Balkan International Basketball League

Balkan League

Full name	Balkan International Basketball League
Current season	BIBL 2016/17
sport	basketball
abbreviation	BIBL
League foundation	2008
Teams	10 to 12
Country countries	Albania (2014/15) Bosnia and Herzegovina (2010–2012) Bulgaria Greece (2012/13) Israel (2011–2014) Kosovo (since 2013) Croatia (2010–2013) North Macedonia Montenegro Romania (2008–2015) Serbia ( 2008–2013) 2013)
Title holder	BK Beroe
Record champions	Hapoel Gilboa Galil , Levski Sofia and Sigal Prishtina (2 each)
TV partner	BNT World
Website	balkanleague.net

The Balkan International Basketball League ( BIBL ), also known as the Balkan League , is an international club competition between basketball teams from the south-eastern European Balkans . In contrast to the geographical definition, teams from Romania have also been taking part here since the beginning of the competition in 2008 , while teams from Turkey have not yet participated. In 2011, teams from Israel were added, while in 2012 a team from Greece also took part for the first time . In particular because of the overlapping of the participating countries from Ex- Yugoslavia and Israel in the Adriatic Basketball League , the Balkan League is also seen as the little sister of the Adriatic League . The name sponsor of the Balkan League has been the Bulgarian insurance group Eurohold since it was first held in 2008/09 . Sports Director of the League is the former FIBA - referee acted Shay Shtriks, who also serves as one of the ideas the league.

mode

The Balkan League plays a main round in two groups, where within these groups the " round robin " system is played.

Attendance numbers

Between ten teams (2008/09, 2010/11 and since 2012/13) and twelve teams (2009/10, 2011/12).

Second round / quarter finals

Up until 2010, a quarter-finals were played in a round-trip mode for the top four teams in each group. This was followed by two quarter-finals in a play-off series until 2012 , in which only the runners-up in the group competed against the thirds in the group, while the first in the group had already qualified for the final round.

In the 2012/13 season a second round was introduced, in which the three best teams in each group played a round- robin tournament against the three best teams in the other group while maintaining the results . The two teams placed at the bottom in a group played a round-robin tournament against the two worst-placed teams in the other group while maintaining the results.

In the 2013/14 season there were only nine participants who played a complete round-robin tournament as a single-track league. The two best rounds in the main round were directly qualified for the semifinals, while places three to six played a quarter-finals as in the years 2010 to 2012.

In the 2014/15 season, of two groups with five teams each, only the bottom of the group did not reach the second round. In two groups, the respective table first and fourth of one group played against the group second and third of the other group, taking the preliminary round results with them. The first in the second round of the table were directly qualified for the semi-finals, while the second of one intermediate group played against the third of the other group in the quarter-finals.

In the 2015/16 season only nine teams took part, so that in two groups only the three best in each group qualified directly for the second round. The two worst teams in the group of five determined two further participants in the second group phase against the bottom of the group of four in a qualifying tournament at the end of January. But there were no more quarter-finals, so that the two group best of each intermediate round group qualified directly for the semi-finals.

Final round

The four best teams after the second round / the quarter-finals play a “ Final Four ” tournament in the knockout system on one weekend until 2014 . The pairings result from the placements in the preliminary round (in a quarter-final mode) or from the second round. This mode is deviated from if exactly two teams come from one participating country in the semifinals. In this case, these two teams compete against each other in a semi-final. A “small final” for third place is not planned.

Since the 2014/15 season, as before, the finalists and title winners in the quarter-finals have been determined by adding the first and second leg.

Attendees

As a rule, teams from the top national leagues of the participating countries that have not qualified for the main round of a continental European club competition take part in the league. In the countries that start with their teams in the Adriatic League, the better teams take part in the Adriatic League, whereby these teams also start in continental European competitions, while the lower-placed teams can take part in the Balkan League.

