NBC Tournament Competition Rules
Competition Rules
All Tournament games will be conducted under National Federation of High School Basketball Rules, unless otherwise noted
Uniforms
While it is required to have numbers on the back of the uniform, it is recommended that uniform numbers be on both the front and back of the uniform. All other NFHS rules regarding uniforms and uniform numbers are waived. A team must have both a light and dark colored jersey for the National Basketball Championship.
Home Team Designation
In bracket play, the top team listed will be the home team. In pool and round robin play, the team listed first will be the home team. In case of uniform conflicts, the home team will wear the lighter colored jersey. The home team should use the bench to the right of the scorer’s table, as you face the floor. Each team’s basket for the pre-game warm-up will be the basket furthest from its bench.
Game Ball / Scorekeeper / Clock Operator
The home team shall provide the game ball and a qualified scorekeeper. The visiting team shall provide a qualified clock operator. These responsibilities can be changed with the mutual agreement of both teams or at the discretion of the Site Director. A scorekeeper or clock operator can be removed and replaced at any time by the game officials or the Site Director, whenever it is deemed appropriate to do so. Volunteer scorekeeper/clock operators must refrain from cheering for their respective teams while acting as scorekeeper/clock operator. Teams are not required to provide the scorekeeper or clock operator for the National Basketball Championship, as they will be provided by PrimeTime Sports.
Ball Specs
The intermediate size ball (“28.5”) will be used for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th grade Boys’ divisions and all Girls’ divisions. All other divisions will use the regulation size ball (29.5”). Limited Exception: the intermediate size ball may be used for 7th grade boys’ divisions to be consistent with state association rules, at the discretion of PrimeTime Sports. Practice and game balls will NOT be provided.
Regulation Clocks and Exceptions
6.1. Unless otherwise noted, a regulation clock will be used with following game length:
6.1.1. Grades 3 & 4: 12-minute halves.
6.1.2. Grades 5 & 6: 14-minute halves.
6.1.3. Grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12: 16-minute halves.
6.2. All overtime periods will be 3 minutes.
6.3. Running Clock Rule (“25/20 Rule”):
6.3.1. Grades 3 & 4: When a team leads by 25 points or more anytime during the game, a running clock will be used.
6.3.2. Grades 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12: When a team leads by 25 points or more during the 2nd half of a game, a running clock will be used.
6.3.3. If the lead is reduced below 20 points for all grades, the regulation clock is resumed.
6.3.4. Anytime the running clock is used, the clock is stopped only for time-outs, injuries or at the officials’ discretion.
6.4. Half-Time will be 5 minutes (Half-Time length may be reduced at the option of the Site Director).
6.5. Pre-game Warm-Up will be a minimum of 5 minutes (the Warm-Up time length may be reduced at the option of the Site Director).
6.6. Half-Time Warm-Up is available for team members in uniform and playing in the next scheduled game.
Free Throws
Teams will not shoot 1&1 free throws on the 7th, 8th, and 9th team fouls. Teams will shoot the double bonus beginning with the 10th team foul and all in the act of shooting fouls. This rule is adopted to allow use of the regulation clock, while keeping the games on schedule.
Timeouts
Each team will be allowed 4 thirty-second timeouts per game. One additional timeout will be allowed for each overtime period. Players are permitted to sit on the bench during a time out.
Pressing Rules (25/20 Rule)
9.1. Grades 3 & 4: Teams are not allowed to press beyond half court with a 25 point or more lead anytime during the game.
9.2. Grades 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11/12: Teams are not allowed to press beyond half court with a 25 point or more lead in the 2nd half.
9.3. If the lead is reduced below 20 points, teams are then allowed to press beyond half court.
9.4. The first violation of the “no press” rule will draw a warning from the officials; subsequent violations will be assessed a bench technical foul (indirect technical foul to Head Coach).
Tiebreaker for Pool and Round Robin Play
10.1. Two Team Tie: Winner of game between two teams tied awarded higher place, with losing team awarded next place.
10.2. Three or more teams tied: Step 1: Head to head record for tied teams, with placing/seeding based upon the head to head record. Step 2: If head to head records are the same for 3 or more teams, the Point Differential Rule is used (each team given a point differential for each game played, with a maximum +15 or –15 differential for any one game). In the event of a forfeit, the team forfeiting shall be given -15 points and the team receiving the forfeit will be given +15 points. In the event of a double forfeit, each team is given a loss with a point differential of 0. Places awarded based upon highest Point Differential.
