NEW FORMAT. Premier Volleyball League Commissioner Sherwin Malonzo speaks during the press launch of the league's 2024 Season at the Discovery Suites Ortigas on Wednesday (Feb. 14, 2024). A new fair play recognition system will be implemented in the All-Filipino Conference which will kick off on Feb. 20 at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. (PNVF photo)
MANILA - The Premier Volleyball League is implementing a new fair play recognition system in the All-Filipino Conference which will kick off on Feb. 20 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Players who voluntarily acknowledge a block touch or a net touch will get wild cards, simplifying the adjudication process and reducing the need for unnecessary video challenges.
Commissioner Sherwin Malonzo said the league will also go back to the former eight and 16 technical timeouts, each lasting one minute, along with regular timeouts lasting 30 seconds.
Players will also be required to stay on the court during video challenges, preventing them from talking to coaches during disputes.
“We're bringing back the 8 and 16 technical timeouts (1 minute each) and the regular timeouts (30 seconds),” Malonzo said.
Meanwhile, the league organized by Sports Vision will hold its first annual draft immediately following the All-Filipino Conference.
The draft order for the bottom four teams will be determined through a lottery, with the remaining teams likely to be allocated positions based on their standings in the season-opening conference.
The league is still finalizing the detailed regulations, which will be presented to member teams.
“We'll just create a formula based on that. We're also considering a lottery for the bottom four. So, not just because you're No. 12, you get the automatic first pick. The basic eligibility rule for one to qualify for the draft is she has to be 21 years old on the day of the drafting,” Malonzo said.
The All-Filipino Conference will have a single round-robin eliminations with the top four teams moving to the semifinal round, which is another round-robin phase.
The championship is a best-of-three series. In case of a tie for the second final slot, a playoff will be held. There will be no playoffs in the eliminations but ties will be resolved using the FIVB system of classification. (PNA)
