(Basketball Champions League) - It's almost that time of year. The Play-offs are just around the corner and 24 of 40 teams will proceed to the elimination rounds of the Basketball Champions League.

The Basketball Champions League Play-offs will start on 7 February. Let’s take a look at the competition system and rules in place to determine the final classification and ranking of teams in the groups.

What is the general principle regarding qualification for the Basketball Champions League Play-offs?
According to the BCL Regulations, the 24 teams qualified for the Basketball Champions League Play-offs are:

• Group winners and 3 best second-placed teams from the 5 groups (total of 8 teams - directly qualified for the Round of 16, the second phase of the Play-offs);
• The 2 remaining second-placed, 5 third-placed, 5 fourth-placed and 4 best fifth-placed teams from the 5 groups (total of 16 teams – qualified for the Play-offs qualifiers, first phase of the Play-offs)

A first draw will be held on 27 January, at the House of Basketball in Geneva (Switzerland). This draw will concern the Play-offs qualifiers and the Round of 16. A second draw will happen on 10 March in Munich (Germany) and consider the Quarter-Finals.

Of the teams that do not qualify for the Basketball Champions League Play-offs, who will compete in the FIBA Europe Cup?
According to the Basketball Champions League Regulations, 8 teams will qualify for the FIBA Europe Cup Play-off. Those teams will be:

• 1 remaining fifth-placed team from 5 groups;
• 5 sixth-placed teams from 5 groups; and
• 2 best seventh-placed teams from 5 groups.

How will teams be classified within each group?
According to the Official Basketball Rules, the teams shall be classified according to their win-loss record, namely 2 points for each game won, 1 point for each game lost (including loss by default) and 0 points for a game lost by forfeit.

If 2 or more teams have the same win-loss record of all games in the group, the game(s) between these 2 or more teams shall determine the classification. If the 2 or more teams have the same win-loss record of the games between them, further criteria will be applied in the following order:

1. Higher goal difference of the games between them
2. Higher number of goals scored in the games between them
3. Higher goal difference of all games in the group
4. Higher number of goals scored in all games in the group

If these criteria still cannot decide, a draw shall decide on the classification. If at any level of these criteria one or more team(s) can be classified, this procedure shall be repeated from the beginning for all the remaining teams not classified yet.

How will the positions of teams from different groups be decided?
To determine the better placed team(s) compared with team(s) from other groups classified in the same position after the end of the Regular Season (when no games are played between these teams), the criteria with following order will apply:

1. Higher number of total points (win/loss record);
2. Higher total goal difference of all games;
3. Higher total number of goals scored in all games.
   

If these criteria still cannot determine a positioning then a draw shall decide on the classification.

Where will the Final Four take place?
The Final Four event will take place in the location of one of the Final Four's participants. The decision will be made after the end of the Quarter-Finals, therefore not before the 30 March 2017.