National Sports ID

2020 Tournament Rules

Player Eligibility – Recreation Level Teams

1. The player Age Groups are as follows: 7-8 (boys/girls), 9-10 (boys/girls), 11-12 (boys/girls), 13-14 (boys), 15-18 (boys), and 13-18 (girls). Player Eligibility is based on their age as of September 1st of the previous calendar year. Players are NOT permitted to “play up” in any Age Group. No player may participate on more than one team for their GCAA or merged GCAA’s for the current GRAS Tournament season. Girls may play on a Boys team if there is not a Girls team participating for their respective Age Group registered by their local GCAA or merged GCAA. However, Boys may not play on any Girls teams. All participating Players must be currently enrolled in Elementary School, Middle School, High School, or verifiable Home Schooling. No existing or current College or University Students are eligible for the GRAS Tournament. The GYBA Board reserves the right to amend Age Groups as deemed necessary for fair and competitive play.

 

2. No player shall have played in more than two (2) Travel, AAU, YBOA, or equivalent higher skill level tournaments during the previous three (3) month period leading up to the official start of the current GRAS Tournament. No current playing year Middle School, High School Players or College Players are eligible to participate in the GRAS Tournament. All Players must be registered and currently on active Rec Team for given GCAA.

 

3. GYBA reserves the right to reject the registration of any Player or Coach, who may be of cause for concern regarding the preparation and operations of the current GRAS Tournament.

 

6. All participating GCAA’S must notify, in writing, the GYBA Board the number of teams that they will be registering in the Tournament by Age Group, three (3) weeks prior to the beginning of the Tournament (January 24, 2020 by 5pm). Each registered team must be paid for in full ($450.00 per registered team) and certified not less than 10 (ten) calendar days prior to their first game of the Tournament. The GYBA Board will work with individual teams on a case by case basis provided the teams contact GRAS directly regarding their specific registration issues. There will not be any certification of teams, Players, or Coaches at the Tournament locations. All scheduled games will be forfeited by the teams failing to comply with this requirement.

 

 

Team Responsibility

1. All teams must wear appropriate basketball attire, including the use of a two color jersey (either reversible or separates) utilizing a lighter color of its uniform for HOME, and a darker color of its uniform for VISITOR. All jerseys must have permanent numbers on both the front and back, if numbers are not present on both the

front and back of the jersey. GRAS shall have the final determination on the uniform appropriateness of all participating teams. All legal uniform numbers shall conform to the current GHSA playing rules, therefore, allowing any jersey number that follows, 0,1,2,3,4,5,10,11,12,13,14,15,20,21,22,23,24,25,30,3132,33,34,35,40,41,42,43,44,45,50,51,52,53,54

& 55. Any illegal jersey on any participating player(s) on a given team will result in a single administrative technical foul. Should a team have an illegal jersey(s), it should be brought to the attention of the game referees at the beginning of the game so the appropriate penalties are assessed and the game can move on without further incident concerning a uniform issue for said offending team.

 

2. Only shorts without pockets, zippers, or belt loops will be permitted. Any player not conforming will be required to either change shorts to the correct one or be removed from the game until the correct shorts are being worn.

 

3. If the player desires to wear an undershirt under their game jersey, the undershirt shall be the one of the predominant colors of the team’s uniform, and everyone on the team must wear the same color or shade of undershirt. A mixture of undershirts will not be permitted and those not wearing the designated team color will be required to remove and replace, if an undershirt is desired to be worn. Please understand that undershirts are not part of the required team uniform and are an accessory item that needs to match as closely as possible with the chosen shirt of the team. There are no administrative technical fouls issued for undershirt violations, only the removal of the player from the game until the undershirt is either matched to the other players or removed from wearing during that current game.

 

4. All shirt tails shall be tucked inside the shorts at all times.

 

5. No jewelry (such as watches, bracelets, rings, earrings, plastic wrist bands, rubber bands, magnetic bracelets, necklaces, etc) or any other distracting or disruptive object (such as casts, non-orthodontic braces, etc) shall be worn. Applying tape over an earring shall not be permitted, all earrings shall be removed if the player desires to enter the game. Should there be a question about an item being used by the participants, the Tournament Director or GRAS official present will have the final determination. Athletic head bands and athletic wrist bands for the purpose of wicking sweat shall be permitted for GRAS play.

