Spring Tournament 2023 rules and info

Coaches info

The initial coaches meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, in the President's Dining Room at Union Market (dining hall).

The scores will be kept up-to-date on the main tournament page.

Event schedule

Click here for the event schedule. - COMING SOON

Team photo schedule

Click here for the team photo schedule. Be sure to arrive at the Thunderdome stage on time dressed in your uniforms or warm ups.

Tournament pools

Click here for boys' and girls pool.

Tournament brackets
Uniform colors

Teams listed first (left column) on the schedule are considered the home team and will wear light uniforms and the teams listed second (right column) on the schedule are considered the away team and will wear dark uniforms.

Balls for warm-up

Teams are responsible for providing their own basketballs for warm-up.

Vote for awards (head coaches)

Each team's head coach should vote for both awards listed below.

Union College Christmanship Award (team award)

The Union College Christmanship Award will be presented each year to the team that best displays the values of positive Christian sportsmanship and demonstrates that commitment through the actions, words and attitudes of players, coaches and fans. Christmanship Award recipients should demonstrate qualities such as friendliness, courtesy, graciousness in winning and losing, fair and honest dealing during the competition, and overall admirable conduct of everyone associated with the team.

Nominations: The head coach from each team participating in the tournament will be asked to nominate another team for the award. Union College Athletic Committee will make the final determination based on their own observations and the votes of the coaches.

All Tournament Awards (Individual Award)

The head coach from each team will nominate the best player from his/her team (only one) to receive the “All Tournament Award” that will be presented at the awards ceremony after the last championship game (one award per team).

Awards ceremony

All awards will be given out at the awards ceremony, which will be held in the Thunderdome on Saturday night immediately following the final championship game. All teams are expected to attend.

Additional Weekend information

Meals in Union Market

INFO COMING SOON

Bus Parking

Bus Parking should be in the lot west of Cooper's apartments. That would be the lot between #15 & #5 marked with the blue parking pin on our campus map. The best way to access the parking lot is off 52nd Street.

Trainer availability

An athletic trainer is available free of charge in the Union College Thunderdome.

Team Pictures

Please be on time for your team photo time. Photos will be taken on the stage in the Thunderdome.

Check the top of this page for the team photo schedule.

Photos from the tournament

A link to a digital album will be posted on the main tournament website a couple weeks after the event has ended.

Live streaming

Games will be streamed live on the UTV Youtube channel.

Free throw and three-point contest

Coaches may select one player from your team to participate in each event.

Free throw contest

Participants will have 30 seconds to make as many free throws as possible. The rules governing free throws apply.

Tie-breaker: if multiple players make the same number of shots in the allotted time, the tied players will each have 15 seconds to make as many free throws as possible to break the tie.

Winners of each contest will get Warriors gear/swag.

Three-point contest

Participants will have 30 seconds to make up to 15 shots from behind the three point arc. There will be a total of five shooting locations. The rules governing 3-point shots apply.

Tie breaker: if multiple players make the same number of shots in the allotted time, the tied players will each get 5 additional shots, one from each shooting location.

Winners of the contests will get Warriors Gear/swag.

Tournament general rules

  • Eight-minute quarters with stop time
  • Time-outs: three full and two thirty second

Intermission

  • 60 seconds after quarters one and three (There is a 60 second break in between quarters one and two and between quarters three and four).
  • Five minutes at half time

Overtime

Overtime will be a four-minute stop time period. If the score is tied after the first overtime period, a second overtime period of one minute will be played. Any overtime period after the first will be one minute each.

Uniform colors

Teams listed first on the schedule wear light uniforms and the teams listed second on the schedule wear dark uniforms.

Basketballs for warm-up

Teams are responsible for providing their own basketballs for warm-up.

Tournament seed for playoff brackets

These rules apply to both boys and girls brackets.

Thunderdome Division

The top two teams coming in first and second place in each pool will automatically play in the Thunderdome Division. Bracket diagrams will show the place/time of playoff games on Friday and Saturday Evening. 

Seeding for coming in first/tie-breakers within each pool will be determined as follows:

  • Winning-losing record
  • Head-to-head
  • Points difference (points scored minus points against, 20 points difference maximum per game)
  • Fewer points allowed
  • Coin toss

The best team coming in third place out of the two pools will also play in the Thunderdome Division. The tie breaker to determine the best team coming in third place out of both pools will be decided as follows:

  • Winning-losing record
  • Points difference (points scored minus points against, 20 points difference maximum per game)
  • Fewer points allowed
  • Coin toss

Clocktower Division

Teams seeded fourth or fifth, as well as the team coming in third with the lowest winning games and most points allowed, will play in the Clocktower Division. The bracket diagram will show the place/time of playoff games on Friday and Saturday evening.

High school mercy rule

The mercy rule will go into effect any time a team holds a 30-point lead in the third quarter or a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter. At that point, the clock will run for the remainder of the game. It will only stop for time outs, injuries and intermission between the third and fourth quarter. Normal clock rules will not be restored, even if the lead shrinks below 30/20 points.

Unsportsmanlike technical foul policy

In February 2006, Mid-America academy coaches approved the revision for the Union College Basketball Tournament. This policy was put into place to improve sportsmanship and emphasize to the athletes that sportsmanship comes first. 

A player who receives an “unsportmanlike” technical foul will be dealt with by the coach of that team. No other involvement will be administered. 

A player who receives a second “unsportsmanlike” technical foul must be removed from the game immediately and sit the remainder of that quarter. He or she must also sit out the following two quarters. (In some situations this will be part of the next game.) 

A player who receives a third “unsportmanslike” technical foul during the tournament must be removed from the game immediately and will not be allowed to play in any more games for the remainder of the tournament.

Unsportsmanlike technical fouls include, but are not limited to, acts or conduct such as:

  • Disrespectfully addressing or contacting an official or gesturing in such a manner as to indicate resentment.
  • Using profane or inappropriate language or gestures.
  • Baiting or taunting an opponent.
  • Obstructing the vision of an opponent not in control of the ball by waving hands near his or her face.
  • Climbing on or lifting a teammate to secure greater height.
  • Knowingly attempting a free throw or accepting a foul to which the player was not entitled.
  • Excessively swinging his or her arm(s) or elbow(s) even if there is no contact with an opponent