See the MSHSL Official Handbook Bylaw 501 for information regarding:

• Maximum Number of Contests

See the MSHSL Official Handbook Bylaw 504 for information regarding:

• Contests

• Equipment Issued

• Last Date to Join a Team

• Maximum Number of Contests Chart

• Player Participation Limitations

• Practice Sessions Before First Game

• Season Begins

ELIGIBILITY DURING MSHSL TOURNAMENTS (subsection, section & state) - (Refer to Bylaw 206)
A student must be fully eligible under all local school district policies and MSHSL bylaws to be in uniform, to occupy the bench or playing area, participate and receive individual and/or team awards, including all-tournament honors, in the awards ceremony.

CONTEST RULES - (Refer to Bylaw 402)
Except as modified by the League, the National Federation of High School Association rules for the current year shall be the official game rules for all interscholastic contests in which League members participate.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN LEAGUE-SPONSORED TOURNAMENTS - (Refer to Bylaw 405)
A member school must schedule a minimum of three interscholastic varsity games, meets or matches to qualify for League-sponsored tournament participation in that sport.

END OF SEASON - (Refer to Bylaw 411)
No school may engage in any meet or meets, practice, training or other activities between the end of the season and the opening of the next season.

A. Student Participation on a Non-School Team While the Season is Still in Progress:

1) The season shall end when the student or the student's team has been eliminated from further participation in a League tournament series.
2) Students who have been eliminated from further participation in a League tournament series may participate as an individual or as a member of a non-school team in that sport.

B. School Team Practice and Competition:
The "end of the season" shall be defined to be the last date of the state tournament in that sport.

1) Schools may continue to conduct practice and training for all squad members, including the students who have been eliminated from further individual competition in a League-sponsored series, until completion of the state tournament conducted by the League in that activity.
2) Dual contests may be scheduled after the start of the official League tournament series providing the school the school does not exceed the maximum number of games/matches/meets permitted in that activity.

Member schools shall not engage in any meet or meets, training, practice or other activities between the end of the season and the opening of the next season.

See the General Section of the Athletic Rules and Policies Manual for information regarding the following:

• Athletic Director Checklist

• Coaches Responsibility: Student Eligibility Checklist

• Multiple level teams at Sub-Varsity levels

• Official Squad Size

• Revenue Sharing

• Substitution in League Tournaments

• Weather (heat, cold, lightning)

GAMES
A game may be scheduled and played on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

POST-SEASON GAMES - AWARDS
General rules of the League prohibit schools from engaging in post-tournament play.

No awards other than ribbons, medals or trophies may be received by or given to any squad member without forfeiture of eligibility privileges. Be sure your players and community understand this rule before possible violations develop. See Bylaw 201 of the Official League Handbook to understand the established policy.

Video TAPING ANOTHER school's game
It shall be an ethical violation to tape another school's game, meet or contest without their permission.  Further it may be a violation of the laws governing copyrights.  Each school owns the copyrights to their games, meets and contests.  Taping another schools game without permission could constitute a violation of the copyright law.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Tournament Managers will inform member schools of policies, procedures, dates, sites, and times of subsection and section games. 

OFFICIAL SQUADS (All MSHSL Tournaments - Sub-Section, Section and State)
All tournament arrangements including awards and allowances are based upon a maximum of:

A.  18 Players
B.  2 Student Managers
C.  3 Coaches
D.  1 Faculty Representative

The official squad size may include less than 18 players (number who dress for games) but schools MAY NOT include additional players, student managers, coaches or faculty representatives to the maximums listed above.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR SPECTATOR CONDUCT
The Principal of each participating school must assume the responsibility for the conduct of the spectators and students at the tournament venue and in the hotels.

Students should be reminded of their citizenship and sportsmanship responsibilities.

It is recommended that each participating school designate persons from that school to serve as crowd control supervisors or chaperones. Each supervisor or chaperone should wear an identification (badge, pin, shirt or jacket) that will be recognizable to the students and to the tournament site ushers and other security personnel. This will coordinate crowd control between school supervisors and tournament site personnel.

STATE TOURNAMENT SCHOOL QUALIFYING INFORMATION
Specific information for qualifying schools is on the MSHSL Administrative Web Site under Tournament Info. 

STATE TOURNAMENT SITES
Girls - Williams Arena and Sports Pavilion, University of Minnesota
Boys - Target Center, Minneapolis
See tournament brackets posted on the League's Web site - www.mshsl.org

STATE TOURNAMENT DATES

          GIRLS
          2002-2003, March 11, 13-15, 2003
          2003-2004, March 17-20, 2004
          2004-2005, March 16-19, 2005

          BOYS
          2002-2003, March 18, 20-22, 2003
          2003-2004, March 24-27, 2004
          2004-2005, March 23-26, 2005

NOTE:  The tournament format will change in 2004 which may lead to changes in pairings from that listed below.

Quarterfinals
2003: Sections 1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, 5 vs. 6, 7 vs. 8
2004: Sections 1 vs. 3, 2 vs. 4, 5 vs. 7, 6 vs. 8
2005: Sections 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3, 5 vs. 8, 6 vs. 7
2006: Sections 1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, 5 vs. 6, 7 vs. 8
2007: Sections 1 vs. 3, 2 vs. 4, 5 vs. 7, 6 vs. 8
2008: Sections 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3, 5 vs. 8, 6 vs. 7

Semifinals
2003: Section 1 vs. 2 winner vs. Section 5 vs. 6 winner
Section 3 vs. 4 winner vs. Section 7 vs. 8 winner
2004: Section 1 vs. 3 winner vs. Section 6 vs. 8 winner
Section 2 vs. 4 winner vs. Section 5 vs. 7 winner
2005: Section 1 vs. 4 winner vs. Section 2 vs. 3 winner
Section 5 vs. 8 winner vs. Section 6 vs. 7 winner
2006: Section 1 vs. 2 winner vs. Section 5 vs. 6 winner
Section 3 vs. 4 winner vs. Section 7 vs. 8 winner
2007: Section 1 vs. 3 winner vs. Section 6 vs. 8 winner
Section 2 vs. 4 winner vs. Section 5 vs. 7 winner
2008: Section 1 vs. 4 winner vs. Section 2 vs. 3 winner
Section 5 vs. 8 winner vs. Section 6 vs. 7 winner

CLASSES
League-sponsored tournaments will be conducted in four classes: A, AA, AAA and AAAA.

AWARDS

SECTIONS
A. Medals: To each official squad member of championship and 2nd-place teams.
B. Trophies: To the championship and 2nd-place teams.

STATE
A. Medals: To each student member of the official squads of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams.
B. Trophies: To championship, 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-place teams.
C. Plaques: To the teams that lose quarterfinal games.
D. Sportsmanship Banners: To each school as determined by its Sportsmanship Committee.

It is a violation of MSHSL policy for a member school or a representative of a member school to establish, distribute or accept any awards not provide by the MSHSL for section or state tournament.