Brave-8 Invitational

The 2026 Brave-8 Invitational Passing Tournament will return to Panish Family Stadium this spring. Elite teams from Southern California will head back to Bellflower to go to battle in the third annual Brave-8 Invitational Passing Tournament! Hosted by St. John Bosco Football, please join us for a day of competition as the best of the best compete to become the next Brave-8 Champion!

Saturday, May 16, 2026

St. John Bosco High School | Panish Family Stadium
13640 Bellflower Blvd., Bellflower, CA 90706

Games Begin
9:30 a.m.

Open to the Public
Parking: $10.00
Braves Snack Bar Opens at 9:00 a.m.

2026 Tournament

Seeding for Bracket Play

Seedings For Bracket Play:

Each team will play a total of three games in each pool. At the end of pool play the four teams will be seeded by the standings 1st thru 4th.
Playoff Bracket Seeding will be as follows:
- Overall Record in pool play will determine the seedings from each pool 1st thru 4th.
- If there are ties in the standings at the conclusion of pool play, overall point deferential will determine seeding from each pool.
- If the point differential of two teams is the same then the fewest total points allowed will be the next measurable to determine seeding.
- If all else fails, a coin flip will decide how the overall standings will result at the end of pool play.
Once each pool standings are determined the bracket will be created by the following:
- All Games will be 30-minutes in length during Bracket Play.
- Pool Alpha Teams will face off with Pool Vapor Teams in the first game of the Bracket Play.
- 1’s will play 4’s and 2’s will play 3’s.
- Game locations will be determined by the bracket sheet provided in this document.
- Both Semi-Final Games and the Championship Game will be played in Panish Family Stadium.
- The Championship Game will be played on the West End of Panish Family Stadium.
In bracket play, the higher seeded team will start on offense. For the Championship Game, if both teams are the same seed, point differential in bracket play will determine who starts on offense.

Tournament Rules and Regulations

CIF High School Football Rules apply unless otherwise stated in this document.
Pass Interference:
- Offensive Pass Interference: will result in a 10-yard penalty and the down will be replayed.
- Defensive Pass Interference: will result in a 10-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage or half the distance to the goal line if inside the 20-yard line. Pass interference will result in an automatic first down.
A player is determined down (or tackled) if an offensive player is touched by a defensive player with one hand below the offensive player's neck. The ball will be placed at the location of where the touch occurred, not where the ball is stretched out to.
No offensive blocking! If blocking by the offensive player occurs there will be a 10 yard penalty from the spot of the foul and the down is repeated.
Unnecessary Roughness, deliberate tackling, or flagrant shoving will result in a 15-yard penalty. The foul will result in an automatic first down for the offensive team.
- Officials are at liberty to remove a player from the game for any such penalty listed above. Players may also be dismissed from a game for fighting or the use of belligerent language towards another player or official.
- A team may be disqualified or removed from the tournament if they are violating multiple rules pertaining to unnecessary roughness, tackling, or flagrant shoving.
Fumbles that hit the ground are immediately dead, unless the QB drops the snap from the center, in which the play can resume however the time to release the ball is the same.
Play is limited to 7 on 7. Any defensive team who uses an eighth defender must place that defender on a knee prior to the ball being snapped. This defender on a knee cannot reroute or defend during the entire play. If this defensive player does affect the play the offensive team has the option to replay the down or take the result of the play that occurred.
Snapping the Football and Time to Throw:
- No Center Used: If the QB snaps the ball to himself he will be permitted 3.0 seconds to release the football or the play will result in a sack.
- Center is Used: If the QB received a snap from a center, either from the LOS or from a Shotgun formation, he will have 3.5 seconds to release the football or the play will result in a sack.
- The clock operator will start the clock when the ball is released by the center and stop the clock when the QB releases the ball. A play that takes 3.51 seconds or more for the QB to release the ball is considered a sack.
Sacks:
- A sack will result in a loss of 5-yards from the previous spot and the down will count.
- A sack will overrule an interception if they both occur on the same play.
- A sack from the 40-yard line will be “banked” and then subtract from the next positive gain by the offensive play.
There are no empty sets. Single backs can line up no wider than the offensive tackle position. If the back releases in a route, he must do so outside the tackle box. If the running back releases incorrectly and catches a ball the play will result in an incomplete pass and the down will count.
A running back may not catch a ball deeper than 10-yards between the hash marks. He may however catch a pass further than 10-yards outside the hash marks like on a wheel route. We are eliminating the running back running right up the pipe.
Coaches must coach from behind the offensive formation. No coaches in the defensive secondary unless he is coaching from the sideline.
Every series will begin from the 40-yard line. You will need to move the ball 40-yards to score.
The offensive team will have a 30-second play clock between plays. Once the referee sets the ball the offensive team has 30-seconds to snap the next play.
There are NO DRAW PLAYS. All plays must be played using the forward pass.
The offensive team has three downs to get to the 20-yard line and then four downs to get to score.
If the defense stops the offense either by downs or by an interception the defensive team will take over possession of the football at the 40-yard line.
Interceptions MAY NOT be returned for a touchdown. Interceptions result in a change of possession and 2 points will be rewarded to the defensive team who intercepted the pass.
A touchdown is worth 7 points. The extra point is automatically given unless the offensive team chooses to go for 2-points. If the offensive team chooses to go for 2-points the ball will be placed at the 10-yard line.
No overtime in Pool Play. In the event of a TIE score in Bracket Play, each team will take ONE play from the 40-yard line. Whichever team gets more NET yards on that one play will win the game. An interception will end the game with the intercepting team winning the contest. If both teams end with the same result then a second overtime will be played in the same manner.
All Pool Play games are 25-minutes in length. All Bracket Play games are 30-minutes in length. No Timeouts. Once the clock expires the game is over regardless of where the offense has possession. If the game is tied in Pool Play it ends in a tie, if the game is tied in Bracket Play then overtime will ensue.