IHSAA Adopts Basketball Mercy Rule; Announces State Tournament Sites

The mercy rule will apply to all levels of play, but will not be used in state championship games.

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana High School Athletic Association has approved a basketball mercy rule.

The IHSAA voted unanimously to approve the new mercy rule for the 2021-22 boys and girls basketball season.

Similar to football, a running clock will be initiated after the first half when one team has a lead of 35 points or more. Once the running clock begins, regular timing procedures will not be used for the remainder of the game.

The rule will be in effect at all levels of play and in the IHSAA state tournament, with the exception of the state finals.

The game clock will run continuously except for an official timeout for an injured players, a charged team timeout, quarter intermission, a foul resulting in free throws, anytime officials determine it is necessary to stop the clock.

The IHSAA also approved sectional, regional and semi-state sites for the boys and girls state tournaments – which can be seen below.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Class 4A Sectional 14 Host: Bloomington North

• Bloomington South, Columbus East, Columbus North, East Central, Martinsville
• Sectional 14 will feed into Columbus North Regional
• Class 4A Semi-State at Jeffersonville

Class 3A Sectional 29 Host: Greensburg

• Batesville, Connersville, Franklin County, Lawrenceburg, Rushville, South Dearborn
• Sectional 29 will feed into Charlestown Regional
• Class 3A Semi-State at Jasper

Class 2A Sectional 45 Host: Southwestern (Hanover)

• Milan, North Decatur, South Decatur, South Ripley, Switzerland County
• Sectional 45 will feed into Crawford County Regional
• Class 2A Semi-State at Logansport

Class 1A Sectional 60 Host: Waldron

• Hauser, Jac-Cen-Del, Morristown, Oldenburg Academy, Rising Sun, Southwestern (Shelbyville)
• Sectional 60 will feed into Southwestern (Shelbyville) Regional
• Class 1A Semi-State at LaPorte

State Championship: Saturday, February 26 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

BOYS BASKETBALL

Class 4A Sectional 14 Host: Martinsville

• Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Columbus East, Columbus North, East Central
• Sectional 14 will feed into Seymour Regional
• Class 4A Semi-State at Seymour

Class 3A Sectional 29 Host: Connersville

• Batesville, Franklin County, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Rushville, South Dearborn
• Sectional 29 will feed into Washington Regional
• Class 3A Semi-State at Washington

Class 2A Sectional 44 Host: South Ripley

• Milan, North Decatur, South Decatur, Triton Central
• Sectional 44 will feed into Greenfield-Central Regional
• Class 2A Semi-State at Elkhart

Class 2A Sectional 45 Host: Southwestern (Hanover)

• Austin, Clarksville, Henryville, Providence, Switzerland County
• Sectional 45 will feed into Southridge Regional
• Class 2A Semi-State at Elkhart

Class 1A Sectional 60 Host: Southwestern (Shelbyville)

• Hauser, Jac-Cen-Del, Morristown, Oldenburg Academy, Rising Sun, Waldron
• Sectional 60 will feed into Martinsville Regional
• Class 1A Semi-State at Lafayette Jefferson

State Championship: Saturday, March 26 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis