Tournament Rules

General Tournament Information MSCS Tournament Rules Certification Rules Certification Age Breakdown

General Tournament Information

  • The home team must wear light colored uniform tops and the away team must wear dark colored uniforms.
  • Game officials have the authority to eject players and coaches for poor sportsmanship at their discretion. All ejections are reviewed by the referee assignor and tournament director(s).
  • All coaches must check-in at the designated location and receive a wristband in order to sit on the bench. Only two coaches are allowed per team. A program director may take the place of an assistant coach with prior approval.
  • Coaches are responsible for controlling team spectators and fans. Referees and tournament officials have the authority to ask a player or fan to leave for unsportsmanlike conduct. Teams can receive technical fouls for the actions of their coaches, players and spectators for any distractions ruled as unsportsmanlike conduct by the tournament staff.
  • If a coach, player, or spectator is ejected from the game, he or she may be suspended for the next game during tournament play at the tournament director’s discretion. The suspended coach, player or spectator may not be allowed on the property for the game in which they are suspended if the tournament director feels it is necessary. An ejected coach, player, or spectator must leave the vicinity of the playing court and must be out of earshot and out of sight of the officiating staff.
  • Any tournament participant (player, coach, fan, or referee) that has a physical interaction with another player, fan, coach, or referee can be suspended for not only that weekend’s event, but also indefinitely, at the tournament director’s discretion. A return to the facility is at the discretion of the MSCS tournament staff. Fighting will not be tolerated at MSCS events.
  • MSCS does not condone the use of racial slurs from players, parents, or coaches. Use of racial slurs is grounds for ejection from the event.

MSCS Tournament Rules

  • Top team listed is HOME (light colored jersey), bottom team is AWAY (dark colored jersey). Home team chooses the game ball.
  • Game Balls 29.5 for 8th and 7th grades and 28.5 for 2nd – 6th grade games.
  • Grades 2nd – 5th
    • All games will be two 20-minute halves with a running clock
    • Stop clock will be utilized for the last 2 minutes of the game if the score is within 10 point or fewer.
  • Grades 6th – 8th
    • All games will be 14-minute halves, with a stop clock.
    • There will be a running clock if any team goes up by more than 20 points, if the score gets back to 20 or below, the stop clock will resume.
    • If a team is down 20 or more points at any point under 2 minutes in the 2nd half, the game will be called.
  • The 10 second midcourt and 5 second closely guarded rules will be used for ALL games.
  • Each team is allocated three (3) 45 second timeouts per game. Timeouts carry over to overtime. There will be an additional timeout added for overtime.
  • Players foul out on their 6th foul.
  • Teams will shoot bonus foul shots after the 8th foul of the half. Double Bonus at the 12th foul.
  • Team fouls will reset at halftime of each contest. For overtime, the team foul count carries over.
  • Only the designated head coach may stand up during the game.
  • Coaches will be allowed to stand after any assessed technical foul.
  • Coaches & Players will be ejected on their 2nd technical
  • Players ejected for fighting will serve a minimum one (1) game suspension. That suspension will be for the next scheduled game. Depending on the severity of the actions, the staff may determine that the suspension will be longer than one game.
  • All players must be on the roster at the team certification before their first game. Any player not listed on the team roster will not be eligible to play in the playoff/bracket round. If a player misses the first day of the event, the player may still play the next day if they are listed on the certified roster sheet.
  • A player may not play in two separate divisions within the same age group
  • Teams should be prepared to play no later than after 15 minutes completion of the game prior to their scheduled game.
  • There will be a 2 min warmup between games for each team and a 2 min halftime for each game.
  • An opposing coach can submit a challenge of a player’s grade or age exception with a $100.00 deposit. Parents or fans associated with a team may not protest. The protest must come from the head coach or the one assistant coach who is allowed on the bench per team. A protest of a player’s age or grade must be submitted before the game starts, or within 30 minutes of the game’s completion.
  • No Jewelry shall be worn during gameplay
  • Overtime Rules:
    • Timeout(s) carryover
    • 1 additional timeout provided
    • 2:00 will be the designated time for overtime, should there be double overtime the first team to score 5 points will be declared the winner.
  • Pool Tie-breaker Rules:
    • In the event of a two-way tie in pool play, the tie will be determined by the head-to-head outcome between the teams. In the event of a three-way tie, the tie will be determined by point differential with a maximum +/- of 15 points in any one game and only games against teams involved in the tie will be factored in. In the event that point differential does not break the tie between any of the teams (three or more teams), the tie between these remaining teams only will be determined by least points allowed against all of the teams involved in the tie. If there is a tie in point margin differential and in least points allowed between two teams within the three-way tie, head-to-head will be used to determine which of the two teams advances.
    • If there is a pool in which all teams do not all play each other in pool play, any ties will be determined by head-to-head outcome, followed by least points allowed, followed by point spread. Point spread and least points allowed are still relevant even if all teams do not play each other in pool play.
  • Bracket Seeding:
    • Pool Play Record and Points Allowed will determine bracket seeds
    • All Teams entered will enter bracket play
  • MSCS Qualifier Participation Rules:
    • Players MUST have been enrolled in the grade for which they will compete for the MSCS Finals, during the 2024 – 2025 School year (verified by Passport).
    • All players must have been an active member of the participating team throughout the AAU season, playing 2+ more events prior to roster lock date.
    • For MSCS Qualifier Teams: For 6th and 7th grade, team Rosters are locked based on the confirmed athletes who played in the qualifier event, with only 3 athlete changes (including additions) allowed. (Anything above this number may compromised the teams right to the automatic bid)

