I. GENERAL CONDITIONS
1. The rules of the current Regulations apply for the tournament Baltic Cup 2023.
2. The Baltic Cup is a competition of the best seniors’ basketball teams from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in different age and gender categories.
3. The number of participating countries is not limited. Competition system and additional participating countries (*wild cards p. IV) ) are decided by the respective Organizer of the Baltic Cup and approved by other Parties.
4. Representatives of countries:
- Estonia – Esto Maxibasket
- Latvia – Association “Basketball Club “Vecmeistari””
- Lithuania – Lithuanian Veterans Basketball League (LKVL)
5. Organizer of Baltic Cup – one of the Representatives in rotation by years and by countries. Organizers of “Baltic Cup 2023″ are EstoMaxibasket (Estonia) and European Seniors Basketball Association (ESBA), as a coordinator.
II. AGE CATEGORIES
6. Age categories are as follows:
a. Women: 35, 40, 45, 50,55 and 60 years and over;
b. Men: 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 and 75 years and over
7. Age determined at December 31, 2023.
8. Representatives of countries are responsible of a fair play what concerns to an eligibility of the players to play in the respective age category and in the respective team.
III. PARTICIPANTS
9. Men teams:
a. The rights to participate in “Baltic Cup 2023″ belong to the Champions of the Championships of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania of the corresponding age category in season 2022/2023;
b. If champion waives the rights to participate, the vice-champion takes over the rights;
c. A team has consisted of the players who played in that team in season 2022/2023. Only two players could be added from the other team/teams.Only one younger player (max 1 year) could be added to teams of the age categories M60 and M65, two younger players (max 1 year) could be added to teams of the age categories M70 and M75.
10. Women teams:
a. The first hand rights to participate in Baltic Cup 2023 belong to the Champions of the Championships of the corresponding country in season 2022/2023
b. If champion waives the rights to participate or any of participant country hadn’t organized the Championship between women teams in season 2022/2023, the Representative has the rights to delegate to the Baltic Cup the national team of the corresponding age category.
c. Only two younger players (max 2 years) could be added to the respective age category.
IV. WILD CARD SYSTEM IN BALTIC CUP 2023
11. Who can qualify for a *wildcard?
a. The teams from any country are acceptable;
b. If there are no candidates from other countries, a second team from the host country is acceptable.
c. If any of the teams from Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania refuses to participate, an additional wildcard will be available.
V. COMPOSITION OF TEAM
12. Each team may compose of 7 up to 15 players (no more than 12 players for the game).
VI. COMPETITION FORMAT
13. At least 2 teams have to apply in each age category, with a maximum of 4.
4-team format: Teams are playing Semi-Finals and the Finals:
Pair I of Semi-Final: Estonia vs *wild card
Pair II of Semi-Final: Latvia vs Lithuania;
3-team format: Teams play each other: guests play in two days (one game per day), host team plays two games on Saturday;
2-team format: Teams play each other twice on Friday and Saturday or only one full time game on Saturday (by mutual agreement of parties)
*in case of non-defined situations, Estonian Organizer has rights to choose a competition format.
VII. CLASSIFICATION OF TEAMS
14. The classification of teams in the tournament takes place according to the rules:
a. win-loss records – two (2) points for each game won, one (1) point for each game lost (including lost by default) and zero (0) points for a game lost by forfeit
b. If there are two (2) or more teams in the classification with equal points, the result(s) of the game(s) between the teams involved will be used to determine the placing.
c. If the points and the goal average in the games between the two (2) or more teams are still the same, the classification will be determined by the goal average of all the games played in the group by each team.
15. A team which, without valid reason, fails to show up for a scheduled game or withdraws from the playing court before the end of the game, shall lose the game by forfeit and receive zero (0) points in the classification.
VIII. PLAYING RULES
16. Basic playing rules:
a. Warm-up – 15 minutes
b. Playing time – 4 x 8 minute quarters, except games for 2-team format (VI, p.13)
c. 24 second clock will be used
d. Half-time interval – 10 minutes
e. Intervals between 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters – 2 minutes
f. Each team may request three time outs during the first and second half with a maximum of two per quarter.
g. In the event of a tie, a five minute overtime period will be played. Overtime periods will continue until a winner is determined. Overtime shall have one time-out per team. Interval between overtimes – 2 minutes.
17. Any playing rule not expressly modified herein, shall be governed by the valid Official Basketball Rules as approved by FIBA.
IX. PLAY SHIRTS COLORS
18. All teams should have two sets of competition uniforms (dark and light). The first team listed on the schedule will be designated as the home team and will wear the light colored uniforms. The second team listed on the schedule will be designated the visiting team and will wear the dark uniforms. However, if the two teams involved agree, they may interchange the colors of the shirt.
X. THE AWARDS
19. The best teams in each age and gender category shall receive a winner’s Cup.
20. Organizer has freedom to establish any number of additional awards or prizes that are not included in the Regulations.
XI. FINANCIAL CONDITIONS
21. The Tournament is open to teams which at the time of the teams’ registration paid the entry fee of EUR 300.
22. The Participation fee includes the following minimum:
a. Organizing of the games (gyms, referees, LIVE statistics, scoreboard, water during the games)
b. Trophy “Baltic Cup 2023″ for every best team in each category
c. Awarding
d. Party and catering
23. All other charges and expenses during the tournament have to be covered by own participants.
24. Participants are responsible for their own personal accident insurance. The Participation fee does not cover it.
25. All players have to sign the roll-call statement of participation in tournament about playing at their own risk.
26. The Organizer will make every effort and provide the necessary assistance in case of injury to each participant of the tournament.
27. The Organizer is not responsible for lost items during the tournament.
XII. COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA
28. Organizer have the rights to use, record, publish, broadcast and otherwise exploit in any form of media all participant performances during the “Baltic Cup 2023″.
* any rule not expressly modified herein or any exception of the rules above, shall be approved by parties in written format by emails.
