EuroLeague players in-season working conditions explained / News - Basketnews.com

Each EuroLeague team has to organize its activities according to a strict set of rules agreed by the league and the players' association.

Credit: Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic Credit Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic

Each EuroLeague team has to adhere to a certain set of rules upon joining the competition. One of them is a strict guide of regulations that determine the players' day-to-day activities.

The regulations have been determined after consulting numerous experts in the fields of strength and conditioning, nutrition, sports psychology, traumatology, and data science. Both the EuroLeague Players Association (ELPA) and the EuroLeague have agreed upon the rules and have signed the EuroLeague Framework Agreement (EFA).

The EFA features a number of steps to ensure player safety throughout the season by limiting various aspects of the daily in-season work environment to mitigate injury risk and ensure players are well-prepared to play at an elite level.

Practice duration and frequency:

During the competition season, each practice is limited to three hours in total, including stretching, weight training, and warmup/cooldown activities. This rule is an important measure to help limit the amount of physical strain on the players’ bodies between games and to limit overuse injuries. The players are free to engage in additional individual workouts if they so choose.

Practice frequency is also an important factor. During the season, teams are generally limited to one practice per day. However, if a team has fewer than two official games in a given week, they are allowed to hold a double-practice day once during that week. However, even under these rare circumstances, the second practice of the day must be non-contact to reduce injury risk. Furthermore, both practices combined must last no longer than five hours for the day.

Recovery time:

The limitations on practice duration and frequency are particularly important because rest and recovery time are essential components to optimize performance. To that end, the EFA also mandates minimum rest intervals between high-exertion activities. After every regular season game, practices and other team activities (excluding medical treatments and team travel) may not commence until noon the next day. This helps to ensure adequate muscle recovery and cognitive recharging, especially after late-night games.

Team travel:

Travel logistics are also optimized for player welfare, per EFA rules. When traveling by air, Clubs are required to book priority check-in, fast lane security, and priority boarding. If required, the home Club has to assist the visiting Club to ensure that these amenities are available to their players. According to availability, Clubs have to book exit row seating for up to 12 players in order to maximize legroom. Players cannot be required to carry any additional team equipment or team luggage during travel. The priority is to maximize rest and minimize fatigue and soreness upon arrival.

Prior to away games, players are provided a light meal (fruit, energy bars, electrolyte drinks/water).

If the team is traveling immediately after the game, players must first be provided a hot meal. If a hot meal is not available, players must be provided time off before travel (players may use this time to get dinner if they choose).

Accommodation:

Per the EFA, team hotels are a minimum of four-star quality. Players are guaranteed single occupancy rooms, and the hotel must have extra-long beds available upon request. These regulations help players achieve optimal sleep while traveling. Hotels must also contain fitness facilities for personal workouts and recovery sessions.

Time off:

The EFA guarantees off days for players during the competition season. An “off day” is a full day during which the player is not required to participate in Club activities, including:

Games Practices Video sessions Team or individual meetings

At least four full days of f per month are required, with only physiotherapy, medical treatments, and travel permitted on such days. Media and commercial appearances are only permitted on one of these four monthly days off to preserve personal time. These off days are essential to minimize the effects of physical and mental fatigue throughout the season.

In addition to the standard four off days per month, players are also entitled to receive additional time off for the birth of a child or in the event of a death within the player's family. In either circumstance, the player is entitled to a minimum of three full days off, not including travel.

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