Tie Breaker Rules

  • In the event of a two-way tie in pool play, the tie will be determined by the head-to-head outcome between the teams. If the two teams who are tied have not played each other, the tie will be broken by point differential, followed by points againt.
  • In the event of a three-way tie in pool play, where each team has played each other, the tie will be determined by point differential with a maximum +/- of 15 points in any one game and only games against teams involved in the tie will be factored in. In the event that point differential does not break the tie between any of the teams (three or more teams), the tie between these remaining teams only will be determined by least points allowed against all of the teams involved in the tie. If there is a tie in point differential and in least points allowed between the three teams that have all played each other, points scored will be used to break the tie.
  • In the event of a three-way tie, where the teams involved did not all play each other in pool play, any ties will be determined by head-to-head outcome first, followed by point differential, followed by least points allowed. Point differential and least points allowed are still relevant even if all teams did not play each other in pool play. If there is a tie in point differential and in least points allowed between two teams within the three-way tie, head-to-head will still be used to determine which of the two teams advances. If teams who are tied have an equal point differential and points allowed but did not play each other head-to-head, points scored will be used to break the tie.
  • For any game that results in a forfeit, the score will be 15 – 0. The winning team receives a +15 and the losing team receives a -15.
  • All other rules, not specifically mentioned herein, will be in accordance with CIF “Southern Section” high school basketball rules.

