GRACEAC boys basketball operates as a school-based team sport. This means that GRACEAC runs a league where the member schools compete against one another. Member schools must field a minimum of seven players in order to submit a team to the league. There are four leagues - one for each grade level (5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th). If a school is unable to field their own team, that school Athletic Director needs to contact ADs at nearby schools and try to arrange a merger.

As a school-based team sport, team specifics are determined at the school level. This includes who the coach is, when/where practices are held, uniforms, etc. GRACEAC sets the rules and game schedules. Each team will have an eight game regular season, and every team is eligible to compete in the single elimination postseason tournaments. These tournaments are seeded based on regular season standings, which means we do keep track of scores and standings.

GRACEAC boys basketball takes place in winter I - after the Fall sports conclude. Practices typically begin in mid OCT and season tournament ends mid DEC. Teams are limited to three practices/4.5 hours of practice per week. The regular season typically begins early November. Tournament finals typically take place mid December on a Saturday at our high schools.

Rules:

5th/6th Grade GRACEAC Basketball Rules

7th/8th Grade GRACEAC Basketball Rules

GRACEAC Basketball Rules at a Glance

Gate Fees: There will be gate fees at each GRACEAC gym for boys basketball. Those fees are - $3.00 per adult, $2.00 for seniors, and free for students.

Concessions: The availability of concessions at each gym will vary. Please plan accordingly.

Miscellaneous:

• Doors do not open until 30 minutes prior to the first game of the day. So if your team plays in the 9:00 am game on a Saturday, please do not arrive before 8:30 am. The gym doors will be locked until then. Please do not arrive before 5:00 pm if your team plays in the 5:30 pm game on a weekday. The gym doors will be locked until then.
• Please do not bring your own personal basketballs to games. The host gyms will have plenty of basketballs for each team to warm up and play. This avoids confusion of the host gym not knowing which basketballs belong to them.
• Jewelry is not permitted while playing in basketball games, so players should plan accordingly.
• In the event of inclement weather, the decision to cancel games will be made by 3:00 pm for games during the week, and 7:30 am on a Saturday. If school is canceled in the morning, basketball games in the evening are automatically canceled as well. If the weather improves throughout the day, there is a small chance that some games may be rescheduled for that same night as originally planned, depending on the teams scheduled to play and their school policies.

24 Hour Rule: We ask that all coaches and parents respect the 24 hour rule before addressing an issue or poor experience at a GRACEAC sporting event. Please know it is inappropriate to directly confront an official or an opposing player/coach/spectator with any concerns or complaints. You may report any problems to your school Athletic Director, and they will follow up accordingly. As the GRACEAC handbook states, "Anyone with a grievance should adhere to the 24 hour rule which delays the discussion and gives everyone a chance to resolve a disagreement rationally rather than emotionally." Thank you for your cooperation.