FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. WHAT IS THE CANADIAN ELITE BASKETBALL LEAGUE (CEBL)?

 

The Canadian Elite Basketball League is Canada’s largest professional sports league and the only professional basketball league in North America affiliated with FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and Canada Basketball. It is basketball’s version of the Canadian Football League, playing one tier below the NBA.

 

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. CEBL players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS.

2.  WHEN WAS THE CEBL ESTABLISHED?

 

The CEBL’s inaugural season was in 2019, but the league was officially established October 25, 2017, when the concept was registered as a national league running during the spring and summer months with FIBA rules. On May 2, 2018, the original six teams were announced (Edmonton Stingers, Fraser Valley Bandits, Guelph Nighthawks, Hamilton Honey Badgers, Niagara River Lions and Saskatchewan Rattlers) with a 20-game regular season schedule starting in 2019.

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3. WHO ARE THE CEBL’S PARTNERS?

 

The CEBL’s official founding partners are:.

For a full list of current CEBL partners or to enquire about CEBL partnership opportunities, please visit cebl.ca/partnerships.


4. HOW MANY TEAMS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE CEBL?

 

The CEBL currently has 10 teams in numerous major sports markets across Canada. There are five teams in the Eastern Conference (Brampton Honey Badgers, Montreal Alliance, Niagara River Lions, Ottawa BlackJacks and Scarborough Shooting Stars) and five teams in the Western Conference (Calgary Surge, Edmonton Stingers, Saskatchewan Rattlers, Vancouver Bandits and Winnipeg Sea Bears).

5. HOW MANY GAMES ARE IN A CEBL SEASON AND WHEN ARE THEY PLAYED?

 

Each team plays a 20-game regular season schedule and up to four playoff games. The CEBL season tips off in mid-May following an eight-day training camp period. The regular season ends around the first of August with single-game knockout playoff rounds to follow. The 2024 Championship Weekend is scheduled for mid-August at Verdun Auditorium in Montreal, home of the Montreal Alliance.

 

For the CEBL’s full schedule, please visit cebl.ca/schedule.

6. WHAT IS THE CEBL’S PLAYOFF FORMAT?

 

At the conclusion of the 100-game regular season schedule, the top four ranked teams in each conference make the CEBL playoffs. The fifth-ranked team in each conference is eliminated from playoff contention unless the host team for Championship Weekend places fifth in their conference, in which case the fourth-ranked team in that conference is eliminated. The host team and the first-place team in the opposing conference get automatic byes to Championship Weekend.

 

The first round of the CEBL Playoffs features Play-In games between the third and fourth-ranked teams in each conference after the host team has been advanced to Championship Weekend.

 

Winners of the Play-In games advance to the Conference Semifinals and play the second-ranked team in their respective conferences.

 

Conference Semifinal winners play their respective conference team already seeded in the Conference Finals at Championship Weekend.

 

The one-game CEBL Championship Final take places between the two Conference Final winners at Championship Weekend.

7.  WHAT IS THE CEBL’S PLAYOFF TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURE?

 

When two or more CEBL clubs are tied in the final conference standings at the conclusion of the regular season schedule, preferential ranking for playoff purposes shall be determined based on the following priorities and shall be awarded to the CEBL club which:

 

a)  Has won the greater number of games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or


b) Has scored the higher net aggregate of points (i.e., points scored for less points scored against) in games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or


c) Has scored the higher net quotient of points (i.e., points scored for divided by points scored against) in games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or


d) Has scored the higher net aggregate of points in games played against all CEBL Clubs; or


e) Has scored the higher net quotient of points in games played against all CEBL Clubs; or


f) Has won a coin toss against the other tied CEBL Club.

 

In the event of a tie involving three or more teams, the above tie-breaking criteria are applied one after another until all tied teams have been ranked. This means if the criteria from a) above determines Team X as the higher seed and there is still a tie between teams Y and Z, then the ranking of the remaining teams will be determined by the criteria in b) or c) and so on, if necessary.

8. WHAT IS CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND?

 

Championship Weekend is an annual CEBL celebration event featuring four finalists, including the host team, competing to win the league championship trophy. The event consists of two Conference Final games and the CEBL Championship Game, along with the CEBL Awards, a concert lineup showcasing top musical performers, minor basketball events and an array of activities designed to engage a cross-section of the local community.

 

Montreal will host Championship Weekend in 2024. More details on tickets and general event information can be found at cebl.ca/championshipweekend or by following the CEBL’s Championship Weekend social media account @CEBLCW on Instagram and Twitter.

 

Previous host cities of Championship Weekend include Saskatoon (2019), Edmonton (2021), Ottawa (2022) and Vancouver (2023). The 2023 CEBL Championship Weekend crowned the Scarborough Shooting Stars as the new league champions, with all three weekend contests played in front of sellout crowds of 5,000 fans at Langley Events Centre.

