GAME FORMAT
(H.S.A.A. rules will apply except for the differences listed below.)
1. Game Timing: Two 20‐minute halves with a running clock. The last two‐minutes of each half, the clock shall stop on all dead ball situations. The tournament director only has the option to change the time for warm ups and half time to get games caught up. If there is more than a twenty‐five point spread in a game, both coaches must agree to waive the stop clock during the last two minutes. Overtime: There will be one 2‐minute overtime in all games ending in a tie with each team receiving one time out for the overtime (teams may not carry‐over any timeouts). The clock will stop for all dead ball situations during overtime. Double Overtime: Games will be decided by sudden death, meaning the team who scores the first point (does not have to be a basket, it can be a free throw) will have won the game. Again, teams will be awarded one time out with no carry‐overs. Overtime at Nationals: At all AYBT National Tournaments, for the single elimination tournament only, there will be no sudden death overtimes. There will be a 2‐minute overtime until a winner is decided.
2. Fouls: Each player is allowed 5, shooting one and one on the 7th team foul and two shots (double bonus) on the 10th team foul. Technical Fouls/Intentional Fouls/Flagrant Fouls: will not be shot, 2 points will be awarded to the other team along with possession of the ball. Any individual given a second technical foul will be removed from the gym. That individual will receive a one game suspension for their next scheduled game. (A next scheduled game would be at the event or national that the individual is currently participating or it could be the next DSE or National in which the individual participates.)
3. Time‐Outs: Each team has two 30‐second time‐outs per half, with no carry‐overs. Overtime Time-Outs: Each team is given one time out for every overtime, no carry‐overs.
4. Restrictions: All defenses and offenses are allowed. However, coaches need to pull their full court or half court press if ahead by 20 points or more. All trapping defenses are considered a press, either half court or full court.
5. Equal Play ‐ 60/40 Philosophy: If listed on the roster and dressed to play (unless injured or suspended from playing), every player must play in every game. The TOUR’s 60/40 playing rule suggests that all players receive between forty to sixty percent of the playing time over the entire event or national. Please rotate your players according to our equal play philosophy. Equal Play at Nationals: At all AYBT National Tournaments, for the single elimination tournament only, coaches are encouraged to play all players but it is not required.
6. Timekeepers and Scorekeepers: Each team will be required to provide one per game. Home team keeps the official book at the designated location, and the visiting team operates the clock/scoreboard. Please plan ahead as children are not encouraged to handle either of these responsibilities.
7. Game Ball: The home team provides the game ball. Boy’s 3rd, 4th, 5th grade division uses the 28.5 ball.
ADMISSION POLICY
(Spectator Admission fees will be charged at all DSE’s and Nationals. Please check the DSE link on our web site to view each DSE admission policy.)
1. Admission Fees at Door: Spectators will be charged a fee before entering a facility. The coach, assistant coach listed on the roster, all players listed on the roster, plus one scorekeeper/ timekeeper will receive free admission. Everyone will receive an I.D. bracelet/ankle band or mark as proof of payment and this identification must be shown before entering a facility.
2. Team Pre‐Admission Fees: The team must pay a set fee 14 days prior to the event. When spectators attend the event, admission is “free”. Teams that do not pay admission fees will be dropped from all remaining AYBT events with no refund. Coaches, please calculate these fees into your registration fees when charging your players. While you don’t send in the Pre‐Admission Fees with your initial AYBT Registration, you will have to pay these fees to the director of the events who ask for the Team Pre‐Admission Fee.
GAME EQUIPMENT
1. Required Equipment: Coaches will need to bring their own practice balls, scorebook, first aid kit, and towels to all games.
2. Uniforms: Similar jersey tops or Tee Shirts with a minimum of a 6‐inch number on the back. Reversible jerseys are preferred and each team should be prepared to play with light or dark uniforms. Matching shorts are not required, but encouraged.
3. Coaches Packet: Coaches are encouraged to keep an envelope with a copy of each player’s birth certificate, school photo, report card showing school name, player’s name and current grade, and have all signatures on the AYBT waiver forms and the “Permission to Treat” form. While this is not mandatory at the DSE’s (except for the waivers and “Permission to Treat” forms), it is mandatory at all AYBT National Tournaments and teams may be disqualified if they are unable to provide any of this information.
