FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. WHAT IS THE CANADIAN ELITE BASKETBALL LEAGUE (CEBL)?
The Canadian Elite Basketball League is Canada’s largest professional sports league and the only professional basketball league in North America affiliated with FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and Canada Basketball. It is basketball’s version of the Canadian Football League, playing one tier below the NBA.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Twenty players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year.
The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on
CEBL+ powered by BetVictor,
TSN,
TSN+,
RDS,
Game+,
Next Level Sports & Entertainment and
Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at
CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
2. WHEN WAS THE CEBL ESTABLISHED?
The CEBL’s inaugural season was in 2019, but the league was officially established October 25, 2017 when the concept was registered as a national league running during the spring and summer months with FIBA rules. On May 2, 2018, the original six teams were announced (Edmonton Stingers, Fraser Valley Bandits, Guelph Nighthawks, Hamilton Honey Badgers, Niagara River Lions and Saskatchewan Rattlers) with a 20-game regular season schedule starting in 2019.
3. WHO ARE THE CEBL’S PARTNERS?
The CEBL’s official founding partners are:.
For a full list of current CEBL partners or to enquire about CEBL partnership opportunities, please visit
cebl.ca/partnerships.
4. HOW MANY TEAMS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE CEBL?
The CEBL currently has 10 teams in numerous major sports markets across Canada. There are five teams in the Eastern Conference (Brampton Honey Badgers,
Montreal Alliance,
Niagara River Lions,
Ottawa BlackJacks and
Scarborough Shooting Stars) and five teams in the Western Conference (Calgary Surge,
Edmonton Stingers,
Saskatchewan Rattlers,
Vancouver Bandits and
Winnipeg Sea Bears).
5. HOW MANY GAMES ARE IN A CEBL SEASON AND WHEN ARE THEY PLAYED?
In 2025, the CEBL will expand its regular season from 20 games to a 24-game format, starting approximately one week earlier in early-May and ending two weeks later in late-August.
Each team will play a 24-game regular season schedule and up to four playoff games (single-game knockout), preceded by an eight-day training camp period. The 2025 Championship Weekend is scheduled for late-August at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, home of the Winnipeg Sea Bears.
For the CEBL’s full schedule, please visit cebl.ca/schedule.
6. WHAT IS THE CEBL’S PLAYOFF FORMAT?
At the conclusion of the CEBL's 100-game regular season schedule, the top four ranked teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.
The CEBL Championship Weekend host club and the first-place team in the opposing conference get automatic byes to the Conference Finals at Championship Weekend.
The fifth-ranked team in each conference is eliminated from playoff contention unless the host club places fifth. In which case, the fourth-ranked team in that conference is eliminated.
Play-In:
The first round of the CEBL Playoffs features Play-In games between the third and fourth-seeded teams in each conference after the host team has been advanced to Championship Weekend. Winners of the Play-In games advance to the Conference Semifinals.
Conference Semifinal:
The second-seeded teams in each conference host the winners of the Play-In games. Winners of the Conference Semifinals advance to the Conference Finals at Championship Weekend.
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND:
Conference Final:
The host club and first-place team in the opposing conference play the winners of the Conference Semifinals. Winners of the Conference Finals advance to the CEBL Championship Game.
In 2025:
Western Conference Final - Winnipeg Sea Bears (Host Club) vs. Winner of Western Conference Semifinal
Eastern Conference Final - Eastern Conference 1st Place Team vs. Winner of Eastern Conference Semifinal
CEBL Championship Final:
The one-game CEBL Championship Final take places between the two Conference Final winners with the highest remaining seed becoming the home team. Winner is crowned CEBL Champion.
Notes:
- Tipoff times and the order of games will be determined by the CEBL in consultation with the CEBL clubs in order to meet the needs of the broadcast partner and host venue.
- All playoff games are single elimination.
