Policies

THE SHOWDOWN

Tournament Policies and Procedures


ARTICLE I.  Authority

Section 1.  Tournament Director

Should any doubts or questions arise concerning the language contained within this rulebook, the Tournament Director shall have the exclusive and complete authority to render an interpretation, to make judgment on the issue at hand, and.to execute any actions deemed necessary to resolve the issue.


Section 2.  Divisions

The Tournament Director shall have the exclusive and complete authority to modify divisions as necessary.  This includes but is not limited to a division’s age, gender, or school type.  Divisions will be constructed in a manner that provides the most competitive experience for all subject to the discretion of the Tournament Director.


Section 3.  Conduct

All coaches, parents and players are required to abide by the posted Policies and Procedures, and to maintain good conduct at all times.  The Tournament Director shall have the final authority regarding the imposition of consequences related to poor conduct.  Consequences can include but are not limited to a verbal warning, disqualification from a match and/or future matches, expulsion from the tournament, and a ban on future attendance.



ARTICLE II.  Player Eligibility

Section 1.  Age Determination

For competition purposes, the student-athlete’s age shall be determined on Sept. 1 of the current year.  In the event of a challenge, the program bears the burden of proof and will be required to provide a birth certificate for the player(s) in question.


Section 2.  Gender Determination

For competition purposes, the student-athlete’s gender shall be designated as that at birth and so recorded on the original birth certificate.  In the event of a challenge, the program bears the burden of proof and will be required to provide a birth certificate for the player(s) in question.


Section 3.  Educational Requirements

The student-athlete must meet the educational requirements as prescribed below.

  1. The student-athlete must be passing all of his/her courses.
  2. The student-athlete must not have graduated or participated in a graduation ceremony.
  3. The student-athlete must not have turned 19 years of age prior to September 1 of the current school year.
  4. To qualify as homeschooled, the student-athlete must be at least 50% homeschooled.  Homeschooling is defined as parent-directed home education.
    1. Parent-directed home education can include but is not limited to dual-credit college courses, independent online courses, and courses taught within the framework of a co-op, umbrella, or university model school.
    2. Student-athletes who are enrolled in a public school or in a private school that was not specifically organized for parent-directed education do not meet the definition of homeschooled.


Section 4.  Non-Educational Requirements

The student-athlete must meet the following non-educational requirements.

  1. The student-athlete must live at home with his or her parent, guardian, or legally responsible person.
  2. The student-athlete must not be married.
  3. The student-athlete must live within 100 miles of the team’s practice facility.
  4. The student-athlete must complete the tournament registration form in which a parent will certify that the student-athlete meets all of the provisions of eligibility.


Section 5.  Athletic Requirements

The student-athlete must meet the following athletics requirements.

  1. The student-athlete must meet all of the criteria of amateur athletic status.
  2. The student-athlete must not have participated with another organized scholastic team in the same sport in the current year.
    1. Participation on a different public school, private school, or homeschooled team in the current year shall render the student-athlete ineligible.
    2. Participation on club, select, or other offseason teams shall not affect the student-athlete’s eligibility.
  3. The student-athlete must not have exhausted his/her four years of recognized high school eligibility.


Section 6.  Dual Rostering

Student-athletes are permitted to register in as many division as for which they are eligible, provided:

  1. The student-athlete plays on only one team per division.
  2. In the event of a conflict (two events simultaneously), the student-athlete’s choice does not leave any team without enough players to compete.



ARTICLE III.  Program Requirements

Section 1.  Must play policy

Any team that enters The Showdown agrees to compete in all assigned contests.  Failure to do so can incur a range of consequences, including but not limited to a fine, a suspension, and a ban on attendance at future tournaments.


Section 2.  Deadlines

Each program agrees to meet the stated deadlines for the registration, provision of information, and payment, as required.  Failure to meet these deadlines can incur a range of consequences, including but not limited to a cash penalty, a suspension, and a ban on attendance at future tournaments.



ARTICLE VI.  Exemptions

THE SHOWDOWN recognizes that circumstances may exist where players or programs will wish to seek a qualified exemption from one or more of the above policies.  All such requests must be made in writing.  The decision to grant the exemption will be at the exclusive discretion of the Tournament Director.



ARTICLE VII.  Amendments

THE SHOWDOWN reserves the right to amend these policies and procedures at any time, as it deems necessary.