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2026 Men'sBasketball Tournament Rules & Regulations - Monday, March 16, 2026
XCEL Sports Men’s 5v5 Basketball Tournament Rules & Regulations
Officials are responsible for running the game and enforcing the rules. Teams are responsible for the behavior of their players, coaches, and spectators. Misconduct by spectators, players, or coaches may result in a penalty (e.g., technical foul), ejection, or forfeiture. Spectators must stay in areas designated by officials. Only players and up to two coaches per team are allowed in the playing area.
Officials may make decisions on situations not specifically addressed in these rules.
Any rule not listed below will follow National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) rules.
Dunking is allowed. However, hanging on the rim for any reason other than safety will result in an automatic technical foul and may lead to ejection.
The entry fee must be paid before your first game. A team may not begin play until the registration fee is paid.
The tournament will use a pool-play format followed by a bracket. Pool play of 2 games per team and then seeded bracket play which is single elimination. Game time is forfeit time. Teams must be present and ready to play at the scheduled start time, or the game will be forfeited. A forfeit counts as one game.
Team rosters must be submitted to the Event Coordinator before the first game. No players may be added or removed after the first game. The team manager is responsible for player eligibility and ensuring all roster forms are signed. Teams should arrive early to avoid forfeits caused by incomplete rosters.
Players may only play for one team during the tournament. If this rule is violated, all games involving that player will be forfeited.
1. General Provisions and Equipment
1.1 Team Requirements
1.1.1 A team consists of five players and may start with four. A team must always have at least four players on the court. Exception: A team may continue with three players if someone leaves due to injury or fouls out. Maximum roster size is 10 players.
1.1.2 If a team forfeits, the opposing team must have at least four players checked in with the supervisor to be awarded the win.
1.1.3 Substitutions must be reported to the scorer and may only enter when acknowledged by the official.
1.1.4 Penalty for violation: Technical foul charged to the team.
1.1.5 Spectators are not allowed in the team bench area. Each team may have up to two coaches on the bench.
1.1.6 Swearing or foul language is not allowed.
1.1.7 Penalty for violation: Technical foul charged to the player.
1.2 Equipment
1.2.1 Teams must wear matching-color jerseys/shirts with visible numbers. Numbers must be different for each player, no more than two digits, and at least three inches tall.
1.2.3 All players must wear non-marking, rubber-soled athletic shoes.
1.2.3 Officials may prohibit any equipment they believe is unsafe. Jewelry of any kind is not allowed, including rings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, and earrings. Hats and bandanas are also not permitted. Taping jewelry is not allowed for any reason. Medical alert jewelry is allowed if taped securely. Penalty: Technical foul charged to the player.
1.2.4 Hard casts or any item deemed dangerous are not allowed. Knee braces made of hard material are permitted only if fully covered with padding (at least ½ inch of slow-recovery rubber or similar material).
II. The Game, Overtime, and Time-Outs
2.1 Game Structure
2.1.1 Games consist of two 18-minute halves with a running clock. The clock stops for time-outs and official stoppages (e.g., injuries, retrieving the ball). The clock does not stop for violations. During the final two minutes of each half, the clock stops for all dead-ball situations.
2.1.2 When free throws are followed by a time-out, the clock starts when the ball is touched after the throw-in on a made basket, or when the ball is touched in bounds after a missed basket. The clock continues to run on technical fouls unless a time-out is called.
2.1.4 There will be a three-minute halftime break.
2.1.4
Mercy
rule (both teams must agree to apply the mercy rule or the game may continue
with a running clock): If a team leads by 20 points or more in
the final three minutes, the game may end. If a team leads by 30 points
at halftime or any time after, the game may end.
2.2 Overtime (Team fouls carry over into overtime)
2.2.1 Overtime is three minutes. The clock will stop the last minute of overtime.
2.2.2 Double OT: 1 minute
2.2.3 Third OT: first basket wins
2.3.1 Each team gets two one-minute time-outs per half. Time-outs do not carry over.
2.3.2 Time-outs may only be called by the team in possession of the ball or during a dead ball. After a time-out, the ball is inbounded nearest where it was when the time-out was called.
2.3.3 Extra time-outs may be requested but will result in a technical foul (even if the official was unaware that the time-out was in excess).
