PBA sets new draft rules

PARIS —The PBA Board of Governors approved the other day changes in the pro league’s draft rules to allow rookies a clear pathway even if they skip applying on their first year of eligibility during the planning/review meeting at the Hotel Warwick conference room here. The Board also set the ground rules for veterans returning to the league after opting out of their expired contracts.

PBA chairman Ricky Vargas said the rules covering rookies and comebacking veterans will no longer impose sit-outs. In the previous rule, rookies who skip the draft were given three years within which to apply and if they don’t, are ineligible to join for two more years. Veterans who decline to renew their expired contracts were given two years to come to terms and if they don’t, are barred from reentering for three more years. The rule allowing veterans with expired contracts to become unrestricted free agents after seven playing years remains starting the 2014 season.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial explained that a draft eligible will now be given three years to apply and if he doesn’t, will be relegated to a lottery in case he joins on his fourth or fifth year. The lottery system will be determined by the Board and may or may not conform to the year’s draft order. The start of the period of draft eligibility will be when a player turns pro in another league as licensed by GAB, when he is at least 22 years old or when he is 19 with a minimum of two years of college education. In Thirdy Ravena’s case, he has played three years as a pro in the Japanese B-League and if he decides to join the draft on Sept. 17, the former Ateneo standout will enter a lottery as it will be the fourth year since his rookie eligibility. Rhenz Abando and SJ Belangel are other examples of players who skipped the PBA draft on their first year of eligibility to sign overseas contracts and will be welcomed to join without a sit-out.

Phoenix governor Atty. Raymond Zorilla said the rights of a veteran who opts out of an offer to renew an expired contract but has played less than seven years in the league will remain with his last PBA team. Two Phoenix players Matthew Wright and Encho Serrano have declined to renew their expired contracts but as they have not played more than seven years in the PBA, their rights will stay with the Fuel Masters franchise. However, the rights are tradeable, meaning a team may deal the rights to another team as approved by the PBA trade committee. The sit-out imposition has also been removed in the case of veterans declining to renew expired contracts.

A previous rule disallowing Fil-foreigners to join the draft after 30 has been revoked. The Board decided to allow Fil-foreigners to enter the draft whatever their age, opening the doors for crack players like Jason Brickman and Lawrence Domingo who are over 30. The changes were viewed as the Board’s response to the changing times where players are free to seek greener pastures overseas like OFWs and will be welcomed to the PBA when they decide to return home.