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Rules & Eligibility

Rules & Eligibility – 2025 SPRING/SUMMER

GAME/PLAYING RULES:

  1. Game consists of 2 – 20 minute running halves with stop time the last minute of each half. During the first 19 minutes of each half, the time only stops for injuries and timeouts.
  2. Pre-game and halftime are usually 3-5 minutes, but may be shortened at the discretion of the referees and tournament officials in order to keep games on time.
  3. If a game is tied at the end of regulation there will be a 1 minute overtime for all games (no time outs for either team, even if have some left – none carry over).
    If there is still a tie after one overtime, it goes to sudden death – the first team to score wins. All overtimes start with a jump ball. 
  4. Each team gets 4 full timeouts per game.
  5. If a team is up by 25 points or more, the clock runs through the last minute, even if the lead slips below 25 points.
  6. No full court pressing by the team leading once their lead reaches 25 points.
  7. Bonus foul shots (2 – double bonus) starting on the 7th team foul per half. Double bonus on the 10th team foul per half.
  8. Player is disqualified after 5 personal fouls.
  9. Technical, flagrant, and intentional fouls are not shot. They are an automatic 2 points and ball possession for the non-violating team. If a player or coach is assessed two of these fouls, they are removed from the game and must leave the gym, and must meet with the tournament director before being allowed to play or coach in subsequent games. Technical fouls also count as personal fouls.
  10. No harassment of officials, players or coaches will be tolerated. Any violation of this will result in the removal of that person without refund of money.
  11. The regulation girls’ size (NFHS) basketball for high school play will be used for all girls’ age groups.
    The regulation boys’ size basketball will be used in boys’ age groups 13 and above. Boys 10 through 12 shall use a girls’ regulation ball – unless both coaches agree to use a boys ball).
  1. Teams must bring their own practice basketballs. The game ball will be chosen from one of the two teams.
  2. All other rules that are not stated above will follow the NHSFA (National High School Federation) rules. 

MISCELLANEOUS:

  1. Each team will be asked to supply a person to keep the official scorebook or work the scoreboard for their team. There might be someone from the tournament staff already doing the scorebook and/or clock, in this case you will not have to supply anyone.
  2. Each team will be provided with 3 wristbands for coaches and/or scorekeeper. The wristbands allow free admittance to the gyms and must be worn the entire weekend. Only team personnel wearing the wristbands will be admitted free of charge into the gym. Coaches must sign in at the main table to pick up their wristbands.
  3. Only coaches wearing the wristbands will be allowed on the bench during games.
  4. ALL TEAMS SHOULD ARRIVE 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE START OF THEIR GAME. GAMES WILL BE HELD FOR ONLY 10 MINUTES AFTER THE SCHEDULED START TIME. ANY TEAM MISSING THIS CUTOFF WILL FORFEIT THEIR GAME AT THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS DISCRETION.
  5. There will be an $10.00 entrance fee per day for adults. For people under 18 years of age or people over 65 the cost will be $5.00 per day. The pass will get you into any of the gyms where the tournament will be played and is good for the whole day.
  6. Teams are responsible for providing their own medical supplies (ice, tape,…) and personnel.
  7. No flyers/brochures may be distributed for other tournaments/camps/clinics at any AFBE event without approval from the AFBE corporate office. Anyone caught doing so without permission will be ejected from the tournament.
  8. Disorderly conduct, damage to facilities, or violations of rules in the opinion of the tournament staff will cause you and your team to be ejected from the tournament. You will immediately forfeit all subsequent games and all fees/admissions paid.
  9. AFBE, the host site and all staff members are not responsible for injuries to players, coaches, spectators, or guests. Injuries are the responsibility of the player’s own health insurance.
  10. Tie breakers for pool play (if teams have the same record) are as follows:
    A.Record of teams head-to-head.
    B. Point differential from wins and losses will be added together, with a maximum of 15 points being counted from each win and/or loss. ANY FORFEIT WILL COUNT AS 15 POINTS TOWARD THE OVER ALL POINT DIFFERENTIAL. The team with the greater point differential in total games will be the tie-breaker winner.
    C. The team with the lowest total points allowed.
  11. For the Tournament of Champions, teams will be seeded based on their prior AFBE tournament appearances and success.
  12. Tournament refunds:
    A. If a team signs up for a tournament and then has to withdrawal prior to the initial deadline of that tournament, they will get a refund for that tournament (minus a $15 processing fee).
    B. If a team signs up for a tournament and then has to withdrawal after the initial deadline of that tournament, there will not be a refund issued unless a replacement team is found and pays the entry fee (in which case they will get a refund minus a $15 processing fee).

