SSL drops all-to-play rule

Coaches will have a freehand to shuffle their players as the all-to-play rule won't be in effect in the Shakey's Super League National Invitationals.

Unlike in the Collegiate Pre-Season Championship where a team must field all of its available players, the 12 participating squads in the season-opening tournament set on 29 July can now play a short rotation if they want to.

"Not for this one. We're implementing that rule only in Pre-Season. In this tournament, you can expect an all-out battle of players as well as strategies and tactics between coaches," Ian Laurel, president of the league organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc., said.

"It's up to them if they want to field all their available players or just stick with their usual rotation." "So, this is going to be an action-packed competition all the way."

SSL will roll the red carpet to six qualifiers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao joining the top three teams from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association for the honor of being called national champion.

The tournament which aims to showcase the skills and talents of players from top collegiate teams in the country will have the FilOil EcoOil Centre as its battleground.

UAAP champion De La Salle University and back-to-back NCAA title holder College of Saint Benilde lead the list of teams vying for glory.

SSL Pre-Season champion National University, Adamson University, NCAA Season 98 second-placer Lyceum of the Philippines University, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, and Enderun College are the other Manila-based teams.

Testing their mettle in the Big City are provincial squads the University of Southern Philippines Foundation and University of San Jose-Recoletos representing the Visayas; Mindanao's Notre Dame of Dadiangas University and Jose Maria College of Davao while De La Salle University-Dasmarinas is the other Luzon qualifier along with Enderun College.

The 12 teams are distributed to four pools composed of three squads each. The top two teams after the pool play will advance into the knockout quarterfinal.

Both the semifinal and final are also knockout affairs.