Tournament Rules

TOURNAMENT RULES

GAME PLAY – DIVISIONS ARE GRADE BASED

– Game is played with RUNNING CLOCK WITH STOP CLOCK LAST 2 MINUTES OF 2ND HALF

● 1st – 6th Grade: 16 min halves

● 7th – Varsity: 18 min halves

● 2 minute half time

– Game time is forfeit (site director may grant an extension up to 10 minutes based on situation)

– Rules and Guidelines are in accordance with High School Federation Rules

– 4 timeouts per game (No regulation timeouts carry over to overtime)

– Overtime will be a 3-minute running clock with last minute stop clock

● 1 timeout issued during First overtime (timeout does not carry over to Double or Third Overtime)

● Double overtime will be 1-minute running clock

● Third overtime sudden death (1st team to score)

– DOUBLE BONUS on the 10th team foul (NO 1 AND 1)

– Running clock if team is leading by 20 pts, trailing team must cut lead to 12 pts to be granted stop clock

– OFFICIATING TEAM may stop live play to protect a player “PLAYER SAFETY”

– Only Athletic apparel or athletic protective equipent will be worn during game “PLAYER SAFETY”

● No earrings, watches, rings, bracklets, smart devices or monitors

GAME BALL

BOYS: 1st – 2nd Grade Size 27.5 BOYS: 3rd – 6th Grade Size 28.5 BOYS: 7rh – Varsity Size 29.5

GIRLS: 1st – 3rd Grade Size 27.5 GIRLS: 4th Grade – Varsity 28.5

COACHES RESPONSIBILITIES

– If a coach decides to challenge an opposing players grade eligibility, all challenges must take place

BEFORE start of game (Note: a $50 fee per player challenged, must be paid to initiate challenge, if a

challenge is won fee is returned, if a challenge is lost the fee will be credit to teams future event with FCA)

– Coaches must be able to provide proof of a player’s grade eligibility by providing either a report card,

progress report, class schedule, current school ID or through a student/parent school portal. A player’s

birth certificate or State ID is utilized as proof to ensure a player meets age requirement in division. If a

coach is unable to provide proof of a player’s grade and age, or it is determined the player is not eligible

ALL GAMES THE PLAYER PARTICIPATED IN WILL BE VACATED/FORFEITED.

– A player must have played in any of the first 2 games of the tournament to be eligible to play in the

championship game. A player CAN NOT be added to participate in just the last game of a tournament.

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

– If any of the following occurs, individuals will be subject to removal for a game or the day

● Heckling of officials by coaches, players, parents and all other spectators

● Fighting by anyone including, officials, coaches, players and spectators

● Threatening acts or gestures by anyone

– Full Court Athletics reserves the right to take any or all of the following actions

● Removal from the game or event

● Forfeiture of a game

● Expulsion from future events

● Law Enforcement involvement

– ALL DECISIONS FROM TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR ARE FINAL

Tournament Rules

All UIL rules will be followed for tournament games with the following exceptions and amendments.

Timing

Boys

6th Grade & Above- 7 minute stop clock quarters

4th – 5th Grade – 6 minute stop clock quarters

3rd Grade & Below – 18 minute running clock halves – Stops last 1 minute of half

Girls

9th Grade & Above – 7 minute stop clock quarters

6th – 8th Grade- 6 minute stop clock quarters

5th Grade & Below – 18 minute running clock halves – Stops last 1 minute of half

Timeouts

Each team receives two 30 second timeouts per half. Timeouts do not carry over between halves. Players will be allowed to sit during timeouts. 

Warmups

If time permits, 3 minutes will be provided from the conclusion of the previous game for teams to warmup. More time can be added but cannot exceed the scheduled start time.

Halftime

Halftime is 3 minutes for all divisions, as time permits. 

Running Clock

For all divisions 8th grade & below the clock will run in the 2nd half if there is a lead of 15 or more points. The clock will stop once the lead is below 12 points.

For all divisions 9th grade & above the clock will run in the 2nd half if there is a lead of 20 or more points. The clock will stop once the lead is below 15 points. 

Overtime

A 2 minute stop clock overtime will be used if the score is tied after regulation. Teams will be granted 1 timeout. Timeouts from regulation do not carry over.

In the 2nd overtime period, the first team to score wins. 

