Frequently Asked Questions
Please click on any of the following questions to find answers to the most commonly asked queries:
The CBL provides organised 5-on-5 competitions for both newly formed and established teams looking for quality games against similar age and ability-level teams.
The league strives to run 2 different ability level classifications at each age group:
- Division 1 for the more developed and established teams and players
- Division 2 for those new to the game or still getting to grips with the basics
Teams sign up for one of the age group divisions and then play 10 games in the regular season, with up to 3 additional games in the playoffs, ultimately competing for the ‘CBL Championship’ at the end of the season.
Each division plays a regular season schedule and then a single-elimination ‘knockout’ playoff round until the last team standing are crowned CBL champs, each year.
For all age groups who have a Division 1 and Division 2 category, the league operates a promotion and relegation system, with the winning team from the regular season and winning team from the playoffs both earning promotion to Division 1, while the bottom 2 placing teams
CBL teams play anywhere between 12-18 games per season, inclusive of regular season, playoffs and cup competitions.
The CBL regular season strives to provide 12 teams per division, for an 11 game regular season schedule.
All teams compete in the CBL Cup competition, a knock-out competition that can provide up to 4 additional games for successful teams.
The top 8 teams in each division progress through to CBL Playoffs, which can provide an additional 3 games for successful teams.
Teams in Division 1 and Division 2 will likely compete against 11 other teams within their respective divisions.
It may be necessary, at the sole discretion of the league, to reduce the number of teams in a division, which would lower the number of teams within a division – however this will not impact the total number of games played within the CBL for all registered teams.
Games take place in CBL ‘hub’ venues with multiple courts to facilitate up to 24 games per week, across multiple divisions.
For the 2019/20 season, the league will manage games across the following venues:
City Sport, 124 Goswell Road, London EC1V 7DP
JFS School, The Mall, Kenton, Harrow HA3 9TE
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, Ledringham Road, London SE19 2BB
*Please note – venues may be subject to change and will be confirmed for all games prior to the start of the season.
All interested teams may sign up for the CBL, while spaces remain available, by filling out the registration form found here: https://www.cblhoops.co.uk/cbl-team-registration/
All players who would like to play in the CBL, but do not have a team, can sign up for the CBL here: https://www.cblhoops.co.uk/letmeplay/
We will then put you in touch with coaches local to you, who can help you find a team within the CBL.
The CBL runs a ‘central venue league’ system which pools resources to provide facilities, officials and competition management all for the single price of team registration.
This simply means teams do not pay extra for referees or table officials – making the CBL more accessible and cost-effective for grassroots teams all across the city.
The CBL runs a ‘central venue league’ system which pools resources to provide facilities, officials and competition management all for the single price of team registration.
This simply means teams do not pay extra for facility hire on any of their games – making the CBL more accessible and cost-effective for grassroots teams all across the city.
Team registration for the 2019/2020 season is £500 per team.
Team registration for the 2019/2020 season is £500 per team.
Running teams at the National League level are considerably more expensive than the CBL. Teams who compete within the National League typically play 18 games per season (9 home + 9 away games), but have to cover the cost of each game individually.
Typical costs for National League teams include:
- Court hire: £80-£100 per home game = £720-£900 per season
- Referees: £50-£60 per home game = £450-£540 per season
- Table Officials: £20-£30 per game = £180-£270 per season
Add to these costs, the hire of a mini-bus (and in some cases, a driver) to take the team ‘on the road’ for the away games (at an average of £100 per game/£900 per season), and you may have spent upwards of £2,500 before even thinking about kits and licensing.
The CBL provide a more economical and accessible route into organised competitions for teams. The full registration fee for the CBL is just £500 for up to 18 games* on the season, covering all referees, tables officials, facility costs and competition management, which includes trophies and medals for all playoff winners and runners-up. Depending on how the competitions play out, successful teams in the CBL could save as much as £2,000 over the course of the season in comparison with running a National League team.
The league is committed to helping build stronger club infrastructure for all of the teams within our competitions and so in addition, will be working with our clubs to improve standards both within clubs and across the league as a whole, to ensure each and every young person playing in our league has the most positive and enjoyable experience possible.
A full listing of the rules and regulations for playing in the CBL can be found here: https://www.cblhoops.co.uk/league-rules-regulations/
Yes. All players and coaches must be registered and licensed to participate within the CBL. Licensing with the CBL also provides each player and coach with an official membership with Basketball England (the National Governing Body) and insures coaches and players while participating in CBL official competitions.
You can register your players here: https://www.cblhoops.co.uk/player-license-registration/
The most frequently received queries are covered above, however, if you have question that isn’t covered by any of the answers above – please get in touch with us here: https://www.cblhoops.co.uk/contact-cbl/
