‘Great equalizer’: PVL holds first Rookie Draft in July

MANILA, Philippines – In a bid to improve the tournament’s competitive balance, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is set to hold its first Rookie Draft on July 6. 

The league announced the development on Sunday, May 19, just a week after Creamline captured its eighth championship.

“Drafts are the great equalizer in pro leagues,” said PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo. “This season, we will hold our first-ever draft with guidelines influenced by some of the top leagues in the world.”

One of the draft’s primary goals, the league said, is to prevent player bidding wars between teams, thus promoting a fairer acquisition process.

The draft pick order will be determined by a lottery for the first round and a reverse ranking based on the previous All-Filipino Conference standings for the next rounds.

With this format, Strong Group, which finished at the bottom of the 12-team field last conference, will have a 40% chance of claiming the top pick.

Capital1, which wound up at 11th, holds a 30% chance of securing No. 1, followed by Galeries Tower (20%), and Farm Fresh (10%).

The lottery is set on June 24, with the format – which does not automatically award the top pick to the worst-performing team – intended to discourage “tanking” or a team’s attempt to lose games to gain a higher draft pick. 

Teams ranked eighth to first in the All-Filipino will pick fifth to 12th in descending order.

Thus, the order after the top four picks will be as follows: Nxled, Akari, Cignal,  PLDT, Chery Tiggo, Petro Gazz, with the last being the finalists – runner-up Choco Mucho and champion Creamline.     

The second and subsequent rounds will follow the reverse order of the All-Filipino standings, with the team having the worst record picking first.

“We are hoping for a huge turnout for the inaugural class of the PVL draft,” said Malonzo. 

“This is an exciting moment for our league as we take a significant step forward in elevating the level of competition and providing more opportunities for talented athletes.”

“We look forward to seeing the new talent that will emerge and make their mark in the PVL,” he added.

Draft requirements

Eligibility for the draft requires applicants to be at least 21 years old by December 31, 2024, with no necessity for collegiate playing experience or academic qualifications.

Filipino-foreign applicants must secure a Philippine passport before the deadline for submission of draft eligibility requirements on May 31. In lieu of a Philippine passport, Filipino-foreign applicants may submit a birth certificate issued in the Philippines.

All applicants must fill up an online form at http://pvl.ph/draft. All additional requirements and documents must be sent to draft@pvl.ph.

The last day for withdrawal is June 12.

The initial list of applicants will be announced on June 14, and the draft lottery is set at the end of the application period.

Players selected in the draft must receive qualifying offers from their teams within 15 calendar days. 

First-round picks must be offered a minimum three-year contract, while second and later rounds require a minimum one-year pact. Undrafted players signed by teams must receive at least a one-conference contract.

Draft Combine

The PVL Rookie Draft Combine, a two-day event prior to the draft, is mandatory for all applicants. 

The event includes physical measures, medical tests, interviews, athletic tests, and scrimmages, all observed by coaches and officials.

Measurements include height, weight, wingspan, and more, while physical tests cover vertical jumps, shuttle runs, and flexibility assessments. 

Skill tests evaluate spiking, blocking, serving, receiving, setting, and digging.

The Rookie Draft Combine is scheduled for June 25-26.

Performance in the Combine will significantly influence the evaluation and selection of the applicants, ensuring that the most promising talents are identified and drafted. – Rappler.com