Euroleague plans to change 0-20 games retrospectively
The Euroleague and EuroCup decided to propose a modification to Article 6 of the Special Regulations that regulate the consequences of teams not having at least eight players fit to play in any given game due to COVID-19.
Until now, that resulted in a 0-20 forfait, but that is about to change. Not only for the future but also retrospectively!
In an official press release Euroleague Basketball, the governing body for both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup competitions, states:
The rule established that “If one or more players/coaching staff/team followers of a club test positive for COVID-19, the game will take place as scheduled unless the national or local authorities of one or both clubs involved or of the place where the game will be held (in case of a neutral country) require a large group of players or the entire team to go into quarantine. If at least eight players on the Authorisation List are fit to play, the game must go ahead on the scheduled date and location. The club that cannot play the game will be held responsible for the game not taking place, and the Disciplinary Judge will declare that its team loses by the result of zero to twenty (0-20) and, when applicable, the playoff series. A recidivism originated from or due to positive tests in a team will not entail the disqualification from the competition.
If the national or local authorities of one or both clubs involved or of the place where the game will be held (in case of a neutral country) prevent a team from participating in a game, despite having at least eight players on the Authorisation List fit to play, the Disciplinary Judge will declare that this team loses by the result of zero to twenty (0-20) and, when applicable, the playoff series.”
Euroleague Basketball will propose a modification of this article to the ECA Shareholders Executive Board and EuroCup Board, aligning the consequences of such a situation to those of games that are prevented from being played due to travel restrictions imposed by local or national authorities.
As a result, teams unable to count on at least eight players to play a game due to COVID-19 positives would see the relevant game(s) suspended and rescheduled to a later date. Existing rules (maximum of three reschedules for any given game, deadlines to reschedule games, etc.) will mirror those applied to travel restriction situations.
If approved, the modification will apply retrospectively to those games that have not been played to date due to this reason and empower the Euroleague Basketball CEO to reschedule the six games that have not been played to a future date.