MSHSAA outlines basketball postseason

December 10, 2020 at 7:31 pm

KJFM SPORTS — The Missouri State High School Activities Association released their plans for the upcoming basketball postseason. Below is a letter from Kevin Garner, MSHSAA Assistant Executive Director.

Due to COVID-19 related issues modifications to the 2020-21 Basketball post-season have been made. The changes will affect every classification, so it is important each school review the information. We realize these are significant and not ideal but hope everyone will be understanding in our attempts to continue to provide opportunities for students, teams, schools and communities.

Please read all items below to be advised of changes to the 2021 postseason for Basketball.

A. District Tournament:

Classes 1, 2 and 3: Saturday, February 20, 2021 through Saturday, February 27,

Classes 4, 5 and 6: Saturday, February 27, 2021 through Saturday, March 6,

Note: For districts with a gender of seven teams, the first round for that gender must be played on the first Saturday of the tournament window. The District Tournament Committee will determine which days each gender will play prior to the district seed meeting.

All rounds of the district tournament will be played at the higher seed. (except District Championship game, see #4)
Before the district seed meeting, the District Tournament Committee will determine the location of the District Championship game from one of the following two options:
1. the higher seed will host the championship game, or
2. championship games, boys and girls, will be played at a predetermined site not based upon seeding:
  1. the same night at the same location, or
  2. separate nights at the same location, or separate nights at different

Regardless of seed, to host a district tournament game a school MUST meet the following:
1. The playing court MUST be a minimum of 84 feet or a maximum of 94 feet in length, and 50 feet in
2. A facility MUST be able to accommodate a minimum of 60 spectators per participating school in that contest or 120 spectators total. A facility may allow more spectators per school if the host’s local health department and facility
3. An equal number of tickets per team/school shall be allocated for that
4. The site facility(s) must comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act as a place of public
5. Two team locker
6. Private dressing facilities for game
7. If a facility cannot meet any of the above-listed criteria, a school has the opportunity to secure an alternate facility with prior approval from the MSHSAA office. The alternate site shall be at no additional expense to MSHSAA. If the higher seed is unable to secure such a facility, the lower seed will then become the host site provided they can meet the established criteria above.
8. If neither school can meet the criteria or secure a site that meets the criteria the game will be played at the higher

B. Sectional Games:

Sectional games will be played on the following dates: Boys: Classes 1, 2 and 3, Tuesday, March 2, 2021 Classes 4, 5 and 6, Tuesday, March 9, 2021 Girls: Classes 1, 2 and 3, Wednesday, March 3, 2021 Classes 4, 5 and 6, Wednesday, March 10, 2021

All Sectional games will be hosted by one of the participating schools and determined by the following criteria:
1. The sectional host will be the team that has hosted the least number of district tournament Hosting is defined as:
  1. playing a game at your facility or securing an alternate facility that your school
  2. forfeits by a lower-seed that occur after the district seeds have been

games a team was supposed to host, but did not, due to lack of adequate facilities or availability.

NOTE: a bye “does not” count as hosting a playoff game. A bye occurs when a school has dropped basketball after the release of district assignments and before the finalizing the district seeds or when there is a district with less than eight teams at the release of district assignments.

If both teams have hosted the same number of games, the host will be the team that did not host the district championship
If “b.” above does not establish a host, the host will be the team on the top of the bracket in the odd- numbered
Specific Facility Criteria to Host Sectionals:
1. The playing court MUST be a minimum of 84 feet or a maximum of 94 feet in length, and 50 feet in width.
2. A facility MUST be able to accommodate a minimum of 60 spectators per participating school in that contest or 120 spectators total. A facility may allow more spectators per school if the host’s local health department and facility allow
3. An equal number of tickets per team/school shall be allocated for that
4. The site facility(s) must comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act as a place of public
5. Two team locker
6. Private dressing facilities for game
7. If a facility cannot meet any of the above-listed criteria, a school has the opportunity to secure an alternate facility with prior approval from the MSHSAA office. The alternate site shall be at no additional expense to MSHSAA. If the higher seed is unable to secure such a facility, the lower seed will then become the host site provided they can meet the established criteria
8. If neither school can meet the criteria or secure a site that meets the criteria the game will be played at the school on the top of the bracket.

C. Quarterfinals

Quarterfinal games will be played on the following dates: Boys: Classes 1, 2 and 3, Friday, March 5, 2021; Classes 4, 5 and 6, Friday, March 12, 2021 Girls: Classes 1, 2 and 3, Saturday, March 6, 2021; Classes 4, 5 and 6, Saturday, March 13, 2021
All Quarterfinal games will be hosted by one of the participating schools and determined by the following criteria:
1. The Quarterfinal host will be the team that has hosted the least number of playoff games to date (District and Sectional). Hosting is defined as:
  1. playing a game at your facility or securing a neutral facility that your school
  2. forfeits by the visiting team that occur after the district seeds have been finalized or in the sectional

games a team was supposed to host, but did not, due to lack of adequate facilities or availability.

If both teams have hosted the same number of games, the host will be the team that did not host the sectional game.
If “b.” above does not establish a host, the host will be the team on the top of the bracket in the odd-numbered
Specific Facility Criteria to Host Quarterfinals
1. The playing court MUST be a minimum of 84 feet or a maximum of 94 feet in length, and 50 feet in width.
2. A facility MUST be able to accommodate a minimum of 60 spectators per participating school in that contest or 120 spectators total. A facility may allow more spectators per school if the host’s local health department and facility allow
3. An equal number of tickets per team/school shall be allocated for that
4. The site facility(s) must comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act as a place of public
5. Two team locker
6. Private dressing facilities for game
7. If a facility cannot meet any of the above-listed criteria, a school has the opportunity to secure an alternate facility with prior approval from the MSHSAA office. The alternate site shall be at no additional expense to MSHSAA. If the higher seed is unable to secure such a facility, the lower seed will then become the host site provided they can meet the established criteria
8. If neither school can meet the criteria or secure a site that meets the criteria the game will be played at the school on the top of the

D. Show-Me Showdown:

At present, all six classes of the Show-Me Showdown will be hosted at the JQH Arena and Hammons Student Center, in Springfield. The Show-Me Showdowns are scheduled to take place:

Classes 1, 2, and 3, Thursday, March 11 through Saturday, March 13, 2021

Classes 4, 5, and 6, Thursday, March 18 through Saturday, March 20^, 2021

Note: Due to the ever-changing landscape, all aspects of the postseason are subject to change at a moment’s notice.

Respectfully,
Kevin Garner,
MSHSAA Assistant Executive Director