MIES (Switzerland) - The Basketball Champions League hosted its pre-season Game Officials clinic from Tuesday to Thursday in Geneva and Lausanne, with the participation of all referees, observers, technical delegates and venue managers that will take an active role in the sixth season of the competition, starting October 4, 2021.

A total of 120 professionals from 30 countries attended the three-day event which covered a wide range of subjects, including officiating matters and game protocols for the referees and technical delegates, game operations, digital strategy, marketing, broadcasting, signage and logistics for the venue managers.

 The BCL Referees that will officiate in Season 6, in front of the Olympic Museum.

The get-together enabled all participants to share experiences and ideas from the previous seasons and begin the planning regarding the broadcast production and on-site operations for the forthcoming season, which will the first to be delivered following the recent strategic partnership between the BCL and Sportfive. Various case studies, debriefing, procedures and experiences were reviewed in preparation for the new season. 

All BCL Technical Delegates were also present for the three-day workshop.

Patrick Comninos, the CEO of the competition, confirmed the importance of holding this type of working sessions prior to the start of the Regular Season. "This pre-season gathering is paramount in safeguarding a consistent and high-level delivery at all Basketball Champions League games. The BCL is a top-level competition, and this means that we need the best possible conditions, as well as the contribution of experts and specialists in order to support FIBA's top referees and technical delegates in their preparation and our venue managers in the operational event delivery," he said.

Basketball Champions League works with Sportfive and its broadcasting partners to produce all games (up to 184 games during this 2021-22 sixth season) to the highest technical standards and production values. The investment in quality ensures the clubs and the competition benefits from the best possible domestic and international TV and digital media exposure.

The BCL Venue Managers that will help delivering all 180 games of the upcoming season.

The sixth season of the Basketball Champions League tips off with the Regular Season starting on October 4, 2021, when the reigning champions Hereda San Pablo Burgos will face Besiktas Icrypex as the inaugural game of the new season.
The Qualification Round Tournaments will be played on September 13-18, 2021 in four locations: Peristeri (GRE), Sofia (BUL), Tallinn, and Treviso (ITA).