A maximun of 8 national teams could qualify for the tournament as follows: the host nation, the top 4 teams in the NORCECA U17 Continental Ranking that confirmed their participation and the top 3 teams in the CSV Continental Ranking that confirmed their participation.[2] Eventually, there were 5 NORCECA teams and 2 CSV teams that confirmed their participation, with Venezuela entering the tournament after the declination of the eligible teams from CSV needed to complete the line of 8 teams.
The following were the teams eligible to participate in the tournament (teams that confirmed their participation marked in bold and confederation ranking, if given, shown in brackets):[3]
NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation)
Each national team had to register a squad of up to 12 players. Players born on 1 January 2008 and onwards were eligible to compete in the tournament.[2]
In the Pan-American Cups the competition format depends on the number of participating teams. With 8 teams, two pools of four teams each were formed. The pool standing procedure were as follows:[2]
Number of matches won;
Match points;
Match won 3–0: 3 match points for the winner, 0 match points for the loser
Match won 3–1: 3 match points for the winner, 0 match point for the loser
Match won 3–2: 2 match points for the winner, 1 match points for the loser
Points ratio;
Sets ratio;
If the tie continues between two teams: result of the last match between the tied teams;
If the tie continues between three or more teams: a new classification would be made taking into consideration only the matches between involved teams.
The winners of each pool advanced directly to the semi-finals, while the runners-up and the third placed teams advanced to the quarter-finals.
Teams were distributed into two groups of four teams. As hosts, Guatemala had the right to choose the group in which to be placed and were assigned to the head of its group (Group B). The remaining teams were distributed into the groups according to their position in the NORCECA and CSV Continental Rankings (as of 1 January 2024) and following the serpentine system, starting with the highest-ranked NORCECA team as head of the remaining group (Group A)[2]
Guatemala
Mexico (1)
Puerto Rico (2)
Canada
Dominican Republic (4)
Costa Rica (5)
Cuba (6)
Guatemala (no rank, hosts)
United States
Mexico
Peru
Puerto Rico
Dominican Republic
Venezuela
Cuba
Costa Rica