My buddy Gary Mercado of Basketball Exchange (or BallEx, as the kids say these days) is putting together a basketball league in the southern part of Metro Manila. The league will have refs, stats, and all those bells and whistles. Right now, he’s looking to get 8 teams to join the league.

Specifics, from his blog:

• Residents of Alabang, BF, Sucat, Zapote, etc. and thereabouts welcome! If your team lives farther but can still come regularly you are still welcome.


• Officiated by former PBA referee, implementing a proven effective 'one commissioner per game' system to ensure strict implementation of rules.


• House Rules will be established amongst team leaders and players, again to ensure compliance.


• Games will be played at courts in and around the Southern Manila area, mostly villages, (so there will occasionally be 'home and away' situations). Note below *


• No age limit.


• Players with commercial league experience (eg. PBA, PBL, D-League, Liga Pilipinas, etc) should not have played professionally in last 5 years.


• Players with collegiate level experience ok, (eg. UAAP, NCAA and equivalent).


• 20 players per team.


• FIBA rules.


• All statistics will be uploaded to website to ensure maximum yabang factor (or otherwise:).


• Professional photographer services available, details later. See here.

Tentative details, pending teams:

• Schedule - I am aiming for a 2 games - per - week schedule.


• Cost - Cost per player will approximate P1,000 ~ P1,500, again depending on number of teams signing up. A cash bond will be required per team, returned after the league.


• Format - Final 4 seeding and 2 round system preferred, but again will depend on number of teams signing up. The more teams the merrier.

* - I am in the process of finding as many good courts as I can in the BF / Alabang / Cavite area. I've found only a few but welcome new ones if any. Teams with residents in villages with good wooden courts please let me know and I'll do the rest.

If you're up for it, email Gary at ghmercado@gmail.com.

UPDATE: Gary posted more details about the league at BallEx.