Spirit of the Game

This spirit begins with each player and spectator, and is promoted and maintained on the court by court officials.  They will accomplish this by requiring strict adherence to tournament rules and interacting with an attitude that promotes fun and positive communication between all players, spectators, and the downtown community.  Mainstreet Madness officials have the ultimate authority to impact the game 

Profanity, taunting, baiting, trash talking, and rough play will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct.  Court officials will fully enforce the following calls to suspend these unsportsmanlike acts. 

Rough Play

Mainstreet Madness places a strong emphasis on sportsmanship and the elimination of rough play.  It is their responsibility to enforce the spirit of sportsmanship, fair play and safe basketball.  If play starts getting too rough, the official will stop the game and require players to "tone it down".  Unnecessary rough play will earn the appropriate penalty. 

Technical Foul

A technical foul will be called for un-sportsmanlike acts such as taunting, baiting, or trash talk. Taunting and baiting are derogatory remarks or gestures that incite or insult a player. Trash talk is a deeply personal, verbal attack directed toward anyone involved in the event.  In extreme cases, the player may also be suspended from play and a coach or fan removed from the court for the remainder of that game or for the rest of the tournament. The court official may also assess a technical foul if he/she determines that the team is stalling in the interest of maintaining a winning margin.  Stalling is a style of play in which a team does not actively attempt to advance the ball toward the basket and shoot the ball at the basket. A technical foul results in one free throw shot and the offended team maintains possession of the ball, which is taken out at the backcourt line. 

Intentional Fouls

An intentional foul is a foul designed to neutralize an opponent's obvious advantageous position. It is a foul which, based on observation by the court official, is not a legitimate attempt to directly play the ball.  A foul shall also be ruled intentional, based on the official's observation of the act, if while attempting to play the ball, a player causes excessive contact. An intentional foul results in one free throw shot and the offended team maintains possession of the ball, which is taken out at the backcourt line. 

Flagrant Fouls

A flagrant foul is of a violent or savage nature, or an act that displays unacceptable conduct. It may or may not be intentional. It may involve violent or savage contact such as striking, kicking, kneeing, moving under an opponent who is in the air, and crouching or hipping in a manner that could cause severe injury to the opponent. It may also involve dead ball contact or dialogue which is extreme or persistent, savage, or abusive. A flagrant foul results in one free throw shot and the offended team maintains possession of the ball, which is taken out at the backcourt line. The player committing the foul will be suspended from play for the remainder of that game or for the rest of the tournament.  

Qualifying Event for
USSSA World Championships: