LEGACY YOUTH SPORTS (LYS)
TOURNAMENT & LEAGUE RULES
GAME FORMAT
Game Length
All games will consist of two (2) twenty-minute halves.
LYS does not permit referees, scorekeepers, or staff to intentionally shorten game time. If you witness this occurring, please notify the Site Director immediately.
Game Start Time
No game will begin before its scheduled start time.
Warm-Up Period
Teams will receive a 3–5 minute warm-up period between games, depending on whether the event is running on schedule.
Overtime
First Overtime: 2 minutes
Second Overtime: 1 minute
Third Overtime: Sudden Death
Each team will receive one (1) 30-second timeout per overtime period.
Timeouts from regulation do not carry over into overtime.
TIMEOUTS
Each team will be allowed:
Two (2) 30-second timeouts per half
Unused timeouts do not carry over to the second half.
ARRIVAL & FORFEITS
Arrival Time
Teams are expected to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to their scheduled game time.
Grace Period
A 10-minute grace period will be allowed before a forfeit is declared, unless additional time is approved by the Site Director.
Teams that know they will be late must notify the Tournament Director as soon as possible.
FOULS & FREE THROWS
Player Fouls
Players are disqualified after accumulating six (6) personal fouls.
Free Throws
All free throws are live on the release.
Bonus Situations
1-and-1 Bonus: Begins on the 7th team foul in each half.
Double Bonus: Begins on the 10th team foul in each half.
Team fouls reset at halftime.
MERCY RULE
Tournaments & Leagues
If a team leads by 20 points or more with three (3) minutes or less remaining, the game will switch to a running clock.
If the lead falls below 20 points, the clock will return to normal stop-clock operation.
League Play Only
Teams leading by 20 points or more may not apply full-court pressure and must retreat to a half-court defensive set.
BENCH PERSONNEL
Only two (2) coaches are permitted on the bench:
Head Coach
Assistant Coach
No additional personnel will be allowed in the bench area.
ROSTERS
Coaches must enter all player names and jersey numbers into the official scorebook or approved online roster system before each game.
SUNDAY ELIGIBILITY (TOURNAMENTS ONLY)
Players must participate on Saturday in order to be eligible to play on Sunday.
Participation is defined as playing a minimum of one (1) minute in at least one Saturday game.
SPORTSMANSHIP & CONDUCT
Fighting
Fighting will NOT be tolerated.
Any player, coach, parent, or spectator involved in a fight may be:
Removed from the tournament
Removed from the facility
Suspended from future LYS events
Arizona law permits referees and event staff to contact law enforcement and request removal from the facility.
Ejections & Removals
Any coach, player, parent, spectator, or anyone associated with a team who is removed from the facility by:
Referees
Event Staff
Security
Law Enforcement
will not receive a refund.
PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
Eligibility Challenges
All roster and eligibility challenges must be made prior to the start of the game.
Challenges may only be made by the Head Coach.
Parent complaints or challenges will not be considered.
Required Documentation
Players must be able to provide:
Birth Certificate
Current Report Card
All documents must be legible and available upon request.
Grade-Based Competition
LYS tournaments are grade-based and follow AAU Grade-Based Eligibility Guidelines.
A player's current grade determines the division in which they are eligible to participate.
Playing Up
Players may participate in higher grade divisions.
Example:
A 4th-grade player may compete in:
4th Grade
5th Grade
Any higher division
However, players may not participate in multiple skill divisions within the same grade level.
Example:
A player may NOT play in both:
4th Grade Gold
4th Grade Silver
Eligibility Violations
Any player found in violation of eligibility rules will:
Be immediately removed from the event.
Cause all games in which they participated to be recorded as losses for their team.
Formal Protests
All formal protests will be reviewed by the Tournament Committee.
The Tournament Committee's decision is final.
Age and eligibility protests must be:
Submitted before the start of the game.
Submitted by the Head Coach only.
BALL SIZE
Boys Divisions
Kindergarten through 6th Grade: 28.5
7th Grade and Above: 29.5
Girls Divisions
All Girls Divisions: 28.5
Exception
Ball size may be changed if both coaches agree prior to the start of the game.
LEAGUE HOLD-BACK POLICY
For league play only, LYS allows a maximum of one (1) hold-back year.
While not mandatory, LYS strongly encourages all athletes who have been held back academically to compete in their appropriate grade level.
AAU GRADE-BASED ELIGIBILITY
September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2026
| Division | Grade |
|---|---|
| 7U | 1st Grade |
| 8U | 2nd Grade |
| 9U | 3rd Grade |
| 10U | 4th Grade |
| 11U | 5th Grade |
| 12U | 6th Grade |
| 13U | 7th Grade |
| 14U | 8th Grade |
| 15U | 9th Grade |
| 16U | 10th Grade |
| 17U | 11th Grade |
| 19U | 12th Grade |
Athletes must either:
Meet the age requirement for the division, OR
Be enrolled in the corresponding grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
7U / 1st Grade
Athlete must turn 7 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 1st Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
8U / 2nd Grade
Athlete must turn 8 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 2nd Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
9U / 3rd Grade
Athlete must turn 9 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 3rd Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
10U / 4th Grade
Athlete must turn 10 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 4th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
11U / 5th Grade
Athlete must turn 11 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 5th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
12U / 6th Grade
Athlete must turn 12 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 6th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
13U / 7th Grade
Athlete must turn 13 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 7th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
14U / 8th Grade
Athlete must turn 14 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 8th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
15U / 9th Grade
Athlete must turn 15 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 9th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
16U / 10th Grade
Athlete must turn 16 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 10th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
17U / 11th Grade
Athlete must turn 17 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 11th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
19U / 12th Grade
Athlete must turn 19 years old after August 31, 2025, or be enrolled in 12th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
Note: 12th-grade athletes are no longer eligible to participate after August 1, 2026.
POST-GRAD PLAYERS
Post-graduates are NOT eligible to compete in Varsity divisions.
Exception
A player may participate if:
They provide proof that they are a member of the Class of 2026.
They are not older than 21 years of age on August 31, 2025.
AGE-BASED COMPETITION
| Division | Maximum Age as of August 31, 2026 |
|---|---|
| 7U | 7 Years Old |
| 8U | 8 Years Old |
| 9U | 9 Years Old |
| 10U | 10 Years Old |
| 11U | 11 Years Old |
| 12U | 12 Years Old |
| 13U | 13 Years Old |
| 14U | 14 Years Old |
All age-based divisions follow current AAU eligibility guidelines.
