The Romanian Basketball Federation (FRB) and the clubs in the National Men’s Basketball League have come to an agreement regarding the new competition regulations. Starting in the 2026-2027 season, teams will be allowed to register a maximum of six foreign players on their rosters and must include at least one local player on the court at all times.
As of July 21, with teams finalizing their rosters, the FRB had not yet announced the Specific Regulations for the National Men’s Basketball League. Recent discussions included a serious consideration for introducing a rule favoring players from the European Union.
Initially, the FRB proposed that National League teams could have a maximum of five non-EU players, along with the requirement for each team to feature at least one national team player from the EU on the court at all times.
“This is the FRB’s proposal. It is not a rule yet. It is a starting point, following the Constitutional Court’s decision. We are waiting for the clubs’ feedback by July 9,” stated Carmen Tocală, the president of the FRB, on July 3.
New League Rule: Maximum of 6 Foreign Players with One Local Player Required
The clubs in the Romanian championship rejected this initial proposal, advocating for a rule that disregarded the origin of foreign players. They sought to allow teams to register up to six foreign players while requiring that one local player be on the court at all times.
Following discussions that extended into mid-July, the FRB accepted the clubs’ proposal, establishing the new rule allowing six foreign players plus one local player on the court consistently.
U-BT Cluj-Napoca officially announced the new regulations on their website, stating that the decision was made during the FRB Board meeting on July 20. Teams will be able to register six foreign players on both their expanded rosters and game sheets, with the exception of clubs participating in European competitions, which will be allowed to register seven foreign players on their expanded roster and six on the game sheet.
Similar to the previous season, U-BT will not compete in the regular season but will directly enter the playoffs. The LNBM will start with 14 teams, with the top six qualifying directly for the playoffs. Teams ranked 7-10 will compete in a play-in for the last playoff spot.
The first phase of the championship will take place from October 3, 2026, to April 16, 2027, while the playoffs are scheduled from April 21 to June 6, 2027. The Romanian Cup will occur from February 17 to 21, 2027.
