Emerald Coast MastersSenior games are a state or regional festival: track, swimming, pickleball, and a basketball bracket sharing one set of dates. The Emerald Coast Masters is a basketball tournament. One sport, three divisions, eight teams in each, February 25–28, 2027, at FCP Sports in Fort Walton Beach. The column on the right describes the usual shape of a multi-sport senior games, not a score against any named event. Specific meets are listed in the tournament directory.
| Emerald Coast Masters | A typical multi-sport senior games | |
|---|---|---|
| What you came to do | Play basketball. Full-court 5-on-5 in one division. | Enter one or several sports. Basketball is one bracket among many. |
| Who registers | A team. $500 covers the team. No separate player fee. | Often an individual, or a club that also fields other sports. Fees are set by that meet. |
| How big the basketball field is | 8 teams in the division. 24 teams in the whole tournament. | Often an open draw. The bracket can be large, or thin, depending on the year. |
| Age bands | 35-49, 50-54, and 55+ as of December 31, 2027. Players do not play down. | Commonly five-year bands that start at 50. Younger masters players are sometimes outside the meet. |
| Where the games are | One site: FCP Sports, 33 Jet Drive NW, Fort Walton Beach. 35-49 and 50-54 list a 94' × 50' court and a livestream. | Often more than one venue, because the meet is hosting several sports. |
| When | February 25–28, 2027. Fixed. | Whenever that state or region runs its games. Dates move. |
Which weekend fits the roster
- Choose Emerald Coast Masters when the group wants four days of basketball, a capped field, and a single gym.
- Choose a senior games when players also want to swim, throw, or race in the same trip, or when the team is built around a 50-and-over state meet.
- Some rosters do both in a year. They are not substitutes. One is a tournament. The other is a festival that includes a tournament.
If you are sorting a specific state meet, start at the Florida directory or the Florida masters overview, then come back to the three Emerald Coast divisions.