Tournament Guidelines

Rules

Tournament Rules

Summer 2026

Player Eligibility

  • All players must compete in the division with the class they were in during the 2025-2026 academic year unless a player has proof of enrollment in a "postgraduate" or "reclass" year for the upcoming fall. Players are not allowed to play down a division because they have future plans for a "postgraduate" year, there must be set plans and a proof of enrollment for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.
  • Club teams that do not comply with this rule will be disqualified from the tournament, and game scores will be recorded as a 10-0 loss on Tourney Machine.

Rules & Operations

  • NCAA rules apply, including shot clocks
  • Four 11-minute running quarters
  • 1-minute between quarters; 2-minute halftime
  • Scorekeepers in charge of keeping game, penalty, and shot clock time
  • One 45 second timeout (DEAD BALL or under restraining line) at any point in the game. Game clock will stop for timeout.
  • All games will be played until there is a winner, overtime will be untimed sudden death.

Penalties

  • Penalties will be served in the box (penalty timers / scorekeepers on each field)

Player Safety

  • All rules in effect will be to encourage hard physical play with player safety at the top of mind.
  • There is no justification for deliberate and violent collision by any player, especially intentional player-to-player collisions with defenseless players (so-called "blind side" and "buddy pass" checks), checks involving the head and/or neck, and excessive body-checks ("take-out checks").
  • Officials will apply violent collision rules and utilize the most severe penalty option, game ejection, plus 2-minute un-releasable penalty
  • Ejection/Suspension: Player may or may not be allowed to return for the next game depending on severity of play. This will be a referee, tournament leadership decision. Exceptional intent or egregiousness could result in expulsion from the tournament. Explanation of this type of ejection fouls/infractions:
    • Any hit delivered above shoulders with over 3 steps with intent and an in an uncontrolled manner
    • Any hit delivered with hands to player's head or neck including follow through
    • A player leading with the head or initiating contact with the head INCLUDING the ball carrier.
    • Any hit delivered on a player in a vulnerable or defenseless position with over 2 steps

Sportsmanship

  • All players, coaches, staff, parents, spectators and everyone in attendance should always be respectful.
  • Fighting is grounds for automatic suspension at the referee or tournament leaderships discretion.