Overview
The basketball tournament is one of the original events of LEST. There is a boy’s tournament and a girl’s tournament each year with the number of divisions determined by how many teams submit entries. Schools are asked to commit themselves to repeated participation in the tournament rather than one-time or occasional play.
Tournament Bracketing
Team placement into divisions is typically determined by the size of the school. Schools may request to have more than one team in the tournament, if they have a second team at their school that plays an independent schedule during their season. Schools with a second team cannot have the same players playing on both of their teams. A second team may advance in the bracket unless it is classified as an exhibition team, which is a non-advancing team. It is not the goal of LEST to do intensive seeding and research on teams prior to the tournament. Avoiding having teams play first round games against teams they play during the regular season are taken into account for tournament seeding purposes.
Referees
The referees are hired professionals. Full cooperation from all schools and fans during the basketball competition is expected. Schools should specifically address the issue of Christian sportsmanship with their teams and supporters prior to attending LEST.
Schedule
Tentative tournament brackets will be completed in January 18th, and the final official brackets will be completed February 1. The LEST website will be the most current location to follow the brackets during the event. The tournament is double elimination, and each team will be guaranteed two games.
Rules
All games will be regulated by the rules of the Lutheran Basketball Association of America (LBAA) with the following exceptions:
- Quarters will be 6 minutes long.
- No full court press will be permitted after a 20-point lead is attained. After the first infraction, the team will be warned. Every following infraction will result in a technical foul.
Schools are required to bring a scorebook and have their starting line-ups posted in the book prior to the start of the game. The designated home team will provide someone to keep the official scorebook, and the visiting team will provide someone to run the clock. The home team is responsible for having someone say the opening prayer.
How to Participate
Each school must register their team(s) via the Registration Form on the LEST website. A copy of each team’s roster is to be submitted by November 30. A draft of the tournament bracket and schedule will be emailed December 15, 2021. Review, input, and feedback by the school’s Athletic Director and Basketball Coaches by January 5, 2022 will help improve the final tournament schedule and enhance the experience of all participants.