Tournament Format

1.01    The national tournament shall be conducted annually on the latest weekend that includes a March date unless Easter Sunday falls on that weekend.  In such case, the tournament shall be conducted on either the weekend preceding or the weekend following Easter Sunday, whichever is closer to March 31.

1.02    The may be five (5) divisions of competition based upon age, gender, and current level of education (also see INDIVIDUAL ELIGIBILITY rules:

Grade School Girls Division
Grade School Boys Division
Church Youth Division

1.03    The tournament shall be conducted on the single-elimination basis for the national championship.  However, a team will continue play in the consolation bracket after its first loss prior to the semifinal round in the championship bracket.  Each team will be guaranteed to play a minimum of two (2) games.

Team Selection Criteria

2.01    The tournament directors shall select, or cause to be selected by whatever means in their opinion is appropriate in the circumstances, the best and most representative teams in the United States for participation in each division.

2.02    In determining which applications for invitation are to be accepted, preference generally will be given to state, regional, metropolitan, and league champions.

2.03    Guaranteed national tournament berths will be awarded only to the champions of those post-season tournaments that have been sanctioned for the current season.

2.04    The tournament directors may require local or regional playoffs in circumstances where more than one team form the same city, state, or region are deemed to be equally qualified for the tournament.

2.05    The tournament directors may accept more than one team per state in order to round out the field.

2.06    Announcement of the teams selected will begin no later than the third Monday prior to the national tournament.

Team Eligibility

3.01    Teams must be established squads, which have been sponsored by a Lutheran church or elementary school during the current season.

3.02    Any team that has not participated in an established league during the current season must submit an affidavit of explanation of the sponsor’s stationery, signed by representative of the sponsor and sealed with the sponsor’s seal.

3.03    A team must have played a minimum of (10) official league and or tournament games during the current season.

3.04    A Church Youth  Division team formed by combining members from two (2) or three (3) churches may play in the national tournament only under the following conditions:

1. A combined team must play as such and in compliance with the rules during the entire season.
2. The league and/or tournament must approve the formation of the combined team and provide for such merger in its rules and regulations.
3. No more than seven (7) players from the same church may participate on a combined team.
4. The pastors of the churches represented must submit written statements indication that their individual churches could not field separate teams due to a shortage of players.
5. The pastor of each church represented must approve the eligibility of each player from his church (separate roster forms may be used) and must sign the team’s application for invitation.
6. Unless superseded by this rule, a combined team must comply with all other rules and regulations of the national tournament.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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 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.

4.15    A Grade School Division player must be able to prove his/her birth date with a copy of his/her certified birth certificate.

4.16    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 or 4.15, 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.

4.17    Identity and birth date, if applicable, must be proven at least sixty minutes (60) prior to a player’s first tournament game.

4.18    Any individual unable to comply with Rules 4.01 through 4.17, as applicable, will not be permitted to participate in the tournament under any circumstances.

Application for Invitation

5.01    The application for invitation must be received by March 1.

5.02    The application for invitation must be accompanied by the tournament entry fee.  Fees will be announced annually, and must be paid by either a check or money order made payable to the Lutheran Basketball ‘Association of America, Inc.

5.03    Fees paid by teams accepted to the tournament are not refundable.  Fees will be fully refunded to any team not accepted to the tournament or whose fee is subsequently paid by its league or post-season tournament.

5.04    The application for invitation must be certified by the pastor of the sponsoring church or the principal of the sponsoring school, as applicable.

5.05    The application for invitation also must be certified by a director of the team’s league. (See Rule 3.02 for exception.)

5.06    A league director may not certify the application from any church or school of which he or she is a member, or of any team with which he or she has an affiliation.  If such a possible conflict of interest exists, certification must be provided by another league officer who is totally independent of the team and church or school.

5.07    The application for invitation must be accompanied by copies of the team’s complete league schedule, the team’s roster on file with the league during the season, final or current league standings, and complete current season league rules and regulations. (A team applying under the Rule 3.02 exception must provide all possible comparable documents.)

5.08    The application for invitation must be complete in all respects, including all required supporting documents, before a team will be awarded a berth in the national tournament.

Playing Rules

6.01    National high school basketball rules shall govern play except where such rules are specifically superseded by these rules.

6.02    Six (6) minute quarters will be played in the Grade School Division.  Sixteen (16) minute halves will be played in the Church Youth Division.  Three (3) minute overtime periods will be player in all divisions.

6.03    All games shall have at least two (2) referees who are certified to officiate either high school or college basketball games and who are members of officials’ associations selected by the tournament directors.

6.04    The official score sheet must be approved for each team no later than thirty (30) minutes prior to your first scheduled game.  Failure to comply with the rule will result in the assessment of a technical foul to the noncomplying team’s coach and awarding of two (2) foul shouts and the first ball possession to the complying team.

6.05    A team must be ready to play at the scheduled game time or a game forfeit may be declared.

6.06    Any participant ejected from a game shall be ineligible to participate in his or her team’s next scheduled game.

6.07    Any protest must be submitted to the tournament directors in accordance with the national high school basketball rules immediately following the incident being protested.  Play shall be suspended while the directors adjudicate the protest, and the judgment rendered may not be appealed once play resumes.

Equipment

7.01    Each team is required to supply its own practice basketballs and other game and locker room equipment.

7.02    Each team is required to have two (2) sets of basketball shirts; each set to be of contrasting basic color for the entire team.  A team may use the uniforms of another team not participating in the tournament in order to fulfill this requirement.

Awards

8.01    A team trophy will be awarded to each of the first, second, and third place teams in the championship bracket, and to the first place team in the consolation bracket.  Additional team award(s) may be presented.  Participating teams not receiving a place trophy will receive a participation plaque.

8.02    An individual award will be presented to each registered play and staff person on each championship team.  An individual award will be presented to each player selected to the all-tournament team.  An individual award will be presented to the most valuable player.  A sportsmanship award will be presented to an individual player as follows:

8.03    A team spirit award(s) may be presented.  The award is as follows:

General

9.01    National tournament rules will not operate to make a player or team eligible when such a player or team is ineligible under the rules of a team’s league or post-season tournament, and the rules of a team’s league and/or post-season tournament will not operate to make a player or team eligible when such player or team is ineligible under national tournament rules.

9.02    Requests for exceptions to the national tournament rules must be submitted in writing to the tournament directors by the earlier of the application deadline date of fifteen (15) days prior to the date by which a ruling on such a request is required.

9.03    Lodging and travel information will be provided no later than three weeks prior to the national tournament upon notification of acceptance.

9.04    Participating teams shall be financially responsible for their own lodging, transportation, and meal expenses.

9.05    Non-commuting teams are required to use lodging accommodations arranged and approved by the tournament directors, or the team will not be permitted to participate in the national tournament.

9.06    The tournament directors reserve the right to collectively amend, add to, or allow exceptions to the rules of the national tournament when deemed appropriate.

9.07    Christian Sportsmanship is expected of all team members/spectators throughout the tournament.  Inappropriate behavior throughout the tournament by team members/spectators may be punishable at levels deemed necessary by the LBAA Board of Directors.