1. Participants: All participants must be legally registered, meaning they, and their parents, if necessary, have agreed to the Cager Classic release and liability waiver and the sportsmanship policy.

2. Eligibility: All adults and youth players in first grade or older may participate. Grade level divisions are based on the 2025-2026 school year.

 

3. Proof of Grade: We will not require any team to produce grade verification during the team check in process, however, random eligibility checks may be conducted at any time during the tournament. If a team is found to have an ineligible player(s), it will result in an immediate forfeit. All players must be able to produce a copy of your current school ID with player’s name, school year and grade level clearly indicated or a copy of the most recent report card with player’s name, school year and grade level clearly indicated at each game if a player is challenged for eligibility. If you cannot provide documentation when challenged, your team must forfeit the game and may be disqualified from the tournament with no refund of fees paid.

 

4. Team Size: Each team may have a maximum of five players and a minimum of three. Only three players per team are on the court at a time. All games must start with three players, but can be finished with two or three players.

 

5. Brackets: Tournament brackets will be established based on age, grade, height, etc., based on information provided on the team entry form. Data on the form may be checked for verification. Submitting false data on the form is grounds for team dismissal. Participants should have identification with them at all times during the tournament. The brackets will be posted during the tournament. It is your responsibility to periodically check the brackets during the tournament.

 

6. Equipment: Braces, casts and guards made of hard materials like leather, plastic, metal or plaster cannot be worn on the wrist, forearm, elbow, hand or finger, even if padded with soft material. Soft braces, sleeves and wraps will be allowed as long as they don’t pose a danger to other players. Cager Classic officials may disallow any equipment that they believe poses a threat or danger to other players.

 

7. Baskets & Balls: All brackets will use ten-foot baskets. The intermediate sized ball will be used for all games.

 

8. Shooting Distances: For all grades and divisions, the free throw distance will be 15 feet and the two-point line will be 19 feet, 9 inches.

 

9. Fouls: Court monitors will call fouls for brackets with eighth grade teams and under. In all other games, the participating players will call their own fouls. The player fouled will call the foul. All fouls will result in one free throw, except when the field goal is made. There will be no additional shots after a made field goal. During free throws, all players will stand behind the free throw shooter.
Any taunting or trash talking to the free throw shooter may result in a technical foul. A change of possession will result after a free throw unless a technical, intentional or flagrant foul is called.
• Technical Fouls. Penalty-Two points and possession of the ball. If a player receives two technicals in a game, the player is disqualified from the game and must leave the playing court area. Technical fouls will be called for unsportsmanlike conduct. This can include, but is not limited to, taunting, baiting, arguing with court monitors, throwing or kicking balls and similar acts. A technical foul may be called on players, coaches or fans. Insulting opposing players, court monitors or tournament officials will not be tolerated. Players, coaches or fans may be suspended from a game or removed from the tournament for unsportsmanlike behavior. The court monitor may also call a technical foul if a team is stalling with the intention of preserving a winning margin. This is a style of play in which the team in possession of the ball makes no attempt to advance the ball to the basket.
• Intentional Fouls. Penalty-One point and possession of the ball. An intentional foul is a foul designed to neutralize an opponent’s advantage without making a play on the ball. An intentional foul can also be called when an opponent in the act of playing the ball causes excessive contact. Intentional fouls will be called by the court monitor or court marshal only.
• Flagrant Fouls. Penalty-Two points and possession of the ball. The player committing the foul will be disqualified for the remainder of the game and possibly Hot Shots. A flagrant foul may be of a violent nature or an act that displays unacceptable conduct. It may or may not be intentional. It may involve inappropriate conduct such as striking, kicking, kneeing, undercutting an
opponent in the air, hipping or pushing an opponent in a manner, which could cause severe injury. It could also involve dead ball contact or dialogue that is abusive, excessive or persistent. Fighting during Hot Shots will not be tolerated. Any player throwing a punch will be immediately disqualified from Hot Shots. Technical, intentional and flagrant fouls cannot be called by players.
A court monitor or court marshal will make this call. Their decision is final and cannot be appealed.
Please refer to the sportsmanship policy.

 

10. Opening possession: The initial possession of the game will be determined by a coin flip. The winner of the coin flip gets the ball first. The team that loses the flip will receive the ball on the first held ball or alternating possession opportunity. Alternating possessions will continue for all held ball or jump ball situations.

 

11. Scoring: All baskets made from inside the arc are worth one point. All made free throws are worth one point. Baskets beyond the arc are worth two points.