Certification Rules

  • All teams must be certified thirty minutes prior to their first game at the designated team check-in.
  • All players must be on the roster at the team certification before their first game. Any player not listed on the team roster will not be eligible to play in the playoff/bracket round. If a player misses the first day of the event, the player may still play the next day if they are listed on the certified roster sheet.
  • Youth teams (8U/2nd Grade through 14U/8th Grade) must abide by the 2024-2025 MSCS age/grade based guidelines (see our “Certification Birthdates” document for reference). Teams will be allowed to have three (3) grade exceptions per team. “Gold” divisions, however, do not have a cap on the number of grade exceptions per team (more than 3 is permitted). For the correct definition of a grade-exception, please also see our “Certification Birthdates” document.
  • Players who are born in the correct birth date range for a division but are in an advanced grade, are still eligible to play in that particular division, including the Gold level. Ex. If a player hoping to play 10U/4th grade is in 5th grade, but was born on 8/15/2014 or later, they can still play in that division. Players who qualify age-wise are eligible for their respective division they qualify for, no matter what grade they are in.
    • However, High School players (9th-12th grade) are not allowed to participate in the 14U/8th Grade division, regardless of whether they make the age cutoff or not.
  • “Reclassifying,” or being held back a grade, does not go into effect until August 15. For instance, players who just finished 7th grade and plan on repeating CANNOT play in 6th grade during the summer months.
  • All boys teams must present a birth certificate for each player. If a player is seeking a grade exception, a hard copy report card must be present. To receive a grade exception, a player must be in the correct grade (must be in 7th grade to be eligible for the 7th Grade/13U division).
  • A player who is in the proper grade for a given division, but is at least two years older than the age designated for that division before May 15th, 2024, will not be allowed to play in said division.
  • For example, if a player is in 4th grade, but turns 12 before May 15th, 2025, he or she will NOT be able to play in the 10U/4th grade division. They will instead have to play in the 11U/5th Grade division or higher.
  • All girls divisions are grade-based. Each player must present a hard copy report card. If a girls player is playing in the boys division, they must follow the same age/grade guidelines as the boys.
  • High school divisions will be “Frosh/Soph,” “Junior Varsity,” and “Varsity.” Juniors and Seniors may NOT play Frosh/Soph, and Seniors may NOT play Junior Varsity.
    • Per CIF Rules, “A student whose 19th birthday is attained prior to June 15 of the prior school year shall not participate or practice on any team in the following year. A student whose 19th birthday is on or before June 14 is ineligible.” Junior college players are not allowed to participate in MSCS events.
  • If a team does not follow the certification process they may be removed without a refund.
  • An opposing coach can submit a challenge of a player’s grade or age exception with a $100.00 deposit. Parents or fans associated with a team may not protest. The protest must come from the head coach or the one assistant coach who is allowed on the bench per team. A protest of a player’s age or grade must be submitted before the game starts, or within 30 minutes of the game’s completion.

Certification Age Breakdown

  • Gold divisions for all MSCS tournaments are grade based. Under these rules, any player who shows current proof of grade (report card, progress report, or school ID) is eligible to play for that grade level. All other divisions are age-based with three (3) grade exceptions allowed per team. 
    • Example- A player playing 13U/7th grade who shows proof that they are currently in 7th grade regardless of their birthdate is eligible to play as a grade exception. 
    • However, birthdate is still relevant. For example, please note that a player who is in 8th grade could still conceivably play in the 13U/7th Grade division if he fits into the correct age range. Players who are born in the correct birth date range for a division but are in an advanced grade, are still eligible to play in that particular division, including the Gold level. 
      • This rule does not apply to High School players playing in 14U/8th Grade.
    • See age ranges below: 
  • 8U / 2nd Grade
    • An athlete can be no older than 8 on August 14, 2025
    • Birthday Range: August 15, 2016 – Present
    • If a player was born before 8/15/2016  BUT is in the 2nd grade, that player is eligible for 8U as an exception
  • 9U / 3rd Grade
    • An athlete can be no older than 9 on August 14, 2025
    • Birthday Range: August 15, 2015 – Present
    • If a player was born before 8/15/2015 BUT is in the 3rd grade, that player is eligible for 9U as an exception
  • 10U / 4th Grade
    • An athlete can be no older than 10 on August 14, 2025
    • Birthday Range: August 15, 2014 – Present
    • If a player was born before 8/15/2014 BUT is in the 4th grade, that player is eligible for 10U as an exception
  • 11U / 5th Grade
    • An athlete can be no older than 11 on August 14, 2025
    • Birthday Range: August 15, 2013 – Present
    • If a player was born before 8/15/2013 BUT is in the 5th grade, that player is eligible for 11U as an exception
  • 12U / 6th Grade
    • An athlete can be no older than 12 on August 14, 2025
    • Birthday Range: August 15, 2012 – Present
    • If a player was born before 8/15/2012 BUT is in the 6th grade, that player is eligible for 12U as an exception
  • 13U / 7th Grade
    • An athlete can be no older than 13 on August 14, 2025
    • Birthday Range: August 15, 2011 – Present
    • If a player was born before 8/15/2011 BUT is in the 7th grade, that player is eligible for 13U as an exception
  • 14U / 8th Grade
    • An athlete can be no older than 14 on August 14, 2025
    • Birthday Range: August 15, 2010 – Present
    • If a player was born before 8/15/2010  BUT is in the 8th grade, that player is eligible for 14U as an exception
  • Additional Note:
  • All rosters must be completed via the Passport prior to the first game. If the roster for your team is not completed by the first game, the first game for your team is subject to forfeiture.