GUIDELINES

 

 

Through the establishment of a statewide basketball tournament, promote recreation with Worship in a Christian atmosphere for the Youth of all the Churches and Charges of The South Carolina United Methodist Conference, large or small, rural or urban, involving youth and adults in a spirit of Christian Sportsmanship.

 

 

A. The conference is divided into four (4) areas as follows:
Area I Churches/charges of the Columbia, Rock Hill and Greenwood Districts
Area II Churches/charges of the Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg Districts
Area III Churches/charges of the Florence, Marion and Hartsville Districts
Area IV Churches/charges of the Charleston, Orangeburg and Walterboro Districts

B. Conference Committees:

1. There shall be meetings called in each of the four areas of representatives from interested churches prior to February 1 by the area coordinator as needed.

2. Each Area shall elect an Area Tournament Coordinator as well as an area committee as it chooses.

3. Those present at the area meeting shall elect two persons in addition to the area coordinator to serve on the Conference Basketball Tournament Steering Committee.

4. The Conference Basketball Tournament Committee will meet as necessary to plan and coordinate the South Carolina United Methodist Basketball Tournament.

5. The Steering Committee will be composed of the 12 area representatives and one youth representatives. The Youth representative shall be from the Area hosting the State Tournament for that year. The Youth representative shall serve for one year. The State Coordinator shall appoint that Youth member.

6. The Coordinator for the Conference Basketball Tournament shall be appointed by the Conference Council or Youth Coordinator and The Chairman of the Conference Council on Ministries. This person may serve as chairperson of the Steering Committee or the Steering Committee may elect a chairperson or co-chairpersons.

7. There will be four (4) divisions for tournament play: (1) Senior High Boys (2) Senior High Girls (3) Junior High Boys (4) Junior High Girls.

1.      The Conference Tournament Committee shall determine the dates and deadlines for each Tournament. The dates are generally around the second weekend of March.

1. The Conference Tournament shall be played on a rotating basis taking place in each area once every four years.

2. The Conference Committee may determine the site(s) of the Tournament games.

3. Each team will play games on Friday and Saturday using a pool play format. Pool Champions will play semi-finals on Saturday evening and the championship game will be played on Sunday afternoon. Both semi-finals and championship games will use regulation high school clocks and rules.

1. Entry forms shall be developed by the Conference Steering Committee.

2. Entry forms and fees shall be received by the Area Coordinator no later than February 1.

1. Accidents, injury or loss of clothing or personal articles shall not be the responsibility of the Conference Tournament Coordinator or the Conference Steering Committee members.

2. Churches are encouraged to provide accident insurance coverage for their teams.

3. Any person(s) causing damage to gyms or locker rooms during tournament play shall be responsible to pay repair costs.

 

1. Each team playing in the Tournament will pay an entry fee in the amount stated in the communication to the pastor and listed on the entry form.

2. If any church has need for help with funding, the Area Coordinator may be contacted.

3. There will be a donation taken once each day to the Tournament from everyone except coaches, players, and game officials.

4. The amount of the donation shall be determined by the Conference Committee for the tournament.

 

 

1. Any United Methodist Church or Charge in South Carolina may enter one or more teams in its respective area tournament.

2. Any United Methodist Church or Charge may combine with other United Methodist Church or Charge for the purpose of fielding a team if any of the churches or charges is unable to field a team individually.

3. Exceptions for combinations for the purpose of fielding a team may be appealed to the Conference Steering Committee in writing by February 1 for special consideration.

4. Appeal forms are available through Area Coordinators.

5. Any institution in South Carolina owned or sponsored by the United Methodist Church, may petition for approval to the Conference Tournament Committee to enter a team or teams in the South Carolina United Methodist Basketball Tournament, provided team members comply with "Player Eligibility" and age requirements.

1.      All players must be active as church members or as active participants in the worship service, the church school, or the United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF). Active is defined as 50% of any one activity. An active participant does not qualify simply by being involved in the recreational aspects of the youth fellowship, such as a basketball team or scout troop. Players that qualify by being an active participant must have the “Active participant Eligibility Form” filled out and signed and submitted with the rooster by February 1 of that year.

2. A player's participation should have begun prior to September 1. A player may qualify according to these standards after September 1, only in the event of a family's change of residence and/or church membership. If this should apply an appeals shall be submitted by using the “Appeals Form”. Submittals shall be made by Feb. 1 of that year.

3. The minister and administrator's and coach's signatures on the official entry form certify that these standards are being met.

4. No junior or senior player shall be eligible for State Tournament play if he/she has participated in inter-scholastic or other organized school basketball leagues during the current year.

5. If a team plays an illegal player, there will be immediate disqualification of games played.

6. Age requirement shall be as follows:

a. Any junior division participant shall not have reached his/her fifteenth (15) birthday before the preceding Sept. 1 and must be enrolled in school.

b. Any senior division participant shall not have reached his/her nineteenth birthday before the preceding Sept. 1 and must be enrolled in a secondary school program prior to Sept. 1.

c. Co-ed teams are not allowed.

C. MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS

1. A team must have a minimum of six (6) eligible players in order to enter the tournament. There is no maximum numbers of players a team may have.

2. All games will be played under official S.C. High School League rules exception being the clock and foul shot in pool play. See Pool rules for these differences.

EXCEPTIONS:

a. Uniforms are not required. However, matching shirts with numbers are required.

b. A team that is ahead by 20 or more points shall not be allowed to use a full court-pressing defense. One warning shall be given before the referee assesses a technical foul.

3. Officials in both area and conference tournament games will be sanctioned officials of the South Carolina High School League or the South Carolina Independent School Association.

4. Teams should check in 15 minutes prior to game time to insure games run on schedule. A technical foul may be assessed at the discretion of tournament officials for failing to check in on time.

5. If one or both teams are not present at game time, a ten-minute grace period will be allowed. At the end of ten minutes, a forfeit will be declared if one or both teams are absent. This procedure will be followed even if a team calls in.

6. AWARDS - Identical awards will be given in all four divisions.

7. No housing will be provided for the conference tournaments. Each team is responsible for making their own arrangements for over night stay.

8. Each team shall have a mature and responsible adult coach of at least 21 years old. It is suggested that each team have at least two adults on the bench during all games. There should be at least one adult controlling the bench and players in case of injury.

9. If a game must be forfeited, the Coordinator is to be notified as far in advance as possible.

10. Failure of a team to appear without justifiable cause in the Conference Tournament will result in the team being disqualified from the South Carolina United Methodist Basketball Tournament for one year.

11. During the Tournament, the Conference Committee has the right to interpret the Guidelines and make a ruling regarding a decision in that tournament.

12. A coach shall be allowed to serve on a Steering Committee provided he/she not vote in any protest involving a team in his own team's division.

13. There shall be a Rules Committee on hand for each game in case a ruling is required. A minimum of two (2) persons shall be involved in making determinations.

14. In the case of extreme unsportsmanlike conduct or illegal use of players, the Conference Committee may recommend that a team be disqualified from participation in the tournament for one year.

15. The Conference Committee has the authority to stop a game after a warning has been given for flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct. The offending team or church will be disqualified for the remainder of the tournament.

 

 

 

UPDATED 11/2006