(Update)

(collaboration) The makeup of the following season’s Euroleague club roster is causing plenty of confusion just about every spring, but never more than this year. Reason: The league’s three year transitional period is ending. From now on the relegation and promotion process of A-licence clubs bases on a multiyear club ranking, plus the annual adjustment of the B-licence country ranking, according to Euroleague/EuroCup results, is about to start.

• The good: The rules are explained in detail in the official Euroleague ByLaws, available for download in the password-protected Euroleague media section
• The bad: Some key procedures (especially ranking formulas) are not explained in detail.
• The ugly: With new agreements and deals being made throughout the course of the season, we’re always a year behind with just the previous summer’s ByLaws version in our hands.

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THE RULES

We’re trying to filter the discussion-relevant stuff from a 200-pageish rulebook here, hoping to shed some light on the framework of the Euroleague licencing procedure.

The basic structure is the following. There are three types of licences:

• A) Up to 14 multiyear A-licences. In 2009, the clubs were ranked by domestic and international results, TV ratings and arena attendance (2002-2009 performance – Appendix I), leading to 13 A-licence-clubs (including Virtus Roma, which was relegated for finishing in the bottom half of their domestic league table). The basic promotion/relegation process to and from the block of A-licence teams will start with the 2012/13 season, but what exactly it bases on (three-year-ranking or a continuation of the above mix) continues to be subject of debate. Anyway, there will be rather little rotation among the roster of Euroleague A-licence clubs.
• B) Eight or nine (depending on the number of A-licence clubs) clubs will directly qualify for the regular season through domestic results. An additional eight (previously 16, but not anymore) go to the preliminaries, where one advances to the regular season. The B-licence-allocation is organised in a country ranking (see Appendix II).
• C) A one year licence for the Euroleague winner. If the Euroleague winner is already qualified via A- (as has been the case ever since the establishment of the new system) or B-licence, the EuroCup winner takes the C-licence. If the same is the case for the EuroCup winner, the Euroleague hands out a wild card.

Here are what we consider relevant passages from the rulebook.

GENERAL

Article 3. Euroleague Licences

ECA will grant up to 24 licences to operate teams in the Euroleague.

There will not be more than five licences granted to the clubs from the same country or League under any circumstance.

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A-LICENCE

A-licence allocation:

Article 4. Criteria for Allocating A Licences

ECA may grant up to 14 A Licences to the clubs that comply with the following criteria:

4.1. The club is ranked in the Ranking for Allocating A Licences (Appendix I) according to the following criteria:

a) Sports results
b) Revenues from audiovisual rights generated from the club’s home market
c) In arena attendance at the club’s home games

Appendix I: 2009 A-Licence Ranking (Based on 2002-2009 data)

Three year ranking (results here)

Also of relevance:

4.3. Use of an arena with a minimum capacity for 10,000 seated spectators, with all necessary technical elements duly approved for the game of basketball, as well as all other requirements demanded in the corresponding regulations.

With the following addition:

Rules for the 2009-2010 to 2011-2012 Seasons

The minimum capacity of the arena mentioned in Article 4.3 will not be required until the 2012-2013 season. During this transitory period the Clubs may use an arena with a minimum capacity for 5,000 seated spectators. Notwithstanding the above, the transitory period may exceptionally be extended if the Clubs certify that their project to build an arena with the required capacity is in its execution phase (on the understanding that the project has the approval of the corresponding authorities).

A-licence cancellation:

Article 6. Cancellation or Suspension of the A Licence Contract

6.1. ECA has the right to cancel the licence, or temporarily suspend it at its own discretion, for one of the following reasons:

6.1.1. The Club has the lowest ranking of all Clubs with an A Licence.

6.1.2. The Club has stopped fulfilling the requirements established in these Licensing Rules or for any other reason provided by the relevant Licence Contract.

6.1.3. The Club fails to comply with its duties as set down in the agreements and commitments entered into by the Club with the Companies, or prevents or obstructs the fulfilment of contracts entered into by the Companies with third parties, including but not limited to the Audiovisual Rights Agreements and Sponsorship Agreements, or fails to comply with the economic control rules approved by the General Assembly.

