DIVISION II DISTRICT BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

Communication with district coaches can be initiated through the TSSAA Portal by clicking on the following tabs:

Sports > Memberships > Members

Here you will find email distribution lists for all district athletic directors and head coaches. You will also find a no-cost conference call line with an access code that is unique for your district.

  1. Tournament Site – Selection of the tournament site, financial arrangements, and other plans for conducting the district tournaments shall be made or approved by the Principals and/or Athletic Directors of the schools in the district. This meeting shall be called by the district coordinator.
  2. Tournament Director – The director of the district tournament shall be designated by the administrator of the host school.
  3. Tournament Draw – The tournament draw is based on seeding criteria established by the district.
  4. Tournament Schedule –  Set schedule and times for all games, if not already done.  On nights where school is in session the next day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), there may be no more than two games played per night per site.  Notify assigning officer of local association of district tournament schedule, times and sites as soon as possible. The tournament must be completed by the dates outlined in the TSSAA Calendar.
  5. Tickets / Price of Admission – Ticket prices for the tournament should be agreed upon by the schools. They are not set by TSSAA. Arrangements for tickets should be made by the host schools.
  6. Tournament Passes – The host school(s) along with the teams in the district should agree on the passes that will be accepted at the gate, as well as the number of passes that will be honored for players and staff of participating teams. TSSAA ID cards, TSSAA Championship Event cards, and TACA cards are not to be accepted as passes.
  7. Game Officials – Game officials shall be supplied by the local association serving the host school. Game officials shall be paid regular season rates plus mileage at 15 cents per mile per official. Mileage is to be paid only if travel for the official is outside the county in which the official resides and should be based on mileage from city to city.
  8. Game Administrator’s Meeting – The TSSAA Board of Control has designated that prior to any varsity contest in the sport of basketball, the game administrator is required to conduct a pre-game meeting with game officials, both head coaches, and security. The game administrator shall be present and visible for the duration of the game.
  9. Mercy Rule – In the fourth quarter, there is a mandated continuous clock when one team gets a 35 point advantage over their opponent. The clock would only stop for shooting fouls, timeouts, injuries, and the administration of technical fouls. The clock will continue to run for the remainder of the game, regardless of the point differential.
  10. Financial Arrangements – Concession revenue shall go to the host school unless otherwise agreed upon by the administration of schools in the district.  All expenses in the district tournament must be approved by a majority vote of the schools in the district prior to the beginning of the tournament. If a tournament administration fee is to be paid, the amount must be approved by a majority vote of the schools in the district prior to the beginning of the tournament and shall not exceed $25.00 per game.  TSSAA shall receive 18% of the gross gate receipts. Postseason financial forms must now be completed through the TSSAA Portal. All checks for district, regional, and sectional tournaments and playoffs must be distributed within 10 business days of the completion of the tournament or game. Failure to do so will result in a $100.00 late fee to be paid to TSSAA and is to be used in the A.F. Bridges sportsmanship program to go to schools or students receiving awards. Failure to distribute funds within 20 business days will result in an additional $200 late fee (total $300.00). Failure to distribute funds within 40 business days will result in an additional $200.00 late fee (total $500.00). The school may not host any tournament or playoff until the principal or athletic director appears before the Board of Control to explain their reasons for not distributing the checks within the required time frame. The Board would then determine whether the school can host tournaments or playoffs in the future.
  11. Video / Videostream / Radio – All taping or filming by a school must be approved by the local Game Director, and the Game Director shall assign space, when available, for the school to tape or film. Rules governing videostreaming or other broadcast of a postseason contest are found in the TSSAA Media Regulations.
  12. Tournament Awards – TSSAA provides a district championship plaque and a district runner-up plaque.  Please check the list of the Basketball Awards Coordinators to determine where the district plaques have been sent. Tournament directors are encouraged to contact the Athletic Director of the school that received their district’s awards and make arrangements for delivery.
  13. Region Tournament Guidelines – Information for teams which advance to the Division I Region Tournament, can be found here.



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