The home team must wear light colored uniform tops and the away team must wear dark colored uniform tops.
Game officials have the authority to eject players and coaches for poor sportsmanship at their discretion. All ejections are reviewed by the referee assignor and tournament director(s).
All coaches must check-in at the designated location and receive a wristband in order to sit on the bench. Only USA Gold licensed coaches that have been added to your roster through the NCAA BBCS can sit on your team’s bench.
Coaches are responsible for controlling team spectators and fans. Referees and tournament officials have the authority to ask a player or fan to leave for unsportsmanlike conduct. Teams can receive technical fouls for the actions of their coaches, players and spectators for any distractions ruled as unsportsmanlike conduct by the tournament staff.
An ejected coach, player, or spectator must leave the vicinity of the playing court and must be out of earshot and out of sight of the officiating staff. The ejected coach, player or spectator may not be allowed on the property for their next game if the tournament director feels it is necessary.
Any tournament participant (player, coach, fan, or referee) that has a physical interaction with another player, fan, coach, or referee will be suspended for not only that weekend’s event, but also indefinitely. A return to the facility is at the discretion of the Open Gym Premier tournament staff. Fighting will not be tolerated at OGP events.
The Stage does not condone the use of racial slurs from players, parents, or coaches. Use of racial slurs is grounds for ejection from the event.
Tie Breaker Rules
In the event of a two-way tie in pool play, the tie will be determined by the head-to-head outcome between the teams. If the two teams who are tied have not played each other, the tie will be broken by point differential, followed by points againt.
In the event of a three-way tie in pool play, where each team has played each other, the tie will be determined by point differential with a maximum +/- of 15 points in any one game and only games against teams involved in the tie will be factored in. In the event that point differential does not break the tie between any of the teams (three or more teams), the tie between these remaining teams only will be determined by least points allowed against all of the teams involved in the tie. If there is a tie in point differential and in least points allowed between the three teams that have all played each other, points scored will be used to break the tie.
In the event of a three-way tie, where the teams involved did not all play each other in pool play, any ties will be determined by head-to-head outcome first, followed by point differential, followed by least points allowed. Point differential and least points allowed are still relevant even if all teams did not play each other in pool play. If there is a tie in point differential and in least points allowed between two teams within the three-way tie, head-to-head will still be used to determine which of the two teams advances. If teams who are tied have an equal point differential and points allowed but did not play each other head-to-head, points scored will be used to break the tie.
For any game that results in a forfeit, the score will be 15 – 0. The winning team receives a +15 and the losing team receives a -15.
All other rules, not specifically mentioned herein, will be in accordance with CIF “Southern Section” high school basketball rules.
Certification Rules
Players are not allowed to play for multiple teams at the same grade/age level, regardless of whether they are playing in different divisions (Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc). Players may play for multiple teams only if they are not in the same grade/age level.
Example: If a 7th Grade/13U player is on a “Gold” division team, he may not play for a 7th Grade/13U “Silver” division team. He may, however, play for an 8th Grade/14U team in any division.
If a player plays for two teams from different programs in the same division, the first team they play with will be their primary team. When caught, the secondary team will forfeit any future games in which the player in question plays.
If a player plays for two teams from the same program in the same division, the first team that they play for is considered their primary team and the secondary team will forfeit any games in which the player in question plays.
All teams must be certified thirty minutes prior to their first game at the designated team check-in.
All players must be on the roster at the team certification before their first game. Any player not listed on the team roster will not be eligible to play in the playoff/bracket round. If a player misses the first day of the event, he or she may still play the next day if they are listed on the certified roster sheet.
Youth teams (8U/2nd Grade through 14U/8th Grade) must abide by the 2024-2025 The Stage age/grade based guidelines (see our “Certification Birthdates” document for reference). Teams will be allowed to have three (3) grade exceptions per team. “Gold” divisions, however, do not have a cap on the number of grade exceptions per team (more than 2 is permitted). For the correct definition of a grade-exception, please also see our “Certification Birthdates” document. High school players are not allowed to participate in the 14U/8th Grade division, regardless of whether they make the age cutoff or not.
Players who are born in the correct birth date range for a division but are in an advanced grade, are still eligible to play in that particular division, including the Gold level. Ex. If a player hoping to play 10U/4th grade is in 5th grade, but was born on 8/15/2014 or later, they can still play in that division. Players who qualify age-wise are eligible for their respective division they qualify for, no matter what grade they are in.
“Reclassifying,” or being held back a grade, does not go into effect until August 15th. For instance, players who just finished 7th grade and plan on repeating CANNOT play in 6th grade during the summer months.
All boys teams must present a birth certificate for each player. If a player is seeking a grade exception, a hard copy report card must be present. To receive a grade exception, a player must be in the correct grade (must be in 7th grade to be eligible for the 7th Grade/13U division).
A player who is in the proper grade for a given division, but is at least two years older than the age designated for that division before May 15th, 2025, will not be allowed to play in said division. For example, if a player is in 4th grade, but turns 12 before May 15th, 2025, he or she will NOT be able to play in the 10U/4th grade division. They will instead have to play in the 11U/5th Grade division or higher.
All girls divisions are grade-based. Each player must present a hard copy report card. If a girls player is playing in the boys division, they must follow the same age/grade guidelines as the boys.
High school divisions will be “Frosh/Soph,” “Junior Varsity,” and “Varsity.” Juniors and Seniors may NOT play Frosh/Soph, and Seniors may NOT play Junior Varsity.
Per CIF Rules, “A student whose 19th birthday is attained prior to June 15 of the prior school year shall not participate or practice on any team in the following year. A student whose 19th birthday is on or before May 14 is ineligible.” Junior college players are not allowed to participate in The Stage / Jr. 3SSB events.
If a team does not follow the certification process they may be removed without a refund.
An opposing coach can submit a challenge of a player’s grade or age exception with a $100.00 deposit. Parents or fans associated with a team may not protest. The protest must come from the head coach or the one assistant coach who is allowed on the bench per team. A protest of a player’s age or grade must be submitted before the game starts, or within 30 minutes of the game’s completion.