 

6. Players, Coaches, or anyone else on the basketball court shall wear appropriate shoes with non-marking soles.

 

7. A team roster AND starting line-up must be verified five (5) minutes prior to the start of each game by the participating teams. GYBA Site Director will have official scoresheets pre-printed from database to assure rosters are verified. Not adhering to this rule could result in an Administrative Technical Foul being assessed to the offending team if the game is delayed beyond the published starting time or the stated starting time by the Tournament Director.

 

Playing Rules

1. All games shall be played in accordance with the current GHSA playing rules, unless conflicts are specifically defined in the Tournament Rules published by the current GRAS rules. GRAS rules will take precedent in circumstances where conflicts are present.

 

2. For all Age Groups, there will be a Pool Play format consisting of a minimum of three (3) games followed by a seeded Single Elimination bracket to determine the tournament champions. For all Age Groups greater than sixteen (16) teams, GYBA reserves the right to create an A Division and B Division level bracket for the Single Elimination games to ensure better competition among the competing teams. The GYBA Board will make all final determinations regarding the tournament format. GYBA will provide the bracket formats, and tournament seeding to all GCAA’s participating in the GRAS Tournament.

 

3. Each game will consist of four (4) quarters of eight (8) minutes each for all age groupings and the clock will remain running, stopping only for time outs, AND will stop the last two (2) minutes of 4^th Quarter on all whistles. Should overtime be necessary to complete a game, the first overtime period will be two (2) minutes of stop clock play, stopping on all whistles, free throws and time outs. Any additional overtime periods will be one (1) minute each following the same format of stop clock play. Play will continue until a winner is determined.

 

4. Each team will have 2 (2) time outs per half, consisting of two (2) sixty second timeouts. There will be one (1) sixty (60) second time out granted to each team for every overtime period necessary. The carryover of any unused time outs is NOT permitted for each team.

 

5. There shall be sixty (60) seconds between quarters and three (3) minutes between halves, if time is permitting. GYBA and the Tournament Director have the ability to reduce this time, if necessary, due to games running longer than previously scheduled.

 

6. All teams must be ready to play within five (5) minutes of their published game times. There will be only one (1) five (5) minute grace period extended for teams to arrive, if a participating Team is not on the court ready to play or cannot field an appropriate team, then a forfeit will occur for the violating team.

 

7. Team warm-ups on the court will be no more than five (5) minutes total once the previous teams have exited their respective team benches.

 

8. Team rosters shall consist of no more than twelve (12) players. A maximum of two (2) Coaches are allowed for each team. Only the team’s players and designated Coaches shall be permitted to sit on the team bench during games. Only the designated Head Coach may stand during the game for coaching purposes. The Head Coach cannot designate his standing authority to any designated Assistant Coach unless the Head Coach has been removed from the game or is not in attendance for the game.

 

9. A team shall start and play the entire game with a minimum of four (4) players. If one or more of the players foul out or become injured and have to leave the game, the game will continue with less than four (4) players with only the remaining eligible players participating in that game.

 

10. All substitutions MUST be made through the official score keeper and recognized by the referee.

 

11. Age Specific Playing Rules:

 

• Ball Size for Recreation Games: A 5 ball shall be used for the 7-8 Boys and Girls, 9-10 Boys & Girls, 11-12 Girls, and 13-18 Girls. A 29.5 ball shall be used for the 11-12 Boys, 13-14 Boys, and 15-18 Boys.

 

• Goal Height shall be 5 feet for the 7-8 Girls only, 9 feet for the 7-8 Boys only. All other Age Groups and Grade based teams will use a 10 foot goal height.

 

• Free Throw Line shall be 12 feet for the 7-8 Boys and Girls (there shall be clearly defined markings placed on the floor for the 7-8 year olds by the Host Gym Staff). All other Age Groups and Grade based teams will use the standard 15 foot free throw line.

 

• 3 Point Line will be used for all Age Groups.

 

• Lane Violations will be 3 seconds for all Age Groupings and Grade based teams. For the 7-8 Boys and Girls, the Lane Violations are only applicable from the designated 12 foot Free Throw line to the base line as defined by the current International Playing rules.

 

• Backcourt Pressing is permitted for all Age Groups and Grade based teams the entire game with the exception of the 7-8 year olds (Boys and Girls). The 7-8 year olds are NOT permitted to Backcourt Press at any time.

 

12. If any team is leading by twenty (20) points or more, then a RUNNING CLOCK will be utilized with NO Backcourt Pressing allowed by the team who is leading the game. If the lead is reduced to fifteen (15) points or less, then the game will resume as normal described in Play Rules #3. During any RUNNING CLOCK portion of the game caused by a team winning by 20 points or more and until the score is reduced to 15 points or less, the only time the game clock will stop is during timeouts. The RUNNING CLOCK will continue to run during all Free Throws.

 

 

 

Protests

1. The Protest Committee for each Host Site shall consist of the Host Tournament Director, a GYBA Board member, and the head of the respective Officiating Association providing officials for the respective Host Site.

 

2. All protests must be submitted in writing within thirty (30) minutes of the game in question completion to a member of the Protest Committee or their respective designee. Only protests involving rules and regulations about player eligibility or participation will be considered. The Protest Committee will act upon all properly submitted protests within twenty-four (24) hours.

 

4. For any protest to be considered, all parts of this rule must be strictly adhered to by all parties involved.

 

Technical Fouls and Ejections

1. All Technical Fouls and Ejections must be reported to the GYBA Board via email or phone call within six (6) hours of the incident by the Tournament Director or its designee. The GYBA Board contact information is listed at the end of this document.

 

2. For all Ejections, the Referees that are working the game must complete an Ejection Report and provide to the Tournament Director providing specific details regarding the nature of the Ejection.

 

3. If a Coach or Player is ejected from the game, the ejected party shall be immediately suspended from participating in the next scheduled game for its team. Should the ejected party participate in any manner other than in a spectator capacity utilizing the General Conduct Rules, then the violating team will immediately forfeit the game.

 

4. If a Coach or Player is ejected from two (2) games, they shall be banned for the remainder of the tournament from participating in any capacity as a Spectator, Coach, or Player. If a banned participant attempts to participate in any manner, its team will forfeit all games associated due to said participation.

 

5. All technical Fouls and Ejections shall be recorded in the official score book by the designated scorekeepers.

 

General Conduct Rules

1. Everyone involved with the GRAS Tournament must abide by the Code of Conduct as established in the By-Laws.

 

2. There shall be NO smoking or use of any tobacco products in the gyms or immediately outside the gym entrances.

 

3. NO food or drinks shall be allowed in the gyms, except for bottles of water for the Players and Coaches. Any post game drinks or snacks for the Teams must be provided outside of the gym in an area designated by the Host Park Staff.

 

4. Rowdy behavior, profane language, intentional physical battery/abuse, or displays of unsportsmanlike conduct will NOT be tolerated from any Coach, Player, Parent, or Fan. The Referees and the GRAS Tournament Directors have the authority to suspend, terminate, or forfeit any games due to any abusive or unsportsmanlike conduct issues. Individual violators may be asked to leave the premises.

 

5. NO player or spectator random basketballs will be allowed in the gyms during games, other than the official GAME balls provided by the Host Site Staff, or the TEAM balls brought by the Coach to be used for warm-ups. No dribbling of basketballs is allowed unless it’s directly related to the games being played or for the warm-ups for the game to be played next.

 

6. NO practice shooting/playing by anyone is permitted other than the teams that are playing the current contest. Any violators of this rule may be asked to leave the gym.

 

7. Anyone approaching a Referee after a game, including Coaches, Players, or Fans could be subject to expulsion for the remainder of the tournament.

 

Scheduling

1. All game schedules, seeding, and tournament brackets are established by GRAS Tournament Staff. No game(s) may be changed without prior consent of the GRAS Board.

 

2. All games shall be cancelled due to any school closings or inclement weather. GRAS will reschedule said game(s) at the earliest times available.

 

3. Games will be spaced out not more than 1 hour, whenever possible. All games times are subject to the GRAS Board approval.

 

 

Miscellaneous

1. GRAS has the authority to establish a Gate Charge (at some locations), if deemed necessary by the GRAS. There will NOT be any fees charged for Coaches, Players, Scorekeepers, GRAS personnel and Host Park personnel.

 

2. A neutral Scorekeeper and Clock Operator (both of which shall be at least 14 years old) shall be provided by the Host Park.

 

3. GRAS will make all attempts to have two (2) Referees present at every game, but games will begin as scheduled if only one (1) Referee is available.