PLAYER/ELIGIBILITY:

  1. All coaches are responsible to see that their roster meets all eligibility requirements and is in agreement with the rules for out-of-season play that are listed by your state athletic association.
  2. The coach is responsible for providing the appropriate identification for all of their players (birth certificate, copy of a current year report card, student picture ID with grade level, AAU membership card,…) for age division verification. If a player in question does not produce identification when asked, they may not play in any further games until it is produced. If this affects enough of your players where you cannot field at least five on the court, you will forfeit that game and all subsequent games, with a loss of any fees/admissions paid.
  3. Any challenges of a player’s age division must be made BEFORE game time to a tournament director (and it must come from the team’s head coach). A team that challenges MUST have all of their verification paperwork available for their team in order to make a challenge – no challenge will be accepted if the challenging team does not have their paperwork on hand. The ONLY person who wilL look at the verification paperwork is the tournament director – the opposing coaches, parents and/or players will not have access to the verification paperwork. This is due to privacy concerns.
  4. Age divisions for the tournaments (in some tournaments, based on enrollment, some divisions may be combined):

4th grade – 10 & under (this division is not available in all tournaments)

5th grade – 11 & under

6th grade – 12 & under

7th grade – 13 & under

8th grade – 14 & under

9th grade – 15 & under

10th grade – 16 & under

11th & 12th grades – 18 & under

  1. AFBE GRADE ELIGIBILITY/RULES

12th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 12th grade as of October 1, 2024, and can be no older than 19 on August 31, 2025.

11th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 11th grade as of October 1, 2024, can be no older than 18 on August 31, 2025. For an athlete that is in the 12th grade as of October 1st, 2024 wanting to play down, in the 11th grade division they can be no older than 17 on August 31, 2025.

10th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 10th grade as of October 1, 2024, and can be no older than 17 on August 31, 2025. For an athlete that is in the 11th grade as of October 1st, 2024 wanting to play down, in the 10th grade division they can be no older than 16 on August 31, 2025.

9th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 9th grade as of October 1, 2024, and can be no older than 16 on August 31, 2025. For an athlete that is in the 10th grade as of October 1st, 2024 wanting to play down, in the 9th grade division they can be no older than 15 on August 31, 2025.

8th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 8th grade as of October 1, 2024, and can be no older than 15 on August 31, 2025. For an athlete that is in the 9th grade as of October 1st, 2024 wanting to play down, in the 8th grade division they can be no older than 14 on August 31, 2025.

7th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 7th grade as of October 1, 2024, and can be no older than 14 on August 31, 2025. For an athlete that is in the 8th grade as of October 1st, 2024 wanting to play down, in the 7th grade division they can be no older than 13 on August 31, 2025.

6th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 6th grade as of October 1, 2024, and can be no older than 13 on August 31, 2025. For an athlete that is in the 7th grade as of October 1st, 2024 wanting to play down, in the 6th grade division they can be no older than 12 on August 31, 2025.

5th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 5th grade as of October 1, 2024, and can be no older than 12 on August 31, 2025. For an athlete that is in the 6th grade as of October 1st, 2024 wanting to play down, in the 5th grade division they can be no older than 11 on August 31, 2025.

4th Grade Division – An athlete must be in the 4th grade as of October 1, 2024, and can be no older than 11 on August 31, 2025. For an athlete that is in the 5th grade as of October 1st, 2024 wanting to play down, in the 4th grade division they can be no older than 10 on August 31, 2025.

  1. There are no protests. All AFBE staff and referee decisions are final. 
  2. Players may play on more than one team in the tournament, as long as they are in different age divisions (and they are eligible in both of the age division). They must be on the roster of both teams.

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