4. Permission to Treat Form: This form must be readily available during competition and have all players listed with required signatures. This form is obtained from the Coaches’ Link and is automatically generated when the coach/assistant coach/parent contact either creates or makes additions/subtractions to the team’s roster.
5. All photographs, videos, and digital images taken at any AYBT event by AYBT personnel or their assignees are the property of AYBT and can be used for any promotional or marketing purposes of the AYBT.
DSE EVALUATION
Each DSE has an online evaluation form. This form can be accessed from the `View Details’ link for each DSE on our web site. We encourage anyone (coaches, fans, players, referees, passerby’s) attending one of our DSE’s to please fill out the evaluation to help us better serve you in the future. This evaluation form will only be available for 5 days after the DSE has been played.
GRADE DIVISION & SKILL LEVEL
1. Grade Divisions: Players’ grades are based on the 2012/2013 school year, not based on what grade the player is going into. Coaches’ can elect for their team to play up a grade division during the DSE’s and play in their correct grade divisions at Nationals. At DSE’s, individual grade divisions sometimes may be grouped to form combined divisions. For example, the Boy’s 6th grade division may be combined with the Boy’s 7th grade division (forming a combined 6th‐7th grade division), unless there are enough teams to separate the respective divisions. Also, at DSE’s, Girls individual divisions may be grouped to form combined divisions. Girls are NOT allowed to play on boys’ teams. NEW for 2011-12 year: 12th Graders may play on 10th-11th grade teams during DSE’s and Special Events. However, a maximum of (2) 12th graders may play on AYBT teams at our National tournaments.
2. Skill Levels: A team’s coach and the District Director determine skill level for the team. Teams are Highly Skilled (HS), Good (G), and Average (A). Teams that hold tryouts, make cuts based on skill, select players by skill or any similar selection process, must rate themselves as Highly Skilled. Unless approved by your district director, if your team has 3 or more schools represented on your roster, your team MUST select Highly Skilled. Whenever possible, teams are scheduled to play other teams of similar skill level.
ELIGIBILITY, ROSTER/WAIVER, PROTESTS/GRIEVANCES
1. Age/Grade: The TOUR is a grade‐based organization; however we do have an age maximum for each grade. Obtain these from your district director or click hereif viewing from the Internet. Players’ are allowed to play up grade divisions, but not play down a grade division.
2. Playing on more than one AYBT team: Players’ may participate on more than one AYBT team, even if both teams’ are playing in the same DSE or National. However, at all AYBT National Tournaments, players’ must choose one roster at Registration and play for only one team during the single elimination tournament.
3. Team Roster: Team rosters must be completed by May 15th. The team roster may change up to the first game of each DSE and up to June 30th for Nationals. Coaches/Assistant Coaches/Parent Contacts must manage their roster online from the Coaches’ Link on our web site. Coaches’ are responsible to update their rosters before playing in their assigned DSE/National. When you update your team roster, an updated “Permission to Treat” form for your team is generated. Keep your old “Permission to Treat” form and obtain the required signatures for any addition(s) to your team. Failure to do so may result in your team being removed from the AYBT with no refund. Number of Players on Team Roster: Your team must have a minimum of eight players but no more than fifteen. AYBT National Headquarters must approve exceptions to the number of players. National Rosters: Changes made after June 30th may still be made from the coaches’ link, but these changes will not be reflected in the AYBT National Tournament Program and may not be present on your team check‐in roster when checking into the National Tournament. So make sure to double‐check your roster at team registration.
4. Team Giveaways: Coaches will receive free AYBT merchandise if rosters are completed by May 15th.
5. Protests: Protests will not apply to any DSE games or for the first six games at Nationals. Protests during the single elimination tournament at Nationals must be brought up at the time it happens (discovery) to the Building Manager, whose ruling is final. All protests are $100 and are non refundable. For any grievances, a coach has the ability to voice concerns to AYBT Quality Assurance from the Coaches’ Link.
SELECTING DSEs
Your teams’ final placement will be viewable by May 3rd on your coach’s log in page. Priority goes to teams attending Nationals and teams playing the most DSE events. Division balance and skill level balance are also taken into consideration.
