IESA Basketball Rules

The Illinois Elementary School Association, headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, is a non-profit organization of Illinois elementary, middle and junior high schools affiliated with the National Federation of State High School Associations, a national organization that promotes interscholastic competition rules and programs. In operation since 1939, IESA's mission includes promoting good sportsmanship in interscholastic activities. IESA sponsors state tournaments in 14 activities, including basketball. Rules for state qualification and participation in each sport are very specific and outlined in the IESA handbook.

  1. IESA Member Rules

    • To participate in regional, sectional and state competitions, IESA member schools must adopt and enforce the IESA Constitution. Principles of member schools must be responsible for all athletic activities of their schools in IESA competition. Students playing for a school in IESA competition must attend that school. All students playing in IESA competitions must be no older than eighth grade age.

    IESA Individual Limitations

    • Students are limited to one regular season game per day or four quarters; two games per day, or eight quarters, for regular season tournaments--students can't play in two games in the same day unless they are tournament games. Sixth and seventh graders may play on more than one team but eighth graders are only allowed to play on the eighth grade team. Coaches on teams exceeding limits become ineligible to coach the next two games and any other interscholastic sports.

    IESA Season Limitations

    • Schools must schedule at least three interscholastic games before the seeding determination to participate in regional, sectional and state competitions. Schools must hold tryouts, practice and games according to the IESA published schedule.

    IESA Team Limitations

    • Tournament teams must have 15 uniformed players. Warm-ups before tournaments are restricted to15 minutes. All tournament play is single-elimination, with progression from regional to sectional to state competition. No teams can play more than 22 games in a season. Teams may play only one game per day except in tournaments and state competitions.

    IESA Miscellaneous Basketball Rules

    • The three-point field goal is required in all in-season games and state tournaments. All games must use six-minute periods with three-minute overtime periods. All teams must use a 14-foot coaching box. The IESA's mercy rule, with specifics for when to use a running clock, must be used in regular season games and tournaments. A meeting of officials, coaches and captains is required before each game. Specific awards requirements are required of IESA school members: plaques for regional and sectional winners and trophies for first through fourth place state winners.

    Seeding Procedures

    • Specific seeding procedures to determine team eligibility for competition must be followed dependent on the number of teams in the region. A seed meeting on the IESA's standardized calendar has been required, but will change to online seeding for the 2010-11 school year. Seeding places are determined by factors including season record, quality of competition, class of teams and record against common opponents.