7. WHAT IS THE CEBL’S PLAYOFF TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURE?
When two (2) or more CEBL clubs are tied in the final conference standings at the conclusion of the regular season schedule, preferential ranking for playoff purposes shall be determined based on the following priorities and shall be awarded to the CEBL club which:
- Has won the greater number of games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or
- Has scored the higher net aggregate of points (i.e., points scored for less points scored against) in games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or
- Has scored the higher net quotient of points (i.e., points scored for divided by points scored against) in games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or
- Has scored the higher net aggregate of points in games played against all CEBL Clubs; or
- Has scored the higher net quotient of points in games played against all CEBL Clubs; or
- Has won a coin toss against the other tied CEBL Club.
In the event of a tie involving three (3) or more teams, the above tie-breaking criteria are applied one after another until all tied teams have been ranked. This means if the criteria from 1. above determines Team X as the higher seed and there is still a tie between teams Y and Z, then the ranking of the remaining teams will be determined by the criteria in 2. or 3. and so on, if necessary.
8. WHAT IS CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND?
Championship Weekend is an annual CEBL celebration event featuring four finalists, including the host team, competing to win the league championship trophy. The event consists of two Conference Final games and the CEBL Championship Game, along with the CEBL Awards, a concert lineup showcasing top musical performers, minor basketball events and an array of activities designed to engage a cross-section of the local community.
Winnipeg will host Championship Weekend in 2025. More details on tickets and general event information can be found at cebl.ca/championshipweekend or by following the CEBL’s Championship Weekend social media account @CEBLCW on Instagram and Twitter.
Previous host cities of Championship Weekend include Saskatoon (2019), Edmonton (2021), Ottawa (2022), Vancouver (2023) and Montreal (2024). The 2024 CEBL Championship Weekend crowned the Niagara River Lions as the new league champions, with all three weekend contests played in front of capacity crowds at Verdun Auditorium.
9. WHAT IS TARGET SCORE?
Target Score Explained:
- The first time the game clock is stopped with 4:00 minutes or less in the 4th quarter of each game, timed play will end and a Target Score will be set, equal to the leading team's score plus nine (+9). EXAMPLE: At the stoppage, if the game's score is 77-71 then the Target Score after adding 9 points is 86
- The first team to reach the Target Score wins the game
- The shot clock will remain intact and used for the entire duration of the 4th quarter of the game as it normally would be
- The Target Score will be displayed in plain sight on each end of the court and on the broadcast
Intent of Target Score:
- Eliminate/reduce deliberate fouling by the trailing defense
- Eliminate/reduce stalling by the leading offense
- Eliminate/reduce rushed/sloppy possessions by the trailing offense
- Provide greater hope for late comebacks
- Provide more memorable game-ending moments
- Eliminate late-game clock controversies and reviews
10. HOW CAN I WATCH THE GAMES?
Fans can livestream all CEBL regular season, playoff and Championship Weekend games on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+ and the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices. All games are also available on CEBL+ on demand.
In 2024, more than 50 CEBL games will be broadcast live nationally on
TSN and
Game+, with an additional eight games in French on
RDS. Next Level Sports & Entertainment – The U.S. Home for CEBL, will pick up 40 CEBL games for its U.S. audience, while international streaming service,
Courtside1891, will carry 27 games for subscribers outside of North America.
HOW TO WATCH ON CEBL+ FOR FREE:
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
- Head to plus.CEBL.ca
- Hit "SUBSCRIBE" on the top-right corner
- Select the CEBL+ Free Plan and hit "Join Us" or Select any preferred plan
- Follow the instructions to create your CEBL+ account
- Wait for confirmation and hit "login" to enjoy live and on-demand content
EXISTING SUBSCRIBERS
- Head to plus.CEBL.ca
- Hit "WATCH LIVE" to watch your preferred game or hit the "person" icon on the top-right corner of your screen
- Follow "login" instructions when prompted
- Enjoy live games and on-demand content
HOW TO WATCH ON CEBL MOBILE FOR FREE:
- Download CEBL Mobile app on iOS and Android devices
- Hit "WATCH" at the bottom of the screen
- Select the game you want to watch "live"
- Login or register using the instructions provided
- Enjoy Live and on-demand content
HOW TO WATCH GAMES ON CHROMECAST OR GOOGLE TV:
- Open up CEBL Mobile
- Head to the Watch tab at the bottom of the screen
- Click on the live game or video you want to watch
- Click on the Cast button in the top right-hand corner
- Select the TV/device you'd like to cast to
HOW TO WATCH GAMES AND VIDEOS ON APPLE TV FROM AN iOS DEVICE:
