The Azerbaijan Basketball Federation (ABF) has announced the new regulations and key modifications for the 2026/27 Azerbaijan Basketball League (ABL) season.
As reported by Offsideplus.az, the new season will officially tip off on October 3, 2026. Sabah, Landau Lions, Ganja, and Neftchi, who finished in the top four places last season, will represent Azerbaijan in European club competitions.
Key Highlights of the New Regulations:
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Tournament Format: The championship will feature 8 clubs competing over 3 rounds, totaling 21 rounds. The first two rounds will follow the traditional home-away system. In the third round, the team positioned higher in the standings after the first two rounds will grant home-court advantage.
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Play-In Stage: The teams finishing the regular season in the top two spots will advance directly to the semifinals. Meanwhile, the clubs placing 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th will compete in the Play-In stage (best-of-three series) for the remaining two semifinal spots.
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Semifinals and Finals: These stages will be played in a best-of-five series, where the team securing 3 victories will advance to the next stage (or claim the championship).
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Play-Out and Elite Relegation: The clubs finishing the season in the bottom two places (7th and 8th) will face each other in a single-game Play-Out match to retain their spot in the league.
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Participating Clubs: Sabah, Landau Lions, Ganja, Neftchi, Sheki, Nakhchivan, Ordu, and NTD. Should any club face documentation or licensing issues, invitation processes will begin for teams that finished 9th–12th last season.
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Local Player Roster Limit: The "4+1" foreign player limit from the previous season remains in effect for the upcoming ABL games. According to the regulations, teams must ensure that at least 1 local basketball player is on the court at all times during a game.
Additionally, every club must register a minimum of 5 local players with the federation before the start of the season. This rule aims to increase the game practice of domestic players and build a broader player pool for the national teams.
