THE LADIES BALL FAQ'S

The selection process began in late 2020 for The Ladies Ball First Annual Road to Knoxville 2021 Championship Series. Each team selected will be announced with a press event or Zoom event in their home market and presented with a Golden Invitation and shout out by the Hall of Fame community.

Selected teams will be provided their official Golden Invitation at a “‘Call to the Ball’ official press conference either live in person, or over a Zoom event, depending on your states CDC guidelines.

Teams will not be allowed to reveal their official selection on social media or to local media and press until the joint ‘Call to the Ball’ press conference.

The Selection Team will extend Golden Invitations to teams in each state per division below: 

4th - 5th Grade - 2 Team Per State

6th Grade -  2 Team Per State

7th Grade - 4 Team Per State

8th Grade - 4 Team Per State

9th Grade - 1 Team Per State

10th Grade - 1 Team Per State

11th Grade - 1 Team Per State

All divisions but the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades will compete regionally. The 9th, 10th, and 11th grade divisions will, in most regions, depending on their high school season, compete directly in Knoxville where the entire bracket will be played (with approximately 64 teams).

4th- 5th Grade 

An athlete must be in the 5th grade or below as of October 1, 2019 and can be no older than 12 on or before August 31, 2020.

6th Grade 

An athlete must be in the 6th grade or below as of October 1, 2019 and can be no older than 13 on or before August 31, 2020.

7th Grade 

An athlete must be in the 7th grade or below as of October 1, 2019 and can be no older than 14 on or before August 31, 2020.

8th Grade 

An athlete must be in the 8th grade or below as of October 1, 2019 and can be no older than 15 on or before August 31, 2020.

15U/9TH GRADE

An athlete can be no older than 15 on or before August 31, 2020.

Grade Policy: An athlete who is in the 9th Grade as of October 1, 2019 and who is no older than 16 on or before August 31, 2020 is eligible to compete in the 15U/9th Grade division.

16U/10TH GRADE 

An athlete can be no older than 16 on or before August 31, 2020.

Grade Policy: An athlete who is in the 10th Grade as of October 1, 2019 and who is no older than 17 on or before August 31, 2020 is eligible to compete in the 16U/10th Grade division.

17U/11TH GRADE

An athlete can be no older than 17 on or before August 31, 2020.

Grade Policy: An athlete who is in the 11th Grade as of October 1, 2019 and who is no older than 17 on or before August 31, 2020 is eligible to compete in the 17U/11th Grade division.

Below is the regional event schedule and “Ladies Ball” Championship Schedule for 2021. Please consult brackets to see where your team would play if selected.

Midwest Region, Fort Wayne, IN - September 3 - 5, 2021

Northeast Region, Scranton, PA - September 10 - 12, 2021 

New England Region, Boston, MA - September 17 - 19, 2021

Southeast Region - Greensboro, NC - September 24 - 26, 2021

South Region - Greensboro, NC - September 24 - 26, 2021

Southwest, Irving, TX - October 1 - 3, 2021  

West Region - Seattle, WA - October 8 - 10, 2021

*International Division - Knoxville, TN - October 22 - 23, 2021

Global Championship - Knoxville, TN - October 22 - 25, 2021

*The International Division includes teams from Hawaii and Alaska. 

Here is Sample Schedule for Regionals: 

• Friday – Registration, Team Press Conferences, Opening Ceremony featuring Parade of Teams, Hall of Famer Presentation and Bracket Reveal 
• Saturday – Rounds 1 and 2, Team Combine Testing, Three-Point Competition and Skills Competition
• Sunday – Rounds 3 and 4, Championship Games and Press Conferences for Winning Teams

1. Strength of Overall Program (we will look to see if your program produces top teams and success at multiple levels historically)  
2. Current Season Record and Historic Team Record (we want to see how your team performed this year and over the last few years). 
3. Strength of Schedule (we would like to know which top teams you played or beat in your region or nationally) 
4. Top Finishes or Championships (we would like to know how your team did at top events and if they won or finished in the top 4).
5. Game film (if any) or video of team in competition mode (we would like to see how your team plays in a competitive forum)    
6. Top returning or featured players (we would like to know if you have any nationally or regionally ranked athletes on your returning team)  
7. Team Character (any team suspensions, athlete infractions or demonstration which lacked character at any event can eliminate teams from consideration no matter the ability).

The Road to Knoxville officially kicks off the weekend of October 22 - 25, 2021. Below you will find a sample itinerary of what the weekend might look like. Please note that this is a sample, and the itinerary is not final and will change.

At regional events, every team is guaranteed two games. At Championship Week, every team is guaranteed three games.  

For teams that earn their way to Knoxville, a room block will be set aside for athletes, coaches and parents. The championship packet with information on travel, hotel and tickets will be provided to each after the winning coach after the press conference. This schedule may be adjusted from time to time due to ongoing health conditions. Please visit this page for any updates.

Click here to view the weekend events