Why 6-7-hour practices aren't possible in today's EuroLeague / News - Basketnews.com

The ELPA and EuroLeague have a set of rules, which also includes a point stating that practices cannot exceed a duration of 3 hours.

Credit: EuroLeague TV/Vangelis Stolis Credit EuroLeague TV/Vangelis Stolis

"It was important to get the win because we didn't want to spend eight hours in a gym," Mathias Lessort joked after Panathinaikos Athens secured their first EuroLeague victory against Bayern Munich.

2-pointers this season

55%16,5Points made:16,5Accuracy:55,0%Place in standings:16Record max:17Record min:16Most made 2FGs:Mathias LessortTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

After a somewhat disappointing win against Maroussi in the domestic league earlier in the week, Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman organized an extensive series of activities that had the players spending around eight hours at OAKA on Tuesday.

There was some confusion as some people mistakenly believed that Ataman had arranged a grueling six-hour practice session for the day.

Following the Bayern Munich game, Panathinaikos' head coach clarified he is "not a stupid coach to make a 6 or 7-hour practice two days before the EuroLeague game" and urged social media to "write the correct things."

While some players may recall old-school coaches who employed strict and exhausting methods, a practice session lasting 6-7 hours is simply no longer possible in today's EuroLeague.

EuroLeague, its clubs, and the players operate under a long list of rules and regulations, some of which fall under the collective agreement negotiated between the players and the league (and clubs), called the EuroLeague Framework Agreement (EFA).

EFA (a publicly available document posted on ELPA's webpage) covers many different areas, such as the Standard Player Contract (SPC), minimum salary, overdue payables, force majeure situations, image rights, practice rules, player health, player appearances, sports equipment, travel conditions, days off, etc.

According to EFA, EuroLeague teams are restricted to practice sessions lasting no more than 3 hours. This duration includes all activities, such as weight training, stretching, warm-up routines, and cool-down exercises.

Panathinaikos Athens / Schedule

Panathinaikos Athens FC Bayern Munich78-71 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul Panathinaikos AthensTue17:15 Panathinaikos Athens Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv10-2018:15

There's no limit on how long video sessions can run, but the ELPA did include some important practice session guidelines within the framework agreement:

Pre-season rules

training campcanbegin up to 35 daysbeforeRegular Season Round 1 of the EuroLeague or of theclub's domestic competition, whichever startsfirst on single practice days, practicescanlast no longer than 3 hours, including the time in the weight room stretching and participating in warm-ups and cool-downs on double practice days, practicescanlast no longer than 5 hours, including the time spent in the weight room, stretching, and participating in warm-ups and cool-downs three consecutive days of double sessions are not permitted players have one day off per week

In-season rules

playershaveone practice per day second daily practice is allowed only once during a week whenthere is only oneofficialgame scheduled practices canlast no longer than 3 hours, including the time spent in the weight room, stretching, and participating in warm-ups and cool-downs players have a minimum of 4 days off per month, withonlyphysiotherapy, medical treatments, or travel permitted on that day

Bostjan Nachbar, the Managing Director of the ELPA, emphasized the significance of the practice rules that were put in place and then shared his thoughts on the extended video sessions.

"ELPA's concern is to protect players' health and to help maximize their careers by limiting the wear and tear on their bodies. Some of it also comes from training sessions during the season, which is why there are limits to the time spent on the court. Currently, EuroLeague players are facing extremely demanding seasons since many of them reach 75+ games per season across all competitions," he told BasketNews.

"The length of the team meetings or video sessions is currently not limited since we do not wish to undermine or limit coaches' work. EuroLeague basketball is tactically on an extremely high level, and we do understand that the visual approach to the game through video and statistical analysis is just as important as spending time on the court," he explained.

"However, if excessively long and repetitive video sessions would imply to be done as a punishment to the players, ELPA would object to it and report it to the league management," Nachbar concluded.

Panathinaikos' Tuesday session:

Event Duration Film session 4 hours Basketball practice 1.5 hours Meeting with the sponsor's administration 1 hour Time spent in OAKA Up to 8 hours Thank you for reading us! We have even more content for you.