To be eligible for the NorCal Middle School Basketball Championship, all teams must first qualify at a weekend tournament or through their league.  View List of Qualifier Tourneys and Leagues.

All teams must also meet the Eligibility Rules below and provide required player documentation before championship play.  
 

                                                                              DIVISIONS 

Which Division is appropriate for my Team?

Open Division: Primarily for teams who compete at high level such as club or AAU teams

Competitive Division: Primarily for school teams, feeder teams or non-elite Club teams.

Rec Division: Primarily for developmental level teams i.e. Community/Recreation league teams, YMCA or Boys & Girls Club teams or players newer to the game or still learning foundational skills. 

"Open" Division Eligibility
Predominately for AAU and club teams.  For each player the Team Representative must provide report cards, progress reports or online student information that show the players name, grade, and current school year.  Parents may take a picture or make a copy of a report card/progress report and black out any of the grade performance information for privacy reasons. 

"Competitive" Division Eligibility
Predominately for school teams, CYO teams, and lower-level club teams. For each player the Team Representative must provide report cards, progress reports or online student information that show the players name, grade, current school year, and school district. Parents may take a picture or make a copy of a report card/progress report and black out any of the grade performance information for privacy reasons. 

"Recreation" Division
Predominately developmental level teams i.e. Community/Recreation league teams, YMCA or Boys & Girls Club teams or players newer to the game or still learning foundational skills. For each player the Team Representative must provide report cards, progress reports or online student information that show the players name, grade, current school year, and school district. Parents may take a picture or make a copy of a report card/progress report and black out any of the grade performance information for privacy reasons. 

Team Eligibility and Roster Rules

1. Team Representative.  Each team must appoint a team representative, for example a coach, team manager, or team 'mom'. The team representative is responsible for submitting all player eligibility information (listed below) and tracking the team's approval status via the team's online Event Connect account.

2. Grade Level.  If a team is comprised of students in multiple grade levels, that team must play at State in the grade of the player in the highest grade level.  For example, if a team is comprised of nine 6th graders and one 7th grader, then the team must play at the 7th grade level.

3. Individual Waiver Forms.  Each player (including grandfathered players) must have a parent or legal guardian complete an online Release of Liability Form.  The parent should receive an email from messages@eventconnect.io to fill out the waiver after the team representative adds their child to the roster. If the parent does not receive the waiver via email they can reach out to support@statebasketballchampionship.com to get the waiver link. 

4. Proof of Eligibility.  Immediately after registering it's team entry, an automated email will be generated and sent to the listed Team Representative.  The email will include specific instructions for submitting each players' eligibility documentation, i.e. copy of report card or middle school ID card. Proof of Eligibility for each player must be submitted no later than Friday, March 6th, 2026 (more time will be permitted for teams that qualify on the March 6-8 weekend). Players in all divisions must provide proof of grade and in the competitive and rec divisions proof of school  must also be provided. 

5. Multi-team play.   A player may play for more than one team. given that (a) the player is listed on both rosters and meets all other eligibility rules, and (b) the teams are in different grades or divisions (i.e. Open vs. Competitive).   A player may play up a grade but not down a grade. Also a player who plays the majority of the regular season on a program's A/Gold Team is not permitted to play on that program's B/Silver team at the State Tournament. As noted in paragraph 2, a player may play up a grade but not down a grade. At the discretion of the Committee, certain exceptions to the multi team rules may be made. EX: A Gold team is short players due to injuries and must bring a Silver team player up(from the same program) to fill out the roster and be able to compete.  

Proof of Eligibility(POE) Document examples

1) Open/Competitive/Recreational Division - POE Report Card Example (Click)
2) Open/Competitive/Recreational Division - POE Desktop Student Profile Example (Click)
3) Open/Competitive/Recreational Division - POE Mobile Student Profile Example (Click)
4) Open Division - POE School ID Card Example (Click)

Travel teams
Due to the ever-changing school spring break dates, qualifier tournament/league dates, and other conflicts, we want to offer flexibility and inclusivity for all teams. As a result out of state qualified teams who meet our eligibility rules are permitted to compete. 

Other specific player eligibility follows the State High School rules which can be found on the following link Section 300 D. However, if there are girls who want to play on boys teams, that is allowed at the NorCal State Tournament.

**At the discretion of the Committee, certain exceptions to the Eligibility rules may be made.  This event is independently operated, and the Committee uses its discretion to make eligibility rulings on players and rosters in alignment with the spirit of the tournament and to maintain competitive balance.  By choosing to participate, you acknowledge and accept the Committee’s authority to make final eligibility decisions, including any approved or unapproved exceptions.