9. WHAT IS TARGET SCORE?

 

Target Score Explained:

  • The first time the game clock is stopped with 4:00 minutes or less in the 4th quarter of each game, timed play will end and a Target Score will be set, equal to the leading team's score plus nine (+9). EXAMPLE: At the stoppage, if the game's score is 77-71 then the Target Score after adding 9 points is 86
  • The first team to reach the Target Score wins the game
  • The shot clock will remain intact and used for the entire duration of the 4th quarter of the game as it normally would be
  • The Target Score will be displayed in plain sight on each end of the court and on the broadcast

 

Intent of Target Score:

  • Eliminate/reduce deliberate fouling by the trailing defense
  • Eliminate/reduce stalling by the leading offense
  • Eliminate/reduce rushed/sloppy possessions by the trailing offense
  • Provide greater hope for late comebacks
  • Provide more memorable game-ending moments
  • Eliminate late-game clock controversies and reviews

10. HOW CAN I WATCH THE GAMES?

 

There are a few ways to watch CEBL games:

 

  1. Through the CEBL’s official broadcast partner TSN, Canada’s Sports Leader. All games are streamed live via TSN’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform, TSN+, and they also provide live national broadcast coverage of CEBL Game of the Week selections and all playoff and championship games.
  2. Through the CEBL’s international OTT platform, CEBL+ powered By BetVictor, home to every CEBL game live and on demand.

11. HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE CEBL?

 

More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on InstagramTwitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

12. HOW CAN I BUY TICKETS?

 

Tickets for Championship Weekend are available at cebl.ca/championshipweekend. The direct link for tickets to Championship Weekend in Montreal in 2024 is cebl.ca/CW24-Tickets.

 

Tickets for every team are available on each team’s website. Please visit cebl.ca/tickets for direct links for each team’s ticketing information.

13. HOW CAN I BUY MERCHANDISE?

 

Merchandise information for every team is available on each team’s website. Please visit cebl.ca/shop for direct links to each team’s online store.

14. WHERE DO CEBL PLAYERS COME FROM?

 

CEBL players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS.

 

Canadian talent in the league is also front and centre as the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian.

15. HOW MANY PLAYERS ARE ON CEBL ROSTERS?

 

There can be a maximum of 14 total players on a CEBL roster with each team’s active rosters consisting of a maximum of 12 players and a minimum of 10 players.

 

There is a maximum of three American players on an active roster and a maximum of six American players overall on a team’s 14-man roster.

 

Each active roster must have either an international player or an active U SPORTS developmental player.

 

A club may carry multiple international and/or developmental players on their 14-man roster but one of those must be listed on their active roster for each game. A club may also choose to list both an international player and developmental player on their active roster.

 16. DOES THE CEBL HAVE AN ENTRY DRAFT?


Beginning in 2024, the newly rebranded and expanded ‘CEBL Draft’ will serve as the league’s annual entry draft for eligible Canadian U SPORTS and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) student-athletes.


The CEBL Draft, to be held annually in the spring, will consist of three rounds and 30 players selected in total with each club making three selections (one in each round) of either returning or graduating Canadian post-secondary players. The priority of selection in round one will be in the reverse order of how each team finished the previous regular season, and the following rounds will revert to a ‘snake format’ in reverse order of the previous round.


All draft selections are classified as developmental players (recognized Canadians with experience as a student-athlete with remaining eligibility). CEBL teams are incentivized to have developmental players on their active roster as up to a maximum of three will not count against a club’s per game active roster salary cap.


The Draft presents a coveted opportunity for top Canadian post-secondary players to get a chance to experience professional basketball by practicing and playing alongside veteran pro basketball players from the NBA, NBA G League, Canadian National team, and top international leagues.


The 2023 CEBL U Sports Draft took place in April and saw 20 players selected from 17 Canadian universities.

17.  HOW CAN I TRACK PLAYER TRANSACTIONS?

 

Every player transaction is logged on CEBL.ca at cebl.ca/transactions. You can also frequently visit CEBL.ca and follow @cebleague on InstagramTwitter & Facebook for up-to-date news on team rosters and player signings.

18. HAVE ANY CEBL PLAYERS GRADUATED OR GONE BACK TO PLAY IN THE NBA?

 

Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year, including 27 in 2023.


19. WHICH TEAM HAS WON THE MOST CEBL CHAMPIONSHIPS?

 

The Edmonton Stingers won back-to-back CEBL Championships in 2020 and 2021 and are currently the only team with multiple league championship wins.

 

The full list of CEBL champions is as follows:

 

2019 – Saskatchewan Rattlers

2020 – Edmonton Stingers

2021 – Edmonton Stingers

2022 – Hamilton Honey Badgers

2023 – Scarborough Shooting Stars

20. HOW CAN I TRY OUT FOR THE CEBL?

 

The CEBL doesn't hold open tryouts, but players and/or agents can visit cebl.ca/playerprofiles to submit eligibility and connect directly with coaches and general managers across the league.

21. WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE OR HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED?

 

For more information or to connect with someone at the CEBL’s head office, please visit cebl.ca/contact

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