Proclamation of the 2nd Winter Amateur Men’s Basketball Championship, Limassol 2024-2025
Article 1 – General – Scope of Regulations
This Proclamation outlines the format for the 2nd Limassol Men’s Amateur Basketball Winter Championship and the necessary procedures and regulations that participating teams must adhere to. The Championship is aimed at amateur athletes, with its main goals being the promotion of basketball and providing an opportunity for amateur athletes to participate in basketball games.
The tournament will be based on the principles of transparency, ethics, consensus, and fair play.
Article 2 – Standard References
In addition to the provisions of this Proclamation, the Championship will also take into account the following regulations and legislation (the latest version of these documents always applies):
- General Regulations of the Cyprus Basketball Federation.
Article 3 – Team Participation Rights
Teams with amateur basketball players are eligible to participate in the Championship, provided they have submitted their registration by June 30, 2024.
Participating teams must submit their roster with all their basketball players in advance, attaching copies of their identity cards. The list of players for each team must include a maximum of twenty (20) players. The roster must be submitted to the Championship’s Board of Directors no later than fifteen (15) days before the official start of the Championship (i.e., before the date of the first game of the season) to receive the relevant approval.
All team rosters will be reviewed and approved by the Winter Championship’s Board of Directors. The board may refuse a player’s participation if it deems they do not meet the Participation Regulations, and the team must replace them if necessary. The Board of Directors may, at its own discretion, reject any player it deems appropriate for competitive purposes or any other reason, for the good of the Championship.
During the Championship, teams are not allowed to use players who have not been declared on their roster and received approval by the end of the season. At no point is a change to a team’s roster permitted.
Note: In case of exceptional circumstances (e.g., a team having an unusually high number of injuries or injuries in a single position), the Board of Directors may, at its discretion, allow the replacement of one or more players on a team’s roster.
Article 4 – Player Participation
Players participating in the Championship:
- Must have completed their 29th year of age before the official start of the Championship, i.e., before the date of the first game of the season.
- Are not allowed to be paid for their participation in the Winter Championship. This offense is punishable with a lifetime ban from the Winter Championship for the player and a one-year ban for the team.
- Are not allowed to play for more than one team in the Winter Championship (including men’s teams in other cities) during the same season, whether as a player or coach.
- Must have a valid and current KOA Health Certificate.
- Must be registered on the player list of the team they are playing for before the championship begins.
- Must not have participated in the A’ Division of the Cyprus Basketball Federation Championship (Basket League) in the last 5 years (the last five seasons).
- Must not have participated in any professional league of another country in the last 5 years (the last five seasons). Players who have participated in leagues in other countries must inform the Championship’s Board of Directors.
- Each team has the right to include a maximum of 3 players who have participated in the A’ Division of the Cyprus Basketball Federation Championship (Basket League) and/or other professional leagues in other countries, provided more than 5 years have passed since their last participation. Players who have played in the A’ Division of the Cyprus Basketball Federation Championship and are over 50 years of age are not included in this category and have the right to participate like any other player.
- Each team has the right to include a maximum of 3 players who participated in the B2 Division of the Cyprus Basketball Federation Championship in the previous season.
- The total number of players from the two previous categories combined can be a maximum of 5 players.
- Players who participated in the B1 division of the Cyprus Basketball Federation Championship in the previous season are not eligible to participate.
Article 5 – Board of Directors – Team Managers
The Board of Directors operates according to the statute of the Approved Association registered with the Registrar of Associations under the name “The Winter” Amateur Basketball Association. Each team must designate a Team Manager and a substitute. The members of the Board of Directors, as well as the Team Managers and their substitutes, must serve as role models for the other participants.
Article 6 – Tournament Format
A total of 7 teams will participate in the Championship. Games will be held daily from Monday to Friday, starting at 6:30 PM. The first game for all teams will take place during the week of November 25 – 29, 2024.
Regular Season
The Championship will be held in two rounds, and all teams will play each other over 14 rounds. The team that finishes in 7th place will be eliminated from the tournament and cannot participate in the playoffs. Based on the teams’ final standings, the playoffs will be held as single games, as follows:
Quarter-final Phase
- Quarter-final A: 3rd ranked Team vs. 6th ranked Team
- Quarter-final B: 4th ranked Team vs. 5th ranked Team
The winners of the above matchups, along with the teams that finished in 1st and 2nd place in the Regular Season, will advance to the semifinal phase (Final Four), as shown below.
