***UPDATED AS OF JUNE 9, 2009***

EVENT: The Showdown is a high school boys varsity soccer tournament that consists of 32 bracket teams. Each team, which is guaranteed four games, will be seeded and placed in a World Cup pool winner’s bracket. All winners will follow the tournament bracket, while the losers will be paired up against teams that are not on their 2009 schedule. This flexible scheduling allows for teams to play against teams they normally wouldn’t see, while also giving coaches a chance to see other programs that will be in their IHSA seeding meeting and IHSSCA All-Sectional/All-State meeting.

FUTURE DATES:  2010 - Sept. 7 ,9, 11, 16, 18; 2011 - Sept. 6, 8, 10, 15, 17

FORMAT: The Showdown was seeded in January by the participating coaches. All measures were taken to prevent first-round match-ups between opponents that are scheduled to play one another during the 2009 season. Travel was the other major consideration.

TOURNAMENT DATES: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009; Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009; Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009; Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009; Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. All games on both Saturdays - Sept. 12 and Sept. 19 – will be played at the Lyons Township Soccer Complex. All other dates of the tournament are home and away matches, and will be hosted by one of the schools. Title game is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20 part of a doubleheader with the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park.

CONTEST TIMES: Each school will receive a tournament bracket after the seeding meeting is held in August 2009. The locations and pairings for the following rounds will be decided by 9 a.m. the morning after each round and posted on the tournament web site for all athletic offices and coaches to see.

ENTRY FEE: This fee covers the cost for paying officials (96 total), rental and workers on both Saturdays - Sept. 12, 2009 and Sept. 19, 2009 - for games at the Lyons Township soccer complex. Assigning cost and awards also are figured into that cost. Each host school is responsible for paying for officials on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009; Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 and Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009.

SCORING: Two 10-minute overtimes and shootout will only be used for winner’s bracket games. All other games will end in a tie. If the game goes to overtime, it will count as a win or loss toward a team’s overall record.

ADMISSION: $6.00 for adults; $4.00 for students. Schools hosting games will retain gate and are not required to charge admission. Admission price also includes an official tournament book.

AWARDS: The tournament champion will be awarded a traveling championship trophy. There also will be an all-tournament team and MVP.

FOOD: Concessions will be available on both Saturdays - Sept. 12, 2009 and Sept. 19, 2009 – at the Lyons Township Soccer Complex.  

OFFICIALS: The host school will be responsible for assigning a three-man crew on Tuesday, Sept. 8 and paying a three-man crew for games on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009; Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009; and Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009. The tournament rate is $60 per official to ensure the best officials work this tournament