1. Dates / Times / Sites - The Executive Director of TSSAA shall set the sectional site in the area of the regional winner. In order to be considered as a sectional site, the facility must meet the following seating criteria: Class 1A - 1,000; Class 2A - 1,000; Class 3A - 1,250; Class 4A - 1,500. These are to be permanent seats and based on 18" width. The girls' sectional game shall be Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. local time. The boys' sectional game shall be Monday, March 10, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. local time. Sectional pairings and results will be posted on TSSAASports.com.
  2. Uniforms - The regional winner will wear white jerseys and shall be designated the home team on the scoreboard. (This applies regardless of the site of the game.)
  3. Game Director's Responsibilities
    1. Arrange for timer, scorekeeper and P.A. announcer. If requested, the host school MUST provide space at the scorers table for the visiting scorekeeper to sit next to the official scorekeeper.
    2. Arrange for ticket sellers and ticket takers.
    3. Make necessary arrangements for press and radio.
      • Daily and local newspaper covering your game should be allowed passes.
      • Weekly newspapers from the town of the participating team should be allowed two passes.
      • Only radio stations that are broadcasting your game will be allowed passes and that number is limited to two.
      • Television newsmen should be allowed access to the game. They are allowed to take news footage.
      • Permission to telecast live any sectional game must be approved by the TSSAA Board of Control. Permission to tape a sectional game for replay the next day may be granted by the Game Director provided the Game Director has space to accommodate the TV or Cable station. Before taping will be allowed, the station must pay the Game Director a fee of $250 which will be considered as part of the game receipts.
  4. Tickets and Passes:
    1. All tickets are general admission. Tickets are $8 if purchased in advance on GoFan and $10 if purchased at the gate with cash. Everyone school-age and older must purchase a ticket. TSSAA will provide GoFan with a list of these games to set up Sectional tickets for each school. These tickets will show up on the host school's GoFan account. If your school needs help with GoFan, please visit GoFan School Support.
    2. TSSAA ID Cards are allowed to be accepted as passes to admit one person only. The card holder MUST be in possession of the physical card. Photos of ID cards cannot be accepted for admission.
    3. The Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association (TACA) card will provide complimentary admittance. The TACA card admits ONLY ONE PERSON PER CARD.
    4. Instead of issuing 20 team passes, each participating team shall use a pass list containing the names of the 20 individuals they want admitted free of charge. The pass list must include all players, managers, coaches, cheerleading coach, bus driver, and other school officials.
    5. Sixteen cheerleaders in uniform and one mascot will be admitted at no charge at the players' pass gate. The cheer coach should have a ticket or be listed on the participating team's pass list.
  5. Game Officials - Officials shall be assigned by the state office. The officials assigned to the sectional game shall come from an association that does not service either school unless both schools use the same association. The Assigning Officer of the official's crew will contact the school with the officials' names and game fees due to each official working the contest. The Assigning Officers will also be able to provide the proper information so that the host school can issue checks.
  6. Dressing Rooms - The game director is responsible for assigning dressing rooms for teams and game officials.
  7. Game Administrators Meeting - The game administrators meeting shall be called by the Game Director. The meeting shall include the game administrators, both head coaches, the referee, and a representative of the security team. Use this as a time to remind all of their role and responsibilities for the contest.
  8. Mercy Rule - In the fourth quarter, there is a mandated continuous clock when one team gets a 35 point advantage over their opponent. The clock would only stop for shooting fouls, timeouts, injuries, and the administration of technical fouls. The clock will continue to run for the remainder of the game, regardless of the point differential.
  9. Practice - There shall be no practice at the game site. (Exception to this would be if a team uses the game site as its regular practice site.)
  10. Concessions - The game director is responsible for making arrangements for concessions. Profits from the concessions will go to the host school or to those appointed by the game director to handle concessions. In addition, there shall be no hospitality room.
  11. Security - The game director is responsible for arranging for an adequate number of law enforcement officers and guards.
  12. Game Balls - The game ball shall be furnished by the host school.
  13. Financial Arrangements / Reporting - The game director is required to complete and submit the financial report to TSSAA through the TSSAA Portal. The formula for distribution of gross gate receipts shall be as follows:
    30% of gross to host school; 30% of gross to visiting school; and 40% of gross less payment for the game officials to TSSAA
    The host school will be responsible for site expenses out of their 30% and the visiting school will be responsible for traveling expenses out of their 30%. The host school shall be responsible for the payment of game officials. Payment for the officials will be taken from the 40% of the gross gate receipts due to TSSAA. All checks for district, regional, and sectional tournaments and playoffs must be distributed within 10 business days of the completion of the tournament or game. Failure to do so will result in a $100.00 late fee to be paid to TSSAA and is to be used in the A.F. Bridges sportsmanship program to go to schools or students receiving awards. Failure to distribute funds within 20 business days will result in an additional $200 late fee (total $300.00). Failure to distribute funds within 40 business days will result in an additional $200.00 late fee (total $500.00). The school may not host any tournament or playoff until the principal or athletic director appears before the Board of Control to explain their reasons for not distributing the checks within the required time frame. The Board would then determine whether the school can host tournaments or playoffs in the future.
  14. Video Taping/Filming - Video taping or filming of any high school game is permitted as long as taping or filming is for private use and not for public or commercial use. Video taping or filming must be done from the individual's seat. Individuals will not be allowed to stand or use tripods. A school will not be allowed to tape or film a game unless its team is involved in the game. All taping or filming must be approved by the Game Director. Rules governing videostreaming or other broadcast of a postseason contest are found in the TSSAA Media Regulations.
  15. Items Not Permitted at the Sectional Basketball Game
    • Noisemakers (Examples are, but not limited to, air horns, cowbells, sirens, clackers, jugs or milk cartons filled with rocks or pennies, etc.)
    • Balloons
    • Confetti
    • Electrical Instruments
    • Thundersticks
    • Large Signs or Flags
    • Powder
  16. State Tournament Program - The deadline to submit your team's information for the State Basketball Tournament program, should your team qualify, is MARCH 8, 2025. Download Instructions.