Rules and Qualification
Qualifier Tournaments
Our Qualifiers are the same annual tournaments that teams have come to love throughout Montana, run by independent, community-based youth sports organizations. All Qualifying Tournament registration will be managed by the individual tournament reps and will follow each tournament’s own guidelines, registration processes, rules, and communication formats.
Although all our tournaments have agreed to work together, the MSBC will not be in charge of any individual tournament’s tasks or communications. Requests for schedules, rules, and other information must go directly to the tournament’s director.
Who is Eligible
The MSBC will be offered to boys and girls teams in 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades who have registered prior to February 27th and have competed in a minimum of two of the MSBC Qualifying Tournaments.
Qualification Process
In order to receive and automatic qualification to the State Championship Weekend, an eligible team must win one of the Qualifying Tournaments in the highest possible bracket. The State Championship Weekend will consist of 8 teams for each division. Any remaining spots not claimed by an automatic qualification will be filled via an At-Large Entry Bid. I.e.,
Player Registration
Registration for the MSBC requires the submission of a roster. Athletes are allowed to only be registered on one roster. If an athlete wishes to switch teams, a review can be requested as to the reason and circumstances around a roster change. What will not be allowed is a player competing in a Qualifying Tournament where a team wins an Automatic Bid and then switches rosters to help a team advance to a form of qualification, be it Automatic or At-Large. At the end of each tournament, directors will be asked to submit rosters for teams that win Automatic Bids. Tracking player’s capacity to play on multiple teams will be challenging, but this is essential that athletes cannot compete on multiple teams attempting to qualify (without proper accommodation). Teams ignoring this process will be investigated and potentially disqualified.
⏩ Be registered on multiple teams attempting to qualify, unless a formal review is granted.
At the end of each tournament, directors will submit rosters for teams that win Automatic Bids. Violations of this rule may result in investigation and possible disqualification.
⏩ Play on two teams as long as one of the teams is not seeking qualification.
⏩ Play up a grade, but not down a grade.
Coach, Fan, and Player’s Yellow Card
Teams that register for the MSBC will come with the expectation of proper decorum in order to be a member of the MSBC. With 8 different tournaments collaborating under one umbrella, this allows for a system to review any abuse of officials, fans, or opposing team members. If any tournament director submits a “Yellow Card” review to MSBC, a notification will be sent to all other directors noting that any other infractions will result in the immediate expulsion of fans, players, coaches, or potentially full teams. Please act respectfully. We are pleased that this system will allow for statewide review of individuals who aren’t uphold the standards that are common sense in youth sports.
Details on yellow card policies and consequences will be provided in future updates.
