Mississippi High School Activities Association The place for high school sports in Mississippi Related Articles
Rules Governing Basketball …. page 120, MHSAA Handbook
(Please verify that all student athletes participating in the sport of basketball are eligible and submitted into C2C before participating)
Refer to sports calendar for playing dates.
Football-playing schools may play a maximum of 26 regular season basketball games including tournaments, exclusive of regional and state sponsored tournaments and classic games. No more than 28 total games may be played.
Non-football playing schools may play a maximum of 30 regular season basketball games including tournaments, exclusive of regional and state sponsored tournaments and classic games. No more than 32 total games may be played.
All basketball teams shall be limited to playing two games Monday – Friday.
Invitation, conference, county, bi-county, and tri-county tournaments shall count as total games actually played. The principal of each host school must notify the Executive Director when and where all conference, county, bi-county and tri-county tournaments will be played.
A basketball player shall be limited to six quarters of play per session or evening. Overtime shall be considered as extension of the fourth quarter.
In tournaments, no team shall be permitted to play more than two games in one day and there must be at least four hours of rest between games.
Basketball warm ups are limited to the designated time immediately prior to the next scheduled game.
Basketball playoffs for championships shall be arranged in six series one for “1A” schools, (boys and girls); one for “2A” schools, (boys and girls); one for “3A” schools, (boys and girls); one for “4A” schools, (boys and girls); one for “5A” schools, (boys and girls), one for “6A” schools, (boys and girls).
Three teams will advance from the region basketball tournament in Classes 5A and 6A and four teams in Classes 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A. Eight teams in each classification will advance to the State Tournament. The MHSAA Executive
Director and staff will determine the brackets for the State Tournament.
Distribution of funds shall be determined as follows:
The State Association shall receive 10 percent of the gross gate receipts less fees for referees in all basketball tournaments, including invitationals. If the amount due the Association is not remitted within 10 school days from the date the tournament(s) are played, the amount due the Association shall be doubled. When a basketball tournament ends on or after the last day before the Christmas holidays, the 10 percent receipts due to MHSAA will be postmarked no later than the fifth day of school after the Christmas holidays. If the 10 percent is not postmarked on or before the fifth day of school after the Christmas holidays, then the amount due MHSAA will be doubled.
After deducting fees for referees, the State Association shall receive 30 percent in all basketball divisional tournaments. Of the 30 percent, 15 percent will be sent to the district by the Association.
The host school shall get approval for holding an invitational tournament at least five days prior to the tournament, from the Executive Director. The penalty for the violation of any of the above regulations shall be a fine of $50.00 for the first violation and suspension for repeat violations.
An invitational tournament is defined as any series of games (tournament approved) in which more than two teams of the same sex participate. A series, or round robin, shall be considered an invitational tournament.
The Executive Committee shall work out plans each year for the division of receipts of the State Championships.
No school shall be permitted to enter the varsity team and then enter a second or “B” team in another regular conference, region, or state tournament on the same dates. The team entered must be first or varsity team. The above is interpreted to mean:
No school shall be permitted to enter any team other than its varsity team in any regular region or state basketball playoff.
No school shall be allowed to enter a state and a region basketball playoff at the same time.
A round robin schedule will be played during regular season for seeding purposes. The Region Championship will be determined by a Region tournament. Refer to Tie Breaker Rules under Section D, Athletic Competition Rule.
No school shall remove the nets from goals of the host school or from goals in any other places where Mississippi High School Activities Association games and/or tournaments are played. A violation of this rule will lead to a severe penalty against the guilty school.
Allow the home team to have up to a 15 member pep band or jazz band to play at time-outs, halftime, and between games (whenever clock is stopped or play is stopped) at any regular season home basketball games. This is optional to the home team.
18. Allow the home team to have up to a 15 member pep band or jazz band to play at time-outs, halftime, and between games (whenever clock is stopped or play is stopped) at any regular season home basketball games. This is optional to the home team.
19. If a school or schools are placed in different regions three successive classifications periods, they will have the first opportunity to host a region tournament provided the school they are replacing has not had a more recent opportunity to host.
20. The head coach may be off the bench in front of his or her seat within the confines of the designated coach’s box (National Federation Rule) to give instructions to his or her players and/or substitutes.