- Open up CEBL Mobile
- Head to the Watch tab at the bottom of the screen
- Click on the video you want to watch
- Click on the Airplay button inside the video
- Select the TV you'd like to cast to
12. HOW CAN I BUY TICKETS?
Tickets for every team are available on each team’s website. Please visit cebl.ca/tickets for direct links for each team’s ticketing information.
Ticket information for Championship Weekend is available at
cebl.ca/championshipweekend.
13. HOW CAN I BUY MERCHANDISE?
Merchandise information for every team is available on each team’s website. Please visit
cebl.ca/shop for direct links to each team’s online store.
14. WHERE DO CEBL PLAYERS COME FROM?
The CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA.
15. HOW MANY PLAYERS ARE ON CEBL ROSTERS?
There can be a maximum of 14 total players on a CEBL roster with each team’s active rosters consisting of a maximum of 12 players and a minimum of 10 players.
There is a maximum of three American players on an active roster and a maximum of six American players overall on a team’s 14-man roster.
Each active roster must have either an international player or an active developmental player.
A club may carry multiple international and/or developmental players on their 14-man roster but one of those must be listed on their active roster for each game. A club may also choose to list both an international player and developmental player on their active roster.
16. DOES THE CEBL HAVE AN ENTRY DRAFT?
Beginning in 2024, the newly rebranded and expanded ‘CEBL Draft’ serves as the league’s annual entry draft for eligible Canadian U SPORTS and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) student-athletes.
The CEBL Draft, held annually in the spring, consists of three rounds and 30 players selected in total with each club making three selections (one in each round) of either returning or graduating Canadian post-secondary players. The priority of selection in round one is in the reverse order of how each team finished the previous regular season, and the following rounds revert to a ‘snake format’ in reverse order of the previous round.
All draft selections are classified as developmental players (recognized Canadians with experience as a student-athlete with remaining eligibility). CEBL teams are incentivized to have developmental players on their active roster as up to a maximum of three will not count against a club’s per game active roster salary cap.
The Draft presents a coveted opportunity for top Canadian post-secondary players to get a chance to experience professional basketball by practicing and playing alongside veteran pro basketball players from the NBA, NBA G League, Canadian National team, and top international leagues.
The 2024 CEBL Draft took place place in April and saw 30 Canadian student-athletes selected over three rounds from 20 Canadian post-secondary institutions.
CEBL Draft Results Year-by-Year:
17. HOW CAN I TRACK PLAYER TRANSACTIONS?
Every player transaction is logged on CEBL.ca at
cebl.ca/transactions. You can also frequently visit
CEBL.ca and follow @cebleague on
Instagram, Twitter &
Facebook for up-to-date news on team rosters and player signings.
18. HAVE ANY CEBL PLAYERS GRADUATED OR GONE BACK TO PLAY IN THE NBA?
Twenty players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year, including
27 in 2023.
19. WHICH TEAM HAS WON THE MOST CEBL CHAMPIONSHIPS?
The Edmonton Stingers won back-to-back CEBL Championships in 2020 and 2021 and are currently the only team with multiple league championship wins.
The full list of CEBL champions is as follows:
2019 – Saskatchewan Rattlers
2020 – Edmonton Stingers
2021 – Edmonton Stingers
2022 – Hamilton Honey Badgers
2023 – Scarborough Shooting Stars
2024 – Niagara River Lions
20. HOW CAN I TRY OUT FOR THE CEBL?
The CEBL doesn't hold open tryouts, but players and/or agents can visit
cebl.ca/playerprofiles to submit eligibility and connect directly with coaches and general managers across the league.
21. WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE OR HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED?
For more information or to connect with someone at the CEBL’s head office, please visit
cebl.ca/contact