 

12. Length of Game: For all divisions, games end when a team reaches a score of 20 points, or the teams play a time limit of 20 minutes. A team only has to win by one point. The 20-minute clock is only stopped during a two-minute halftime, or if the court monitor stops play for injury or other circumstances. If a score of 20 is not reached, the following criteria shall apply in determining the outcome of the game:

• If a team is leading at the end of the 20-minute time limit, that team is declared the winner.
• If neither team has a lead of one point or more, the overtime rule will be activated. A coin flip will determine the first team to shoot to start overtime. There will be one free throw shooter from each team. They will then shoot until one misses as follow-
- If the Team A shooter makes the free throw, the Team B shooter will be required to also make the free throw. If the Team B shooter misses the free throw, Team A is declared the winner.
- If the Team A shooter misses the free throw and the Team B shooter makes the free throw, Team B is declared the winner.
- If both the Team A and Team B shooter make or miss a free throw, the process will continue until a winner is declared.

 

13. Checked Ball: All possessions will begin behind the take back line. This includes following made baskets, free throw attempts, balls knocked out of bounds, held balls, etc. The ball must be “checked in” by an opposing player before it can be put into play. The ball must then be passed in to a teammate to begin play. Defenders are not allowed to go behind the take back line until after the initial pass is made. For 1st-4th graders, the initial pass after the check-in may not be contested if the player receiving the pass is behind the free throw line extended. At all levels, opponents who “check” the ball in must use sportsmanship in handing or tossing the ball to their opponent. Throwing the ball at the offensive player or similar conduct will result in an automatic point.

 

14. Change of Possession: The ball will change possession after all scored baskets and free throw attempts unless a technical, intentional or flagrant foul is called. There is no “make it, take it” rule.

 

15. Taking it Back: On each change of possession, the ball must be taken back behind the back court or “take back” line for the possession to legally begin. This must occur whether or not a shot was attempted. Failure to take it back results in loss of possession and loss of any points scored during the illegal possession. Taking it back means a person’s whole body and the ball must be behind the take back line. The two-point arc is the take back line only at the top, not on the sides.

 

16. Boundaries: The actual backboard, including its face, top, bottom and sides shall be considered in bounds. The basket structure, padding and structural supports will be played as out of bounds.

 

17. Dunking: Dunking is not allowed at any time, including warm-ups. Dunking will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and a technical foul will be assessed. Any monetary damage costs incurred as a result of dunking will be the responsibility of the offender.

 

18. Substitutions: Player changes may be made only during a dead ball situation. Changes cannot be made while a ball is in continuous play.

 

19. Player injury: A court monitor has the discretion to stop play for an injured player. If a player is bleeding or has an open wound, they must leave the game and bandage the wound properly. Players must remove blood-stained clothing or saturated bandages to re-enter the game. If a player has lost consciousness or is seriously injured during a game, Cager Classic will require a written note from a medical doctor who has examined the player following the injury before that person can continue to participate.

 

20. Game Times: Game times will start at every half hour mark. There will be a horn to start the game and a horn to finish the game. There will be 10 minutes of play, a 2-minute half and then 10 additional minutes of play. Teams do not have any time-outs. If the score is tied, please see overtime rule.

 

21. Use of Illegal Players: The players registered on the team roster are the only players eligible to play on that team. Player changes will not be allowed after 7pm on October 10th, 2025. Prior to the start of each game, all players must sign in on the scoresheets that include the liability and release waiver and sportsmanship pledge. Players must print their name as well as provide a signature. All players must be present and signed in before the official game time. Protests must be brought to the attention of the court monitor immediately upon knowledge of any infraction. Any team using an ineligible player will be disqualified from the tournament.

 

22. False Information: The information provided on your team registration form or player change forms is designed to help us in setting up appropriate brackets. The information is expected to be both accurate and complete. Players who list inaccurate information on these forms may be disqualified from the tournament.

 

23. Team Spokesman Identification: The “Team Spokesman” is the person that was designated on the roster as the coach or the team captain. In some cases, the team spokesman will be a player as well. 

 

24. Complaints Or Issues: Only the Designated Team Spokesman will be able to voice a complaint or raise an issue with Cager Classic tournament officials. No one else, including parents or fans, will be able to discuss the matter with Cager Classic personnel.

 

25. Other issues: In-game decisions and rule interpretations of Court Monitors and Court Marshals are final. There is no appeal process! Designated tournament officials shall have the power to make decisions on any points not covered specifically in the rules and regulations. These officials shall also have the right to interpret the intent and application of these rules.

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