1. Recommended Process: Teams are recommended to select DSE’s based on the following criteria: choose 1 DSE in or near your hometown, choose a 2nd DSE over 1.5 hour from your hometown, and choose a 3rd DSE over 2.5 hours from your hometown. Teams that choose to play most or all of their DSE’s near their hometown have a high probability of playing the same teams. When selecting DSE’s, you must select two alternative selections. We ask that you choose DSE’s based on priority with the most important DSE listed first in the selection process.
2. Game Schedules: Game schedules will be viewable from the `View Details’ link approximately 7 days before an event. Game schedules may change and it is the teams’ responsibility to check for changes up to the day before their first scheduled game. If the district director does not post his game schedule to the web page, the district director will contact teams of all changes.
3. Scheduling Requests: Scheduling requests for games at DSE’s are not guaranteed, but may be taken into consideration. Teams must play all of their scheduled games.
4. No Shows: Teams that do not show up for scheduled games at DSE’s may be removed from remaining AYBT DSE’s and/or Nationals without a refund.
MAKING A CHANGE TO YOUR TEAM
(Changing Grade Division, Skill Level, DSE/National Selection, Contact Information, Team Roster)
1. Web Site: All teams will make changes to their team information on‐line at the Coaches’ Link on our web site. You will need to have the proper user name and password to access this link. This user name and password are e‐mailed to you once your team registration money has been received by AYBT National Headquarters.
2. Contact District Director: Although the web site is highly recommended when making a change, teams may still contact their district director or AYBT National Headquarters to request a change.
3. Changing DSE’s/ National Selections: Teams wanting to change DSE/National selections must understand the time sensitivity of this process. Game schedules are created as early as 14 days before each DSE. Therefore, there will be no refunds for changes made to a DSE selection within 14 days of a DSE, and you will have to play in your assigned DSE. If a team decides to drop a DSE within 14 days of a DSE, you must call your District Director, as this cannot be done on‐line. Teams may be removed from the AYBT without a refund if they drop a DSE within 14 days of a DSE.
4. Changing Grade Division/Skill Level: This change is also time sensitive. Teams will not be allowed to change their grade division/skill level within 14 days of a DSE/National on the web site. The District Director of that DSE will have to be contacted to see if this change is possible, as DSE game schedules are usually finalized.
5. Team Roster: Changes to your team roster can also be made on‐line at the Coaches’ Link on our web site.
AYBT CODE OF ETHICS & BEHAVIOR
1. Coaches, parents and fans are expected to create a team environment in which primary emphasis is placed upon the emotional and physical well‐being and skill improvement of the players, rather than winning. Coaches, parents and fans should lead by example and demonstrate the value of fair play and sportsmanship to all participants.
2. Poor Behavior: Poor behavior by teams, players, parents, coaches and spectators will result in the team, coach, or player being disqualified from the remaining portion of the DSE/National, without a refund or recourse.
AYBT REFUND POLICY
1. When a team cancels from the entire TOUR, prior to playing in any events and prior to the 14‐day window before their first event, they will be entitled to a full refund minus a $75 processing fee.
2. When a team cancels an event and changes their package status (example: from a 3NT to a 2NT) they will be entitled to a refund of the difference between the package price of their original choice and the package price of their new choice.
3. When a team drops Nationals within the time frame allowed by AYBT, they become a non‐nationals team (TT team). Their refund will be the difference between the package price of an NT team and a TT team. Example: if a team signs up as a 3NT team (3 DSE’s plus Nationals) and subsequently drops Nationals within the AYBT drop deadline, they become a 3TT team (3 DSE’s only.) The refund would be the difference between the package price of a 3NT team and a 3TT team.
4. JUNE 15th IS THE “NO REFUND AFTER THIS DATE” FOR CANCELLATION OF NATIONALS. A team must drop Nationals prior to June 15th in order to receive a refund for Nationals. Please note that a team that drops Nationals after July 1stt may also receive a $250 fine in addition to not receiving a refund.
AYBT NATIONAL TOURNAMENT TEAMS
(Only teams planning on attending an AYBT National Tournament must read this information.)
