Eligibility:

Age:  In order to stay consistent with the ICBA League, the SHYBA Travel teams will use September 1st as the age-eligibility date for each team. The age of the player on July 31st each year will determine which team they can try out for.    Example: if a player is 12 years old on July 31st, and he/she turns 13 on August 5th, they are eligible to try out for the 12-year old Travel team.   Please see the Grade-Exception policy below for anexception to this age-based eligibility rule.

Geography:  Travel basketball is primarily designed to provide competition between school district-based organizations, and to prepare players to eventually compete within the local high school’s basketball program.  During the past few seasons, the Inter-County Basketball Organization (ICBA) has tightened their rules regarding player movement between organizations, in order to regulate fair play and consistency.  

All players who reside within the boundaries of the Souderton Area School District are eligible to try out for SHYBA Travel teams.  A player from outside of the SASD boundaries may only be considered for SHYBA tryouts if:  a) they reside in an adjacent school district to SASD that is not offering a Travel team at their age level or if b) less than ten travel-caliber players from within the SASD try out for a SHYBA Travel team.   Under no circumstances will a SHYBA Travel Coach actively “recruit” a player from outside of SASD to tryout for a SHYBA Travel team.

Grade-Exception Policy:  The SHYBA Travel Program will stay consistent with the Inter-County Basketball Association's (ICBA) Grade-exception policy.   This means that if your son or daughter is up to one year older (by SASD regulations) than his or her normal school grade, he or she is allowed to try out for the Travel team of their "Grade", not based purely on age.   This rule has been put into place to allow players who are older than their normal grade to play on the same team as other players in their grade.

Important stipulation regarding Grade-Exception Players:  All players who qualify for the Grade-exception policy must choose whether you will follow the “age-based” or “grade-based” level and then maintain that level for your entire SHYBA Travel basketball experience.   Players will not be allowed to switch back and forth between the age-based and grade-based levels on a year to year basis.  Essentially, under the current arrangement, Boys and Girls are allowed a maximum of four years of SHYBA Travel basketball.

There are additional details available about this Grade-exception policy on the ICBA website:  www.icbabasketball.com

If you have any questions about the eligibility rules for the SHYBA Travel teams, please contact the Travel Coordinator or the Coach for your son or daughter’s team.