2.3.4 Each team gets one 30-second time-out per overtime period. Regulation time-outs do not carry over into overtime.
III. Violations
3.1 On-Court Violations
3.1.1 Backcourt: Teams have 10 seconds to advance the ball past half court. Once established in the frontcourt, the ball may not return to the backcourt. Penalty: Turnover.
3.1.2 Three Seconds: An offensive player may not stay in the lane for more than three seconds while the ball is on the front court. Penalty: Turnover.
3.1.3 Five Seconds: A closely guarded player (within six feet) may not hold or dribble the ball for more than five seconds. Penalty: Turnover.
3.1.4 Kicking: Intentionally kicking the ball is a violation. Accidental contact is not.
3.1.5 Elbowing: Swinging elbows without pivoting while holding the ball is an offensive foul (pivoting and swinging your elbow in excess may be called an offense foul).
3.2 Throw-In Violations
3.2.1 The thrower must stay at the designated spot until the ball is released (player may move along baseline to inbound ball only after a made basket or awarded score). Penalty: Turnover
3.2.2 The ball must be inbounded within five seconds. Penalty: Turnover.
3.2.3 The thrower may step on, but not over, the sideline.
3.2.4 Defenders may not reach through the boundary plane to foul, touch, or dislodge the ball. Penalty: Intentional or technical foul.
3.2.5 Defenders may not cross the end line. First offense is a warning; additional offenses result in a technical foul.
IV. Fouls
4.1 Common Fouls
4.1.1 Personal fouls involve illegal contact with opponents while ball is live that affects normal play.
4.1.2 Players are allowed five personal fouls. The fifth foul results in removal from the game.
4.1.3 Double fouls occur when two opponents commit personal fouls against each other at approximately the same time. In the case of a double foul, fouls are recorded for both players, no free throws are awarded, and possession is determined by the alternating possession arrow.
4.1.4 On a player control or charging foul, no basket counts and no free throws are awarded.
4.2 Intentional and Flagrant Fouls
4.2.1 Intentional fouls are personal or technical fouls committed to stop the clock or keep it from running, negate an obvious advantage, or involve contact away from the ball (e.g., Contacting the arm or ball of an inbounding player behind the imaginary line).
Penalty: 2 points and team keeps possession.
4.2.2 Flagrant fouls involve violent or extreme conduct. The player is ejected. Penalty: Two free throws plus possession.
4.3 Technical Fouls
4.3.1 Technical fouls include non-contact fouls, bench fouls, or unsportsmanlike conduct.
4.3.2 Two technical fouls on a player or coach result in ejection (ejections must be accompanied by an ejection form which is filled out by the issuing official and the court supervisor). Slapping the backboard or grabbing the rim is a technical foul (except to prevent injury).
4.3.3 Dunking during warm-ups or dead balls is a technical foul.
4.3.4 Technical fouls by spectators or coaches are charged to the team captain.
4.3.5 Two total ejections of players/coaches/spectators result in an automatic team forfeit.
V. Free Throws
5.1 General Rules
5.1.1 One-and-one begins on the 7th team foul each half.
5.1.2 Two free throws begin on the 10th team foul.
5.1.3 Player-control fouls result in no free throws.
5.1.4 Technical, intentional, and flagrant fouls result in two free throws and possession.
5.1.5 Shooting fouls result in two or three free throws, depending on the shot.
5.1.6 Lane positioning follows standard NFHS rules.
5.1.7 Rebounding is allowed once the ball hits the rim.
5.2 Free Throw Violations
5.2.1 Lane players must take positions quickly and may enter on rim contact.
5.2.2 Non-lane players must remain behind the three-point line and free-throw line extended until the ball has touched the rim.
5.2.3 The shooter must release the ball within 10 seconds and may not step on the line.
5.2.4 Failure to hit the rim results in a dead ball.
VI. Tournament Layout
6.1.1 Each team plays two pool-play games.
6.1.3 Single-elimination bracket follows.
6.1.3 Each team is guaranteed at least three games.
6.1.4 Ties are broken by points allowed, then by tournament coordinator decision if needed.
6.1.5 Eliminated players may not join remaining teams.
6.1.6 Games begin at 8:00 a.m. Team captains must check in at least 30 minutes before their first game. All fees and paperwork must be signed by all necessary parties and completed and returned to our on-site administrator prior to game time.
6.1.7 Schedules and formats may change due to team additions or cancellations, at the tournament coordinator’s discretion.
WELCOME TO XCEL SPORTS
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