Great Northwest Basketball League (GNBL)

Special Instructions to Teams Attending the

8th Grade Girls 2023 League Championship Tournament

Prairie Farm and St. Croix Central (Hammond), Wisconsin

Tie-Breakers

The tie-breakers for the two different tiers of teams are the same for the 12 teams in Prairie Farm and for the 24 teams at St. Croix Central. 

Anytime pool play is involved in a tournament, it’s possible to have teams tie within a pool, with a question of which team will advance as the highest seed to the next round. 

• With three-team pools, the only possible tie is a three-way tie with all three teams having a 1-1 match record. 

• Where that happens, we next go to game winning percentage in both pool matches.  For example, if Teams A, B and C all have a 1-1 pool match record, with Team A having a pool game record of 2-2 (.500), Team B having a 3-2 game record (.600) and Team C having a 2-3 game record (.400), Team B would be seeded #1, Team A would be seeded #2 and Team C would be seeded #3, based on game winning percentage. 

• If three teams are still tied after applying the match and game winning percentage tie breakers, the next tie breaker is the fewest total points given up (i.e., defensive points) in all of their pool matches.  If after breaking a three-way tie with identical match and game records, one team wins the tie breaker based on fewest defensive points allowed, we next go back to head-to-head competition when comparing the remaining two teams. 

• If three teams are still tied after applying the defensive points tie breaker, the next tie breaker is the most total offensive (not “average”) points scored during pool play.  After applying the total offensive points scored calculation, we next go back to head-to-head competition when comparing the two remaining teams.  In other words, where two teams remain tied, whether after applying the defensive or offensive points tie breaker, the next tie breaker is head-to-head results, not tie breaker points.

Bracketing for the 12 Top Tier Teams Playing in Prairie Farm:

After pool play, there will be four play-in matches to determine which four teams advance to the Championship quarterfinals.  The pairings for these matches are as follows:

Match 1:  #2 White  v.  #3 Blue

Match 2:  #2 Red  v.  #3 Green

Match 3:  #2 Blue  v.  #3 White

Match 4:  #2 Green  v.  #3 Red

The losers of those four matches play two more matches each for 9th through 12th place.  The four winners, on the other hand, advance to the Championship quarterfinals.  The Championship quarterfinals will be formatted as follows:

Match 1:  #1 Blue  v. Winner of Play-in Match 2

Match 2:  #1 Green  v. Winner of Play-in Match 1

Match 3:  #1 White  v. Winner of Play-in Match 4

Match 4:  #1 Red  v. Winner of Play-in Match 3

Bracketing for the 24 Second Tier Teams Playing at St. Croix Central:

With a field of 24 teams, there are eight pools of three teams each.  The 1st place finishers in each pool advance to the 1st-8th place bracket, the 2nd place finishers in each pool advance to the 9th-16th place bracket and the 3rd place finishers will play in the 17th-24th place bracket.  All 24 teams will play a total of five matches in the tournament.

1st to 8th Place Bracket will be formatted as follows:

Match 1:  #1 Blue  v.  #1 Grey

Match 2:  #1 Green  v.  #1 Purple

Match 3:  #1 White  v.  #1 Orange

Match 4:  #1 Red  v.  #1 Gold

9th to 16th Place Bracket will be formatted as follows:

Match 1:  #2 Grey  v.  #2 Blue

Match 2:  #2 Purple  v.  #2 Green

Match 3:  #2 Orange  v.  #2 White

Match 4:  #2 Gold  v.  #2 Red

17th to 24th Place Bracket will be formatted as follows:

Match 1:  #3 Blue  v.  #3 Grey

Match 2:  #3 Green  v.  #3 Purple

Match 3:  #3 White  v.  #3 Orange

Match 4:  #3 Red  v.  #3 Gold

NOTICE:  General Posting for All Teams

Wisconsin Independent Volleyball League Championship Tournaments

Grades 8th and 7th

May 13, 2023

The narrative below should be read by all coaches attending the League Championship Tournament (“LCT”) for 8th and 7th girls to be held on May 13, 2023.  In addition, the coach for each participating team should read the grade-specific information associated with the schedule for that grade.

The following points should be noted by all participant teams -- whether playing in the 8th grade or 7th grade LCT:

• League Rules.  All regular season League Rules will apply to the LCT except as noted below.

• Admissions.  Per League Rule B-7, the host will be allowed to charge $8 per adult and $3 per student (versus $5 per adult/$2 per child during the regular season) to help cover the added cost of running this event.  All admission fees are retained by the host school(s).  Instead of marking hands, each admitted person will be issued a wristband that they must display when entering and re-entering each venue.  A wristband purchased in one host community will be valid in the other host community (e.g., for the 7th grade LCT, a ticket purchased in Melrose-Mindoro will be valid in Sparta).

Players in uniform or with a jersey/shirt in their possession will be admitted free of charge.  Each team will be provided with two coach wristbands at the admission table of the venue where that team plays its first match.  Coaches will need to display their wristband when re-entering each venue.

• Concessions.  All hosts will be providing full concessions at all venues.  Please support the efforts of all the host schools to provide concessions for the teams.  Host communities retain all concession profits.  Melrose-Mindoro, Prairie Farm, St. Croix Central and Sparta should be commended for stepping forward and agreeing to host these four events.  Coaches, please make sure all parents and players are aware of this rule:  No coolers or outside food and drink provisions are allowed at any of the LCT venues except for beverages consumed by players during matches. 

• Number of Matches.  As provided for in League Rule B-7, all teams attending the LCT are guaranteed five matches (some teams will play six). 

• Rosters.  At regular season meets, multiple teams from the same community are allowed to move players back and forth between their rosters throughout the day to balance playing time for each player.  This is not allowed at the LCT.  If a given community has multiple teams at a specific LCT, each player can play on only one team throughout the day.  Violating this rule will result in the second team to play the same player, forfeiting all matches where the player(s) in question was allowed to play.  The original team on which that player played that day will not be penalized, even if the second team is that player’s regular team.

• Six players to start all matches.  Please note Rule D-15.  In regular season League meets, a team can start a match with less than six players and not be penalized.  However, as noted in Rule D-15, at the LCT, WIAA rules apply.  A team must have at least six players available to take the floor at the start of the first game of a match, or a forfeit will be declared.  There will be a five minute grace period. 

• Line Judges.  As is the case at regular League meets, each team must provide one line judge to work each LCT match.  Refusal or failure to do so will result in a forfeit.

• Failure to show.  If a team drops out of an LCT after the schedule is posted (May 8), the League will make every effort to fill the vacancy.  If that happens, teams will not be re-seeded; rather, the replacement team will assume the vacated spot, without regard to team strength.  If a team fails to show at the LCT, whether for all their matches, or a specific match, all affected matches will be won by the opposing team.  For tie breaker purposes, the scores of those matches will be reported as 25-0, 25-0.

• Coin Toss/Bench Selection.  Please note League Rule D-14.  This is the only instance where we’ve amended the published regular season rule significantly for the LCT in the interest of fairness.  The home team in any given match will always be the highest original seed, based on the final standings posted on this website.  At any point during the tournament, the team with the highest regular season seed will be treated as the home team.

• Match Start Time.  Start times for first matches of the day vary at the different LCT venues, so check the schedule for your grade carefully.  Where possible, we tried to give teams with longer trips later start times, but that was not always an option. 

Teams will get a minimum of ten minutes (combined, not ten minutes per team) of warm-up time before their first match of the day.  After that, particularly where we are running behind schedule, the official on each court and the tournament director have the authority to start a match early if both teams are there and ready to go, and to limit warm-up time.  Many early day matches will last only two games, with later matches (whether in the championship or consolation brackets) more closely-contested, often going to three games.  Any time that can be made up in early round play will be appreciated later on in the day.  With that objective in mind, we ask your cooperation doing the following:

• Early starts where possible.  While no team will be asked to start its first match of the day early, where both teams are at the court for their next match, we’d like to see some matches begin before their posted time.  If your team finishes its match early in a given time slot, encourage your players to use the rest rooms or visit the concession stand expeditiously and then proceed directly to the court on which their next match will be played.

• Don’t leave the venues unnecessarily.  When you have only 55 minutes between matches, please do not leave the LCT premises, except when traveling between venues to get to your next match.  As noted above, use the rest rooms, visit the concession stand and then go directly to your next match in case it can start early.

• No or little warm-up.  After each team’s first match, there will be little warm-up time in subsequent matches.  If matches are running significantly behind on a given court, the referee may allow no warm-up time.

• First to win two.  All matches will be won by the first team to win two games.  No third games (where one team wins the first two) will be played for “fun.” 

• Awards.  Trophies will be awarded for 1st and 2nd place in the 8th grade 12-team Top Tier in Prairie Farm; to the 1st through 4th place teams in the 8th grade 24-team Second Tier at St. Croix Central; and to the 1st through 5th place and consolation championship (9th place) teams.  Individual players on teams winning trophies will receive medallions.

We provide ten medallions per team at each LCT.  For teams that win a trophy and have more than ten players actually in attendance at the LCT, you will be able to obtain additional medallions after the event by contacting Tracie Tilton at tracie@gnbl.org or 715-749-9048.  No individual awards will be provided to teams that fail to win a team trophy.

• Questions or Comments.  Questions or comments about the LCT before or after the day of the event, should be directed to Terri Green at 715-386-4317 (terri@gnbl.org) or Tracie Tilton 715-749-9048 (tracie@gnbl.org).  Questions or comments at the event should be directed to the following Tournament Director who will be on site:

• 8th Grade:
  • Prairie Farm:  Micki Bowers
  • St. Croix Central:  Autumn Afdahl
• 7th Grade:
  • Melrose-Mindoro:  Dave Waraxa
  • Sparta:  Bobbie Evans and Erika McTaggert