Semifinal Phase (Final Four)
- 1st ranked Team vs. Winner of Quarter-final B
- 2nd ranked Team vs. Winner of Quarter-final A
Small Final
Upon completion of the semifinal phase, the Small Final of the Championship will be held as a single game between the losers of the semifinal games.
Grand Final
Upon completion of the semifinal phase, the Grand Final of the Championship will be held as a single game between the winners of the semifinal games.
Match Postponements
The game schedule is BINDING for every team once it is announced. Teams do NOT have the right to postpone games. The games, times, and dates are binding after their announcement and cannot be changed for any reason. In exceptional cases, the day, time, and venue of a game may be changed, but only with the consent of the Championship’s organizing authority.
Article 7 – Courts
Games will be held at courts that each team has secured for its home games. Any cost for the use of the courts will be covered by the home team. All teams must have secured their own home court.
At this time, the following courts have been secured:
- Zakaki Gymnasium
- Episkopi Gymnasium
- Trachoni Gymnasium
- Polemidia Gymnasium
- 3rd Lyceum of Agios Ioannis
The venues for the Semifinal and Final phases will be decided by the Board of Directors based on court availability and cost. In case of unavailability of courts for home games, a decision may be made to hold the game at the court of another team in the Championship. Additionally, if needed, other courts may be used for the purposes of the Championship, either free of charge or for a fee.
Article 8 – Game Procedures
Each tournament game will use two (2) professional referees and two (2) table officials.
All games must be played with a 24-second shot clock for each possession. An electronic scoreboard will be used to keep the score, along with a 24-second clock. A professional nurse must be present at every game.
Statistics will be kept for the performance of all players in the Championship, including stats for points, offensive-defensive rebounds, blocks, steals, and assists. The statistics will be kept via an electronic platform and will be available online to all participating teams. All players must be registered on this platform at their own expense. The annual registration costs 3 euros and is paid directly to the Swish administrator.
Article 9 – Disciplinary Offenses / Penalties
- A team that does not appear for a scheduled game is penalized with a forfeit (20-0 loss). A team that does not appear for a second scheduled game in the same season is also disqualified from the playoff phase. In the case of a team not appearing for a playoff game, the team forfeits and is excluded from the remainder of the Championship. The Board of Directors will decide on that team’s participation in the next season.
- Player ejection due to behavior or unsportsmanlike conduct (e.g., altercation with an opponent, referee, or official): The player is suspended for the next game of their team if they have been ejected with a disqualifying foul (D).
- Irregular player participation: Forfeit of the team in that specific game and in any other games in which the player participated irregularly.
- Repeated irregular player participation: The team is expelled from the Championship. In this case, the organizing authority will decide whether to replace the team with one of the alternates or to continue with one fewer team. If a replacement is not made, the remaining games will be awarded to their opponents with a score of 20-0.
- Team withdrawal or expulsion from the Championship: In this case, the organizing authority will decide whether to replace the team with one of the alternates or to continue with one fewer team. If a replacement is not made, the remaining games will be awarded to their opponents with a score of 20-0.
- Altercation between teams: Forfeit of both teams in that specific game. In the case of a second incident, the team is expelled from the Championship.
- Any other case of a disciplinary offense not foreseen above: The penalty is decided on a case-by-case basis by the representatives of the organization and applies to any subsequent repetition of that offense.
Article 10 – Transparency
The financial data of the organization (Statement of Income/Expenses) will be made available to all participating teams during the Championship.
Article 11 – Participating Teams
- Apollon Heat
- Art Eat Katholiki B.C.
- Arthouros Basketball
- Limassol Pistols
- Moufflons BC
- Omega
- Trachoni BC
Article 12 – Participation Cost / Financial Management / Transparency
The cost of participation in the Championship is €1200 per team, which is intended to cover the cost of organizing the Championship. The Participation Fee per team must be paid in advance to the Treasurer of the Board of Directors before the start of the Championship, by November 25, 2024. The financial management will be handled by the Winter Championship Board of Directors, and the financial data will be made available to all participating teams through their Team Representatives during the Championship.
Any surplus at the end of the tournament may be returned to the teams or donated to any non-profit or charitable cause upon the decision of the participating teams, or it may remain in the Association’s reserve for the following year.
Article 13 – Miscellaneous
Communication activities for the organization of the Championship will be carried out, including promotion through social media channels and the Winter Championship website, as well as other media outlets, with the support of the Winter Basketball Championship.
The voluntary contribution of team members to various aspects related to the organization of the Championship is encouraged wherever there is a need.
After the Championship, trophies and medals will be awarded to the teams and players who finish in the top three positions.
