Gold Ball Showdown Series Format

NCHBC Gold Ball Showdown Series Format Info: Updated December 1st, 2022

The Gold Ball Showdown Series (GBSS) has been an NCHBC staple for nearly a decade! This unique format follows a similar formula that high school state associations around the nation use. In the age groups that offer a GBSS format, we divide teams by their size of gender specific (boys or girls) organization.

Very Important: The class a program is placed in has nothing to do with talent, rather the programs size, once divided by size the tournament is seeded based on talent. The size of each program is based on the information that each Athletic/Program director submitted.

Organization Size (Enrollment) is defined as a Total number of gender-specific players (11+ years old as of Sept. 1 this school year) that played in a game this season in your organization. Each organization attending’s Athletic Director completes the organization size form.

Please Note: The tournament is not over once a team has been eliminated from Gold Ball contention as they will mix in with other classes and continue to compete, whether it is for Division II Championship, Bronze Ball Bracket, or the Silver Ball Showdown Series. Once the tournament begins teams will play at least 1 game per day until the tournament ends on Friday.

In numerous age groups we have feature a Field of 48 GBSS Format which feature 8 Gold Ball Classes! Full details at: https://bit.ly/3FkqqEP

The Gold Ball Champion from each class (8A, 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, & A) then moves into the Gold Ball Showdown Series Quarterfinals where the winners play it out (Hoosiers style) to crown the Undisputed HomeSchool Basketball National Champion!

In numerous age groups  we have a GBSS Semi-Final Format (32 teams) that features a 4 Gold Ball Showdown Series Format Class 8A & Class 7A are where the 16 teams from the largest programs will play & 6A/5A are where the smallest programs will play.

In both cases the 4 Gold Ball Champion from each class then move into the Gold Ball Showdown Series Semi-Finals where the winners play it out to crown the Undisputed HomeSchool Basketball National Champion!

The GBSS format is designed to allow each teams attending Nationals the opportunity to compete for a Gold Ball against teams similar in gender-specific (boys or girls) program size en route to a Gold Ball. Upon winning or being eliminated from a Gold Ball they will then have the opportunity to see how they stack up against the best from each class. The tournament is not over once a team has been eliminated from Gold Ball contention as they will mix in with other classes and continue to compete, whether it is for Division II Championship, Bronze Ball Bracket, or the Silver Ball Showdown Series.