10.2.1. Point Differential used for all pool or round robin games. If two teams have the same point differential, winner of the head to head game between the teams is awarded the higher place.
10.2.2. If 3 or more teams remain tied, higher place is awarded based upon Point Differential for games between the tied teams only. If two teams then have the same point differential, winner of the head to head game between the teams is awarded the higher place.
10.2.3. If 3 or more teams remain tied, higher place is awarded based upon the lowest defensive points allowed for all games. If two teams then have the same point differential, winner of the head to head game between the teams is awarded the higher place.
10.2.4. If 3 or more teams remain tied, higher place is awarded based upon the lowest defensive points allowed for games between the tied teams only. If two teams then have the same point differential, winner of the head to head game between the teams is awarded the higher place.
Coach / Player Ejection
Any coach or player involved in or ejected for fighting will be suspended the remainder of the tournament. Any coach or player who is ejected from a game by a game official or the Site Director for any other reason will not be allowed to participate in the next scheduled game for that team. Multiple game ejections may result in additional suspension or corrective action by PrimeTime Sports.
Please see our Zero Tolerance Policy.
Behavior Standards
Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. Each coach is responsible for the conduct of the team’s players, coaches and fans on and off the court and must promote the best sportsmanship, win or lose. The Site Director or any game official may remove a player, coach, or attendee from a game, tournament, or venue for inappropriate behavior. PrimeTime Sports may take any such other corrective action it deems appropriate to assure proper sportsmanship, the safety and well-being of all participants, and the integrity and standards of the event. All teams, coaches, players, and attendees are subject to such rulings and corrective actions.
Application of Rules
Player Eligibility & Protests
Divisions of Play
All Grade Divisions offered for Boys Teams & Girls Teams:
- 2034 / 2nd Grade *New!*
- 2033 / 3rd Grade
- 2032 / 4th Grade
- 2031 / 5th Grade
- 2030 / 6th Grade
- 2029 / 7th Grade
- 2028 / 8th Grade
- 2027 / 9th Grade
- 2026 / 10th Grade
- 2025 & 2024/ 11th/12th Grade
Player Eligibility
2.1. Grade-Based Eligibility. All PrimeTime Sports events will be organized by grade divisions. A player is eligible to participate in the Grade Division for his/her grade for the 2023-2024 school year. A team must participate in the division which corresponds with the highest grade of any player on the team.
2.2. Age Exception: A player is eligible to play down a grade provided they meet the requirements listed in the chart below:
| Age as of August 31, 2024 | Eligible to
Play Grade |
| 8
9 |
2nd
3rd |
| 10 | 4th |
| 11 | 5th |
| 12 | 6th |
| 13 | 7th |
| 14 | 8th |
| 15 | 9th |
| 16 | 10th |
Maximum Age
Even if grade eligible, no player may play in a division where the player is more than one year older for the corresponding age for the grade division. For this purpose only, the corresponding ages are, 2nd/8, 3rd/9, 4th/10, 5th/11, 6th/12, 7th/13, 8th/14, 9th/15, 10th/16, 11th-12th/17-18. For example, a 13-year-old 5th grader is not eligible to participate in the 5th Grade division. The age determination date for purposes of the Maximum Age rule is August 31, 2024.
HS Team Division
Eligibility for the High School Team division requires that all the players competed for a single high school during the 2023-2024 school year or a feeder school for such high school. Please call 972-355-3788 X2 for the application of these rules to transfers.
Application of Eligibility Rules
5.1. Playing Up. A player may play up in a higher-grade division.
5.2. Playing on Multiple Teams. A player can play on only one team within a single Grade division of any tournament. A player can play in more than one Grade division of any tournament, provided the player is Grade eligible for each division in which the player participates.
5.3. Gender Specific Divisions. Players are only allowed to play in a division for the player’s gender (for example, a girl player cannot play on a team participating in a boy’s division).
5.4. Signed Waiver & Release. In addition to the grade eligibility requirements, each player is required to have a parent/guardian signed Release/Waiver on file with PrimeTime Sports. PrimeTime Sports can suspend participation privileges for any player without a signed Release/Waiver.
Proof of Player Eligibility
6.1. Team Responsibility. Proof of player eligibility is the responsibility of the team manager or coach. PrimeTime Sports will not check eligibility prior to events. However, a coach must be able to document grade and age eligibility in the event of a challenge by another team or if requested by PrimeTime Sports prior to or any time during an event.
6.2. Documentation Required for Eligibility. As a condition of participation, each team is required to have grade and age documentation available for each player for review at any time during an event. Proof of grade and age must be available for review by PrimeTime Sports representatives at all events. Failure to have such information available at the event may result in player ineligibility, game forfeiture, and/or team removal from the event.
6.3. Acceptable Forms of Documentation. Acceptable proofs of age include clean photocopies of birth certificate, adoption papers, immigration papers, school documentation which reflects DOB, current driver’s license and current passport. Acceptable proofs of grade include a clean copy of any report card of the current or immediately preceding school year, progress report for current school year, or current school ID. Digital documentation may be acceptable subject to review by PrimeTime Sports representatives.
Player Eligibility Protest Procedure
7.1. Scope. The following Player Eligibility Protest procedure applies to all PrimeTime Sports events.
7.2. Who Can Protest: Player Eligibility Protests can be submitted only by a coach or manager of a team participating in the same division as the team with the player(s) whose eligibility is being challenged. For a team to submit a Protest, the team must demonstrate to the Site Director that the protesting team has eligibility documentation for its players available for review by the Site Director. A team is NOT allowed to protest the eligibility of a player from another team without having the eligibility documentation for its players.
7.3. What Can Be Protested:
7.3.1. Player is not grade eligible or within the Age Exception of Section 2.2
7.3.2. Player is beyond age maximum
7.3.3. Player is on multiple teams in same division
7.4. When Can Protest Be Made:
7.4.1. Pre-Game Protest: A protest of player eligibility may be made at any time prior to a game. Any Pre-Game Protest should be submitted as soon as possible so that it may be considered in a timely manner.
7.4.2. Post-Game Protest: Any post-game protest of player eligibility must be made within 30 minutes of the conclusion of a game between the protesting team and the team with the player(s) whose eligibility is being challenged.
7.4.3. Protest Limited. No other player eligibility protests will be considered. A team is deemed to waive any opportunity to protest any player’s eligibility not within these protest periods.
7.4.4. How to File Protest: All protests must be in writing on an official Protest Form and accompanied by the Protest Fee of $50 cash for each player challenged. The Protest Fee is refundable only if the matter is ruled in the favor of the protesting party. If the Protest is not upheld, the Protest Fee is forfeited. All forfeited protest fees will be applied to charitable activities of PrimeTime Sports which include support of youth sports teams and activities.
7.5. Protest Upheld: If a player is ruled ineligible, the player will be prohibited from participating in remaining games of the event. If a Post-Game Protest is upheld, that game will be forfeited by the team with the ineligible player. No prior games will be forfeited as teams participating in prior games will have waived their protest opportunity by failing to timely submit an Eligibility Protest. The team will be allowed to continue to participate in the event without the ineligible player(s). The Protest Fee will be refunded to the protesting team for each protest upheld.
7.6. Protest Denied: If the Player Eligibility Protest is denied, the Protest Fee is forfeited.
7.7. Player Reinstatement. If a player is ruled ineligible for the sole reason that the team did not have any eligibility documentation for the player, the player can subsequently be ruled eligible if such documentation is later provided. The reinstatement is for competition subsequent to the documentation being provided and no prior action will be modified or set aside.
7.8. Ruling Binding. Any Player Eligibility Protest ruling made by PrimeTime Sports is binding upon all coaches, players, and attendees of the event. There is NO appeal of any upholding or denial of a Player Eligibility Protest.
Game Forfeiture Policy
General
Teams participating in an event expect their opponent to be as diligent and conscientious as their team in being on time and prepared to participate in ALL scheduled games. Tournament play requires games to be played early morning and late evening, which may not always be convenient for the participating teams, but that is the nature of tournament play nonetheless. One of the most disappointing experiences for a team is to have the opponent fail to show for a scheduled game. To minimize the occurrence of forfeited games and to address the matter with the participating teams, PrimeTime Sports has adopted this Game Forfeit Policy.
Team Forfeiting Game
When a team forfeits a game in any tournament, the following rules apply:
2.1. The team receives a loss for the scheduled game.
2.2. A team forfeiting any game is still expected to play any and all subsequently scheduled games.
2.3. The team forfeits any team or individual awards given for participation in the forfeited game.
2.4. When a team forfeits a game, it will be required to pay a Forfeit Penalty of $50.00 per forfeited game. The Forfeit Penalty is due prior to the team’s entry in any subsequent PrimeTime Sports tournament. In the event of a subsequent forfeit by the team during the current competitive year (August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025), an additional Forfeit Penalty of $100 per forfeited game will be assessed. Any team forfeiting a game in 3 or more events will not be eligible to participate in any future PrimeTime Sports events for a period of not less than six (6) months and may participate thereafter only upon such terms and conditions as may be required by PrimeTime Sports.
2.5. A game called by a game official or Site Director due to the misconduct of a player, coach or fan shall be deemed a game forfeit by such team for purposes of the Forfeit Penalty.
Team Having Game Forefeited
Most game forfeits are beyond the control of PrimeTime Sports. Since gym rental and officials must still be paid in the event of a game forfeit, most tournament operators do not offer any refund or credit in the event of a forfeit. Because of our commitment to competitive excellence, PrimeTime Sports gives the team having a game forfeited a Forfeit Credit of $50 for each forfeited game, which can be applied toward the entry fee of a future PrimeTime Sports tournament, EXCLUDING the PrimeTime Sports National Basketball Championship.
Forfeit Credit Expiration
All Forfeit Credits expire on August 1, 2025 and cannot be rolled over to a subsequent competitive year.
The Forfeit Policy rules may be modified or waived by PrimeTime Sports in the event of extenuating circumstances. Factors considered will include communications from the teams as to their unavailability to play the scheduled game, the timing of such communications, the circumstances causing the forfeit, and such other considerations deemed relevant by PrimeTime Sports. Any decision by PrimeTime Sports as to the application of the Forfeit Rules shall be binding upon all teams and participants.
Team Entry Withdrawal Policy
General
One of the biggest challenges to managing events is late entry withdrawals by teams. Such entry withdrawals shift energies and resources away from preparing for future events to damage control for a late change in a division. One of PrimeTime Sports’ operating goals is to offer great value to participating teams. To continue to offer outstanding value to teams, PrimeTime Sports has adopted the Tournament Entry Withdrawal Policy.
Entry Withdrawal
A team withdrawing an entry on or before the entry deadline must be made by email to basketball@playprimetime.com.
2.1 Any withdrawal made on or before the entry deadline will receive a full refund.
Late Withdrawal
Any withdrawal after the entry deadline for a tournament will be considered to be a Late Withdrawal. The Entry Fee for a Late Withdrawal will be handled as follows:
3.1. Any withdrawal received after the entry deadline, July 6, 2024, but on or before July 15, 2024, PrimeTime Sports shall retain an administrative fee of $250 and the balance will be refunded to them.
3.2. For any withdrawal received on or after July 16, 2024, there will be no amount refunded to the team.
3.3. Any withdrawal must be submitted by email to nbc@playprimetime.com. A withdrawal will not be considered made until it is completed as directed. NO phone or fax withdrawals will be allowed.
3.4. Any refunds due to a team will be made on or before September 19, 2024.
No Duty to Find Replacement
PrimeTime Sports assumes no duty or responsibility to find a replacement entry for any Late Withdrawal
Entry Credit Expiration
All Entry Credits expire on August 1, 2025 and cannot be rolled over to a subsequent competitive year.
The Team Entry Withdrawal Policy may be modified or waived by PrimeTime Sports in the event of extenuating circumstances. Factors considered will include communications from the teams as to their entry withdrawal, the timing of such communications, the circumstances causing the entry withdrawal and such other considerations deemed relevant by PrimeTime Sports. Any decision by PrimeTime Sports as to the application of the Team Entry Withdrawal Policy shall be binding upon all teams and participants.