Smart-Gilas agrees to new PBA rules June Navarro Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 04, 2009
MANILA, Philippines - A new set of rules acceptable to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas will be implemented by the Philippine Basketball Association in the ongoing stint of the Smart Gilas Pilipinas National Team in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup.
SBP executive director Noli Eala said all the games by the 10 PBA ballclubs against the Nationals would no longer reflect in the team standings but got the assurance from the pro league that teams are bound to deliver the same intensity they used to display during regular matches.
Although games will still be played for 48 minutes of 12 minutes each per quarter, Eala and PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios both agreed that Fiba (International Basketball Federation) guidelines should be applied after the league used PBA rules on the first three matches of Gilas.
Fiba rules allow only 40 minutes of 10 minutes each for every quarter.
“Everything has been cleared for Smart Gilas to resume its guest stint in the PBA,'' said Eala.
The new set of guidelines, which will be imposed when Gilas meets the Coca-Cola Tigers Friday at Araneta Coliseum, has nullified the victories of Burger King, Talk N Text and Barangay Ginebra against the national squad and rendered the remaining games non-bearing.
``We are thankful to commissioner Sonny (Barrios) for ensuring that the games will be played under conditions and terms of engagement, which will not only be competitive and exciting but also totally helpful and in line with the objectives of the national team program,'' said Eala.
Aside from imposing Fiba rules on the Gilas-PBA exhibition matches, the pro league will also utilize its pool of referees on officiating the games.
Coached by Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman, the national squad can bring its 18-man roster but only 12 players will be permitted to suit up every game.
A minor disagreement between the SBP and the PBA transpired last week when the league offered two options for Smart Gilas to continue playing against the PBA teams.
One of the options proposed was for Gilas to continue fielding in CJ Giles, a 6-foot-11 former NBA draftee being eyed as a naturalized player for the Nationals, but all games will be considered non-bearing for PBA ballclubs.
The other proposal offered by the PBA board of governors was to remove Giles in the remaining games and continue with the same format earlier accepted by the league and the SBP.
