacher does not know which children play rep. If your child plays rep, tell the teacher which VJBL division they are in, not just that they play basketball. The division names are what the eligibility rule is written around.
A Hoop Time day is not always a one off. Basketball Victoria says the program culminates at the end of each year with Regional Finals and a State Grand Final day, so a team that keeps winning keeps playing.
For parents, that means a Hoop Time entry can quietly turn into a multi day commitment across months if the team keeps winning. Worth asking the school at the start of the year what happens if they progress, because a Regional Final may be further away than the original venue.
Schools also need adults. Ask the school early who would take the team to a Regional Final on a different date, because progression can fall over simply because nobody is available. If you would be willing to go, say so rather than waiting to be asked.
Hoop Time's published age groups run to Grade 6, which leaves secondary students needing a different competition. Basketball Victoria runs two.
The Victorian Secondary Schools Challenge is open to secondary schools across the state in under 15, under 17 and under 20 age groups for both boys and girls. In 2026, regional qualifying tournaments ran through May and into early June across five venues, Diamond Valley, Eagle Stadium in Werribee, Jubilee Park Stadium in Frankston, Nunawading and SBC, with finals at SBC from 16 to 18 June 2026.
Above that is the Champions Cup, which Basketball Victoria describes as an elite high school tournament open to schools regardless of which sporting association they belong to.
Grade 1 and 2 play Hoop Time Minis as a clinic plus games format, Grade 3 and 4 play the Junior age group, and Grade 5 and 6 play the Senior age group.
All Stars is compulsory for students playing VJL5 or above, or representing their association at the Junior Country Championships. Students in VJL6 or below go into Future Stars.
Yes. The Mixed Rookie division exists specifically for students who have never played before or who only play for fun and are not in a current domestic program.
The program culminates each year in Regional Finals and a State Grand Final day, so a team that keeps winning keeps playing. Ask the school at the start of the year what happens if your child's team progresses.
Hoop Time's divisions are set by primary grade. Secondary students play the Victorian Secondary Schools Challenge in under 15, under 17 and under 20 age groups, or the Champions Cup.
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Facts on this page were compiled from the official sources below and written up in our own words. Dates, fees and venues change every season, so confirm anything you are relying on with the association directly.
This page was last updated August 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Whatever competition your child is in, the thing that moves them is repetition with feedback. That is what my coaching plans are built around.