LHSAA Basketball Rules

Like most organizations of its kind, the Louisiana High School Athletics Association (LHSAA) has specific rules governing the operation of its various sports leagues. The association has a copy of its handbook available online, where web surfers will find detailed rules on a number of Louisiana high school sports, including basketball.

  1. Season Setup

    • Basketball teams participating in the LHSAA are allowed just two pre-season scrimmages prior to the start of the regular season. Higher ranked A teams are limited to 20 regular season games and five tournaments, while lower tiered B and C teams may play 30 games and seven tournaments. Teams are not permitted to play more than three games per day during tournament competition. Schools are prohibited from holding games during school time, except during the Louisiana state playoffs. For all pre-season, regular season and playoff games, standard basketball rules apply to all teams and divisions. Home teams must wear white jerseys and road teams must wear dark-colored jerseys.

    Reporting Results

    • With the increased reliance of the Internet for sports results and statistics, state high school federations are being more diligent in asking schools to help keep things up-to-date. The LHSAA is no different, requiring the home school to report the result of its varsity game(s) from the previous week no later than the following Monday afternoon. All results must be confirmed by each school involved and includes the date, participating teams and their respective classes (A, B or C.) Schools that fail to report in a timely fashion, or report an incorrect score or result, are fined $50 by the LHSAA.

    Playoffs

    • The top two teams in each district earn automatic playoff berths. The remainder of the post-season spots are determined using a wild-card system that takes into consideration factors like win-loss record, strength of schedule and results from the various tournaments held throughout the season. Once each of the 32-team playoff fields are set, the teams are ranked and seeded for the state playoffs. The tournament pairs No. 1 against No. 32, No. 2 against No. 31 and so on. Teams face off in bracket play, with teams from each pairing advancing until there are only two teams remaining. Those two teams face off for the state championship.

    Off-Season

    • Schools are permitted to hold practices in the spring as they prepare for the following season, but cannot hold scrimmages against opposing schools during that time. Coaches are also allowed to conduct practices over the summer, but may not use the school's team name, uniforms or equipments during this time.