2008 Tournament Rules and Regulations
Individual Eligibility
4.01 Players who have been members of a varsity interscholastic, intercollegiate, or professional basketball team during the current season are ineligible for the national tournament.
4.02 Players must be attending members of the sponsoring church or school and must comply with the eligibility rules of their league, post-season tournament, and the national tournament.
4.03 A church sponsored team may include a maximum of one (1) non-member player on its roster. A non-member player is not permitted on a school-sponsored team.
4.04 A non-member play must be identified as such on the team’s official roster.
4.05 Provision for the eligibility of a non-member player must be included in the team’s league and post season tournament eligibility rules.
4.06 The national tournament directors reserve the right to invalidate any league or post-season tournament eligibility rule if such rule is deemed to be unreasonable or not in the best interest of the national tournament.
4.07 All players must have participated in at least fifty percent (50%) of the team’s total scheduled games. Exceptions may be permitted in case of injury, military service, or similar circumstances, provided advance approval is requested in writing and obtained from the tournament directors prior to the application deadline date.
4.08 At their option, the tournament directors may require evidence of player participation during the current season by requesting copies of official score books, sign-in sheets, and similar types of documents if deemed necessary to insure compliance with Rule 4.07.
4.09 Each team is allowed a maximum of fifteen (15) players.
4.10 Each team is allowed a maximum of three (3) staff persons, such as coaches, managers, statisticians, athletic trainers, athletic directors, chaperones, etc. At least one (1) staff person must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age and must be responsible for team conduct both on and of the court.
4.11 Each team is allowed uniformed cheerleaders with a maximum of two (2) cheerleader coaches/sponsors.
4.12 The following age restrictions apply to the national tournament:
- Women’s (Open) Division – None.
- Men’s (Senior) Division – None.
- Church Youth Division – Without exception, a player must not have reached the age of nineteen (19) prior to the first day of September that precedes the national tournament. If a player is no longer a high school student, an affidavit signed by the pastor must be submitted certifying that the player has been an active member of the team for at least the current and immediate past seasons.
- Grade School Division – Without exception, a player must not have reached the age of fifteen (15) prior to the first day of September that precedes the national tournament. If a player is fifteen (15) years old at the time of the tournament, an affidavit signed by the school principal must be submitted certifying that that player is a full-time enrolled student for the entire academic year.
4.13 All players and team staff members must be able to prove their identity by written signature that matches the signature appearing on the official roster.
4.14 A Women’s/Men’s Division player must be able to prove her/his identity with a currently valid driver’s license or school identification card, either of which must bear her/his signature.
4.15 A Church Youth Division player must be able to prove his/her identity and birth date (not just age) with a currently valid driver’s license or school identification card, either of which must bear both the player’s signature and birth date.
4.16 A Grade School Division player must be able to prove his/her birth date with a copy of his/her certified birth certificate.
4.17 Library cards, social security cards, driver’s permits, traffic tickets, work permits, baptismal certificates, fishing licenses, hunting licenses, bus passes, or any other documents other than those specified above in Rules 4.14, 4.15, or 4.16, as applicable, such fact must be communicated in writing to the division chairperson prior to the tournament in order that the directors might determine what alternate documents, if any, will be accepted as proof of identity and birth date.
4.18 Identity and birth date, if applicable, must be proven at least sixty minutes (60) prior to a player’s first tournament game.
4.19 Any individual unable to comply with Rules 4.01 through 4.18, as applicable, will not be permitted to participate in the tournament under any circumstances.