 

Fouls & On-Court Conduct

A team will shoot 2 free throws once 10 team fouls have been accumulated. There is NO single bonus (1 & 1).

Fighting will result in immediate removal from tournament without refund and potential disqualification of the team.

No Stalling – Teams may not hold the ball without attempting to score for more than 30 seconds. The first instance will result in loss of possession. Each subsequent instance will be a team technical foul.

 

If a player is ejected from a tournament game, they are suspended for their team’s next game (this does not apply if a player fouls out).

 

If a coach is ejected from a game by the officials, he/she must immediately leave the playing area. If the coach complies with the officials & tournament staff promptly, he/she will be allowed to coach the next game – if a coach is uncooperative, he/she may not be allowed to coach for the duration of the tournament.

Team & Spectator Responsibilities

The tournament will provide clock/bookkeeper(s) & a team may provide 1 parent or coach to assist the officials by keeping the official clock or book. This person must refrain from showing partiality, coaching players on the floor, or commenting on calls made by officials.

Spectators are encouraged to actively cheer their teams, but are not permitted to

disparage opposing players or coaches, nor heckle the officials.

Spectators may not come onto the court unless beckoned by the officials to tend to an injured player during a dead ball. Any non-player who enters the playing area during a game will be removed from the tournament without refund.

All individuals are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the tournament’s Code of Conduct.

Any party exhibiting behavior inconsistent with the Code of Conduct may be subject to

immediate removal from the tournament without refund. Such actions would include:

Use of profanity, threatening or violent action, failure to comply with staff or security

instructions, or any other behaviors deemed to be sufficiently inappropriate as to merit

removal from the tournament by either the site director or tournament director.

 

Home/Away

 

The home team is listed first/top on the bracket/schedule. The designated home team should wear white or lighter colored jerseys and provide the official game ball. 

  

Player Protest

Only the head coach may initiate a protest.

The protest fee is $50 and must occur prior to the start of the game or no later than 15 minutes after the game.  The player being protested must produce documents confirming the players age & grade (Ex. a birth certificate & current report card). If the protest is lost or no documentation is produced in a timely manner, the player is ineligible to compete in the tournament. If the player’s age and grade are both validated, the $50 is forfeit and the player shall be eligible. 

Basketball Size Regulation

All Girls Divisions or 6th Grade Boys & Below – 28.5 Ball

7th Grade Boys & Above – 29.5 Ball 

Tiebreak Procedures

If 2 teams are tied in the standings, the team who won the head-to-head matchup 

wins the tiebreaker.

If 3 or more teams are tied, the aggregate point differential, or positive points, from all

tournament games will be used to determine all 3 teams’ final standing.

Example

Team A +3, -8, +15 Total + 10

Team B -5, +9, +1 Total + 5

Team C +15, +15, -1 Total + 29

1st – Team C

2nd – Team A

3rd – Team B

Positive points are awarded based on the final score of tournament games. Teams can

accumulate a maximum of 15 positive or negative points per game. Games won by forfeit will result in 1 positive point.

Grade & Age Regulations

Players are only eligible to play in their grade division or higher. 

Players cannot play in a lower grade division regardless of age.

In addition to being in the appropriate grade, players cannot be too old.

Players are required to be the typical corresponding age of their grade level (i.e. 8th Grade – 14 years old)

Players are allowed to be up to 1 year older than the typical age, but cannot

turn 2 years older before Sept 1st of the current year.

Example

5th Grade Division – Typical age: 11 Years Old

Player A

5th Grade, 12 years old, turns 13 on December 5th 

Verdict: Eligible to play in 5th grade (Will be age 12 on Sept 1)

Player B

5th Grade, 12 years old, turns 13 on July 31st 

Verdict: NOT Eligible to play in 5th grade (Will be age 13 prior to Sept 1)

2nd Grade	8 years old	7th Grade	13 years old
3rd Grade	9 years old	8th Grade	14 years old
4th Grade	10 years old	9th Grade	15 years old
5th Grade	11 years old	10th Grade	16 years old
6th Grade	12 years old	Varsity	18 years old

Coaches may apply for a grade exception in advance of the tournament for players who have been accelerated in school due to academic excellence.

*Grade Exceptions are only granted for players that are the typical age of the lower grade as of Aug 31 of the current year.

If a grade exception is not granted by the tournament director prior to the event – any player in a higher grade than the division they are playing in will be ineligible.