Total League

Total League
Upcoming season or competition:
Current sports event 2016–17 Total League season
Sport Basketball
Founded 1933
No. of teams 10
Country Luxembourg Luxembourg
Continent Europe Europe
Most recent
champion(s)
Amicale (6th title)
Most titles Nitia (16 titles)
Sponsor(s) Total S.A.
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Nationale 2
Official website flbb.lu/totalleague

The Nationale 1, officially named the Total League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest basketball league in Luxembourg. The league's governing body is Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Basketball (FLBB).[1] Prior to the 2012–13 season, the league was known as the Diekirch League.[2]

About

As the league is semi-professional, all clubs are run as not-for-profit.[3] Each team in the league is allowed to have two American players on the roster. While most local players do not receive a salary, American players are paid.[4][5]

There are two player statuses: JICL (french acronym for "player registered with a Luxembourgian club") and non-JICL. To be classified as JICL, a player has to have obtained a license from a FLBB club before their 16th birthday, or have one for at least three seasons between their 16th and 21st birthday. Prior to the 2013–14 season, each team was only allowed two non-JICL players, no exceptions. In July 2013, the European Commission adjudged the ruling was contrary to the Schengen Agreement.[6] Following that decision, the rule was scrapped and replaced by a gentlemen's agreement to keep the number at two, though some have signed a third non-JICL player, arguing they were part-time players.[5]

Format

During the regular season, each team plays the other nine teams twice, one at home and one away (10 teams, 18 games, 18 rounds). After this, the top six teams move on to the second stage, where they play a further 10 games against each other. The top four teams at the conclusion of the second stage move on to the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed plays the No. 3 seed. The winner of each best-of-three semi-final moves on to the Finals series to decide the title (also best-of-three).[7]

Meanwhile, the bottom four teams after the regular season join the best four teams from the second-tier Nationale 2 to play for relegation and promotion respectively. The two worst ranked Total League teams are relegated whilst the two best Nationale 2 teams are promoted.

Current clubs

Title holders

Performance by club

Titles Club Years
16 Nitia 1933-34, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1936-37, 1937-38, 1938-39, 1939-40, 1944-45, 1945-46, 1946-47, 1947-48, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1952-53, 1953-54
14 Etzella 1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1969-70, 1971-72, 1991-92, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2005-06
12 T71 Dudelange 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15
11 Sparta Bertrange 1957-58, 1959-60, 1968-69, 1973-74, 1978-79, 1985-86, 1986-87, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2011-12
6 Amicale 1970-71, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1980-81, 2015-16
4 Contern 1987-88, 2000-01, 2003-04, 2008-09
Hiefenech 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1995-96
Résidence 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97
3 Racing Luxembourg 1966-67, 1997-98, 1999-00
2 Black Star Mersch 1965-66, 1967-68
1 Black Boys Kayl 1951-52
Rou'de Le'w Kayl 1958-59
Soleuvre 2001-02

European competition

Luxembourgian clubs have not participated in European competition since 2002, the last year FIBA organised the FIBA Saporta Cup, with the FLBB bemoaning the separation between FIBA Europe and ULEB and the move away from a single-elimination format.[1] Some of the requirements for participation in the FIBA-organised European third-tier EuroChallenge that restrict their participation are: a €5,000 registration fee notwithstanding other costs, an arena that seats at least 2000 without non-basketball lines, and games played on weekdays.[8]

Highlights

Competition Team Opponent(s) Round(s) Home  Away  Aggregate
Champions Cup 1958 Luxembourg Etzella Belgium Royal IV Group stage 43 – 82[lower-alpha 2] 36 - 63 79 - 145
Cup Winners Cup 1974 Luxembourg Sparta Bertrange Scotland Paisley BC
Romania Steaua București
Second round[lower-alpha 3]
Round of 16
105 - 93
77 - 108
64 - 51
77 - 117
169 - 144
154 - 225
Champions Cup 1978 Luxembourg T71 Dudelange Germany Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Spain Real Madrid
Portugal GC Figueirense
Group stage 78 – 85
63 - 94
96 - 87
71 - 97
60 - 118
65 - 69
3rd/4 teams
Champions Cup 1979 Luxembourg Amicale Portugal Sporting
Italy Emerson Varese
Group stage 87 – 82
68 - 108
99 - 94
71 - 123
2nd/3 teams
Champions Cup 1991 Luxembourg Telekurs Hiefenech East Germany BSG AdW Berlin
Spain FC Barcelona
First round
Round of 16
98 - 84
73 - 113
92 - 96
77 - 117
190 - 180
150 - 230
Korać Cup 1994 Luxembourg Telekurs Hiefenech Wales Cardiff Bay Heat
Germany EnBW Ludwigsburg
First round
Second round
78 - 72
80 - 86
89 - 79
69 - 105
167 - 151
149 - 191

Notes

  1. Official names in French as per linguistic rules.
  2. First European Champions Cup game ever played.
  3. First round bye.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/3/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.