With regard to the participating countries, the field of participants has so far been composed as follows:

•  Albania : one team (2014/15)
•  Bosnia and Herzegovina : one team (2010 to 2012)
•  Bulgaria : two teams (since 2011; previously three and 2009/10 four)
•  Greece : one team (2012/13)
•  Israel : one team (2011/12 two)
•  Kosovo : three teams (since 2015; 2013-15 two)
•  Croatia : one team in 2010/11 and 2012/13
•  North Macedonia : two teams (only one in 2010/11 and 2015/16)
•  Montenegro : three teams (since 2014; 2009–13 two; 2013/14 one)
•  Romania : one team (until 2012 two)
•  Serbia : one team (until 2013; three in 2008/09, two in 2009/10 and 2011/12)

Final rounds

Final Four (2009 to 2014)

2009 - Arena Samokow (March 24/25)

	Semifinals					final
	March 24th
	A2	Feni Industri Kavadarci	62
	B2	KK Rabotnički Skopje	90			25th March
						B2	Rabotnički Skopje	77
	March 24th					B1	Rilski athlete Samokov	84
	B4	Mega Vizura Belgrade	81
	B1	Rilski sportsman	83
						3rd place match
						25th March
						B4	Mega Vizura Belgrade	78
						A2	Feni Industri Kavadarci	60

2010 - Universiada Hall Sofia (April 13-15)

	Semifinals					final
	A1	KK Lovćen Cetinje	81
	B2	Feni Industri Kavadarci	74
						A1	KK Lovćen Cetinje	65
						B1	Levski Sofia	77
	A2	Cherno More Varna	76
	B1	Levski Sofia	91

2011 - Jasmin Hall Kavadarci (April 15/17)

	Semifinals					final
	A1	Levski Sofia	70
	B3	Rilski athlete Samokov	74
						B3	Rilski athlete Samokov	75
						B1	Feni Industri Kavadarci	88
	B2	KK Mornar Bar	75
	B1	Feni Industri Kavadarci	82

2012 - Gan Ner Sports Hall (April 21-23)

	Semifinals					final
	A1	Hapoel Gilboa Galil	88
	B2	Hapoel Tel Aviv	72
						A1	Hapoel Gilboa Galil	89
						B1	Levski Sofia	84
	B3	Feni Industri Kavadarci	76
	B1	Levski Sofia	86

2013 - Arena Samokow (April 19-21)

	Semifinals					final
	April 19th
	C2	Hapoel Gilboa Galil	85
	C4	Kumanovo	76			April 21
						C2	Hapoel Gilboa Galil	87
	April 19th					C1	Levski Sofia	79
	C3	Rilski athlete Samokov	74
	C1	Levski Sofia	84
						3rd place match
						April 21
						C4	Kumanovo	77
						C3	Rilski athlete Samokov	85

2014 - Pallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve Prishtina (April 25-27)

	Semifinals					final
	April 25
	3	Levski Sofia	94
	4th	Balkans Botevgrad	85			April 27
						3	Levski Sofia	75
	April 25					1	Hapoel Gilboa Galil	69
	1	Hapoel Gilboa Galil	86
	2	KB Sigal Prishtina	74
						3rd place match
						April 27
						2	KB Sigal Prishtina	73
						4th	Balkans Botevgrad	79

Return legs (since 2014)

2015 - first VF on March 10th to second final on April 29th

Quarter finals							Semifinals							final
D3	Rilski sportsman	97	101	198
C2	KK Kumanovo	85	107	192			D3	Rilski sportsman	62	82	144
							C1	KB Peja	63	66	129
														D2	KB Sigal Prishtina	74	80	154
C3	SCM Craiova	73	70	143										D3	Rilski athlete Samokov	72	71	143
D2	KB Sigal Prishtina	77	98	175			D2	KB Sigal Prishtina	85	80	165
							D1	KK Kožuv	61	86	147

2016 - first handler on March 22nd, second final on April 20th

	Semifinals							final
	D2	KK Kožuv	86	56	142
	C1	KK Mornar Bar	71	81	152
								D1	KB Sigal Prishtina	82	68	150
								C1	KK Mornar Bar	68	75	143
	C2	BK Beroe	75	75	150
	D1	KB Sigal Prishtina	89	94	183

2017 - first handler on March 21, second final on April 18

	Semifinals							final
	C1	BK Beroe	78	92	170
	D2	KK Teodo	69	56	125
								C1	BK Beroe	84	77	161
								D1	KK Kumanovo	55	73	128
	D3	KB Peja	83	80	163
	D1	KK Kumanovo	79	86	165

See also

• Basketball in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Basketball in Bulgaria
• Basketball in Greece
• Basketball in Israel
• Basketball in Kosovo
• Basketball in Croatia
• Basketball in North Macedonia
• Basketball in Montenegro
• Basketball in Romania
• Basketball in Serbia

Web links

• EUROHOLD Balkan League Official regulations - Competition rules
• Balkan League Basketball, Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Standings - Information about the Balkan League on the websites of eurobasket.com (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ NN: Balkan Basketball League To Be Created. On: Ball in Europe website; Dublin, undated in 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2019 (in English).