1. National Site Selection: Teams are placed into a National Tournament based on their selection. However, many of our AYBT National Tournaments fill up quickly and are filled on a first come, first served basis. This first come, first served basis is determined when a team’s payment is processed by AYBT National Headquarters.
2. Required Information: All AYBT National Teams are required to fill out lodging information by June 1st. If this is NOT completed by June 1st, your team will be dropped from the AYBT National Tournament without a refund. We use this information as an indicator of what teams are actually attending Nationals and create the schedules based on the information provided. This required information is located at the Coaches’ Link on our web site; you have to have the proper user name and password to access this link. This user name and password are e‐mailed to you once your team registration and money has been received by AYBT National Headquarters.
3. June 15th is the “no refund” date for cancellation of Nationals. A TEAM MUST DROP NATIONALS PRIOR TO JUNE 15th IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A REFUND FOR NATIONALS. Please note that a team that drops Nationals after July 1st may also receive a $250 fine in addition to not receiving a refund.
4. Hotel Listings: Please visit our National Tournament Link on the web site and view details to find out about the hotel listings along with other information about all AYBT National Tournaments.
5. Team Rosters: Changes made after June 30th may still be made from the coaches’ link, but these changes will not be reflected in the AYBT National Tournament Program and may not be present on your team check‐in roster when checking into the National Tournament. So make sure to double‐check your roster at team registration. A maximum of (2) 12th graders may play on AYBT teams at our National tournaments.
6. Single‐Elimination Tournament: Teams are placed into brackets of 8 to 16 teams by grade division and “true playing ability” at a mandatory coaches meeting. Coaches who skip the mandatory coaches meeting will have their team placed into the Highly Skilled division. A blind draw will place teams within the bracket. First and second place teams in each bracket will receive individual medals and a team trophy.
7. Game Schedules: Will be posted to our web site approximately 7 days before a team’s first game. Schedules may be viewed from the details link from the National Selection Link on our web site. Game schedules may change and it is the teams’ responsibility to check the game schedule up to the day before their first scheduled game.
8. Scheduling Requests: There are absolutely no scheduling requests for nationals. Exceptions will only be made for coaches’ coaching two teams, but this is not even guaranteed.
9. No Shows: Teams that do not show up for scheduled games during the round robin portion of the AYBT National Tournament may be removed from the single elimination tournament without refund.
10. Canceling Nationals: Teams that cancel an AYBT National Tournament after July 1st will be subject to a $250 fine.
11. Player Giveaways: Players participating in an AYBT National Tournament will receive free AYBT merchandise when attending the AYBT National Tournament.
12. National Dates: Please view the web site for the dates of our National Tournaments
13. Bracketing Meeting: All teams at the bracketing meeting must announce any player that has not played up to the bracketing meeting. Failure to announce this at the bracketing meeting will forfeit that player to play in the National Tournament single‐elimination games.
2013 Grade/Age Clarification for A.Y.B.T.
The American Youth Basketball TOUR (AYBT) is a grade-based program. As a result, this does allow for students who have been held back or started late to have an opportunity to participate with their present grade. Any student athlete older than the posted dates and in that particular grade, AYBT feels would benefit most by playing with players their own age. Listed below are the age/grade relationships. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Grades are based on the current 2012/2013 School year, not the grade that they are going into in the Fall of 2012.
- 3rd Grade any player born after 9/1/02 and is in the third grade or below
- 4th Grade any player born after 9/1/01 and is in the fourth grade or below
- 5th Grade any player born after 9/1/00 and is in the fifth grade or below
- 6th Grade any player born after 9/1/99 and is in the sixth grade or below
- 7th Grade any player born after 9/1/98 and is in the seventh grade or below
- 8th Grade any player born after 9/1/97 and is in the eighth grade or below
- 9th Grade any player born after 9/1/96 and is in the ninth grade or below
- 10th Grade any player born after 9/1/95 and is in the tenth grade or below
- 11th Grade any player born after 9/1/94 and is in the eleventh grade or below
- 12th Grade only 2 players from this class can play on a 10th-11th grade team for Nationals Events. More than 2 players from this class may participate in DSEs and other Special Events.
As an example: a player currently in the fifth grade but born prior to Sept 1, 2000 is too old to play in the 5th grade category. He/she must play on a 6th grade team or the team will have to move to the sixth grade division.