 

4. Have a current set of rules, both GRAS and National Federation Playing Rules, at the score table(s) during all tournament games. These rules are to be made available to the Referees, Scorekeepers, Tournament Director or designee, GRAS officials, Coaches, Players, and Parents to review upon request.

 

5. The GRAS will provide an appropriately sized Game Ball for each court for the GRAS Tournament games. The Game Balls must be a regulation full grain leather basketball that meets the standards of the International Playing rules. See the current GRAS Tournament Rules for specific ball sizes for each Age Group. If the provided game ball is not acceptable to BOTH coaches, then the coaches have the right to mutually agree on a desired game ball and deliver to the referees, provided it does not delay the start of the game.

 

Coaches Responsibility

 

1. Make sure all players are registered at National Sports ID
2. Have your team ready to play in an appropriate Uniform. Home Teams are lighter color jerseys, and Visitors are darker color jerseys. If there is a problem with jerseys, it will be up to the Tournament Director to make the final determination as to what color each team will wear.
3. ALL Coaches (Head Coach and Assistant Coaches) are encouraged to wear a shirt or pullover that represents their team and GCAA Logo. This is a requirement for the 2018 GRAS Tournament, however, its encouraged to help all parties differentiate the Coaches from the spectators in the event of an emergency, as well as, promoting team unity. No coach, either head coach or assistant coach, may wear any hats while coaching their respective teams.
4. Ensure that your teams are warmed up and ready to play at the scheduled game time.
5. Adhere to the General Conduct Rules and Code of Conduct for GRAS Tournament.
6. Demonstrate good sportsmanship.
7. Ensure ALL team members, parents, and team spectators exhibit appropriate behavior at all times.
8. A team roster AND designated starting line-up MUST be submitted to the Scorekeeper five (5) minutes prior to each game. Not adhering to this rule could result in an Administrative Technical Foul being assessed to the offending team if the game is delayed beyond the published starting time or the stated starting time by the Tournament Director.
9. Remain at the gym until ALL of your Players have been picked up.

 

 

 Referee Responsibility

 

1. Manage ALL games in a professional manner. Hustle at all times and display good sportsmanship as all eyes are watching. Be approachable to all Coaches who address you in the correct professional manner. Treat the Coaches and Players in the same manner that you expect them to treat you.

 

2. Dress in the appropriate referee uniform for your respective association while working games for GRAS. This include a vertically striped white/black shirt or other approved referee shirt that is tucked in, solid black pants (no gym pants or warm up pants) or solid black shorts (no stripes) 40 whistles or equivalent (no pea whistles), and black court shoes. All officials working said game must match with respect to their referee shirts.

 

3. No fraternization with the Teams, Parents, or Spectators while working the games.

 

4. Allow each team to have their full time outs. Provide the appropriate warnings to them when the time is approaching for the Time Out to end.

 

5. Adhere to the proper mechanics for the working two-man, and three-man Referee systems. Rotate positions accordingly after all shooting fouls, at a minimum.

 

6. Explain infractions to the Coaches, and Players when it is obvious they do not understand the call.

 

7. Report ALL Technical Fouls, Ejections, Forfeits, or Crowd Control issues to the Tournament Director and GRAS Board within six (6) hours of the incident. All reports MUST be in writing providing specific details about the incident and the actions taken by the Referees on the supplied Incident Report forms. Be available if there is the need for additional information from GRAS depending on the nature of the incident.

 

8. Enforce all International Playing Rules, and enforce all GRAS specific rules as detailed in this document.

 

9. Referees are required to change clothes, if necessary, in the appropriate restroom facilities or locker room as designated by the Tournament Director behind closed doors and out of sight from the general public.

 

10. Referees are asked to leave the game as soon as practical after their assigned games have concluded. All Coaches shall maintain these records for the duration of the Tournament and have readily available access to them if requested by a GRAS official.

 

GRAS Board Contacts for Questions, Technical Fouls, Ejections and Incident Reports

Chris Strohm – President of Lanier Athletic Association / Director of Operations GYBA

678-382-3390 – Mobile

chris.strohm@georgiayouthbasketball.com

 

Lex Davis – President of GYBA / Treasurer of Norcross Athletics

770-584-9576 – Mobile

lex.davis@georgiayouthbasketball.com