6.1.4. If, in the season that has just finished, the team has ranked among the teams placed in the bottom half of the National Championship final standings.

6.1.5. In the case that, during two consecutive seasons, a Club does not manage to sell the equivalent to 80% of the minimum capacity of
the arena throughout the Euroleague season as established in the Bylaws. For the purposes of this article, it will be taken into account that the sale is effective, full-price, and according to a reasonable pricing policy.

A-licence substitution:

Article 7. Substitution of a Club

When a vacancy arises among the Clubs with, or having the right to, an A Licence for any of the reasons mentioned in the preceding article or any other reasons, the Shareholders Executive Board may propose the following to the General Assembly:

a) The substitution for the club that has the highest ranking of clubs without an A Licence according to Appendix I. In all cases, the new club must fulfil all other requirements established in these Licensing Rules for obtaining an A Licence; or

b) The substitution of the place for a B Licence, definitively or
temporarily; or

c) The substitution of the place for a wild card, which will be granted to the club that the General Assembly considers appropriate at its own discretion and for the period that it deems necessary.

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B-LICENCE

Eight or nine B-licences will be awarded for direct Euroleague qualification for the upcoming Euroleague season. Another eight will participate in the Euroleague qualifiers.

Article 8. B Licences

Each year ECA will grant B Licences to the clubs whose teams have won their National Championship in the previous season according to the place that their country occupies in the Country Ranking elaborated by ECA (Appendix II). Additionally, ECA may grant licences to the clubs ranked in the second or third place of their National Championship according to the place that their country occupies in the Country Ranking.

Appendix II: B-Licence Ranking

The country ranking was consistent during the three-year-transitional period but will be updated every season from now on.

The Country Ranking will be updated every season upon the basis of the sports results of the clubs from each country in the European club competitions.

Unfortunately, that is as detailed as they go. We don’t know what the exact criteria are, hence there’s no certainty whatsoever about next season’s B-licence ranking. We’re left guessing and interpreting the rare statements the Euroleague CEO has made in recent months.

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C-LICENCE

Article 10. C Licence

ECA will grant the Euroleague champion a one-year licence for participating in the Euroleague in the upcoming season, provided that the Euroleague champion does not hold an A or B Licence.

ECA will grant the Eurocup champion a one-year licence for participating in the Euroleague in the upcoming season, provided that the Euroleague champion from the previous season already holds an A or B Licence.

[...]

In the case that the Euroleague champion and the Eurocup champion both hold an A or B Licence, the Shareholders Executive Board will propose the allocation of a wild card to the General Assembly.

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THE NEWS

We’ve read a few things in recent weeks, but there’s probably more out there in local media. Let’s make this a collective effort.

• That Germany will receive a second B-Licence qualification round spot. This is hardly the 35th spot that Germany currently holds in the ranking, but a significantly higher spot, one that can be sold as an actual “qualification round” spot. Speculation: In place of Greece #3? Or has the ranking been completely reorganised?
• That the Adriatic League will have two direct qualification spots and one qualifying round spot, plus, that those would be Adriatic League spots. So far we’ve had spots for the Serbian, Croatian and Slovenian teams (see Appendix II). Significant downgrading.

This is a bit of a simplification, since very few spots are going to lead to a definite full- or qualification round spot. Domestic league results determine the ranking results.

This one is official: Modification of the qualifying tournament from 16 participants and two qualification spots to eight participants and one qualification spot.

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THE INTERPRETATION

The old ranking. Whether Asseco Prokom, EA Milano, both, or neither of both currently hold an A-licence may not even matter, if both qualify via B-licence. I suspect that Milano currently holds an A-licence (based on this) but may be relegated before the season for being bottom of all 13 A-licence-clubs.

Here’s a list where a possible season outcome is applied to the current (soon to be outdated?) ranking. Who finishes in the relevant spots in countries where no A-licence is in play doesn’t really matter, since there are no consequences for the ranking itself.

There’s only so much we can do at this point.

Edit: The new B-Licence ranking is out. Meanwhile, Prokom keeps its A-Licence.

This is a highly probable outcome: