The beginner's guide to the new NBL season LIVE on SBS

Want to brush up on your basketball knowledge before the 2020-21 NBL season? Check out our concise guide for all that is to come LIVE, FREE and in HD on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand from January 15.

(L-R) Chris Goulding, Bryce Cotton, Scott Machado and Casper Ware Source: Getty Images

Every game of the upcoming 2020-21 NBL season will again be LIVE, FREE and in HD via SBS On Demand, with select games also live on SBS VICELAND.

Background

• The National Basketball League was founded in 1979 and is the premier basketball competition in Australia and New Zealand.
• Nine teams will enter the 2020-21 season, eight of which were established in Australia.
• Perth Wildcats are the most successful club in the competition, having won 10 championships.

Format

• Since the 2009-10 season, the regular season has spanned 28 games – 14 home, 14 away – and rewards the top four ranked teams (based on their win/loss record) with a finals berth.
• The top two teams receive home-court advantage in a best-of-three semi-final series, where first place plays fourth and second place plays third.
• The winner of each semi-final will then contest a best-of-five grand final series, with the highest remaining seed receiving home-court advantage.
• In the 2020-21 season, the introduction of a 36-game mid-season NBL Cup will also contribute to each team’s regular season record.

Aim of the game

• Teams will contest their games in accordance with FIBA rules.
• Games take place over four 10-minute quarters, with five minutes of overtime allowed in the event of a tie at full-time.
• A team is allowed 24 seconds to score a basket, but the shot clock will only span 14 seconds after an offensive rebound.
• Points are scored in a variety of ways: one point coming courtesy of a free-throw, two during play inside the arc and three from any area beyond it.
• A free-throw occurs usually when a player has been fouled in the process of shooting. If a player did not score their initial attempt, they will take two free-throws. However, if their initial attempt was successful, they will only have one attempt.
• Players can make five fouls before being ejected from the game. Fouls cover a variety of scenarios and are associated with illegal play.
• Fouls by each player are accumulated as a total for their team, with two free-throws awarded after the fourth team (non-shooting) foul of the quarter.

Food for thought

• The NBL operates on a salary cap, meaning that each team must form their playing squad without exceeding the league-approved budget.
• Since 2014, teams have been able to sign one player as their marquee. A marquee’s salary is paid outside the cap and was introduced in a bid to attract more high-calibre players.
• The maximum length of an NBL player’s contract is three years and, as of 2020, each team may sign no more than two imports.
• In 2018, clubs were also granted access to the Next Stars Program, an initiative devised to provide young overseas players with a professional option immediately after secondary school. The program affords each team with one additional import spot.
• The Wildcats are the defending champions, having beaten the Sydney Kings in the coronavirus-affected grand final series last season.
  

Best way to watch

• Every game of the 2020-21 NBL season is LIVE, FREE and in HD via SBS On Demand - starting January 15 - as well as select games LIVE on SBS VICELAND, with highlights, mini games, interviews, features and more available on the SBS Sport website and Basketball hub.

• Can't wait for the NBL? Catch multiple regular season NBA games per week LIVE, FREE and in HD on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand - starting this Sunday, December 27.