Just when fans, teams and foreign reinforcements were set for an explosive edition of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference, the league has been forced to keep its guest players off the court after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) refused to endorse the International Transfer Certificates (ITCs) required for foreign imports to compete.

In a statement, PVL organizer Sports Vision expressed its deep frustration over what it described as “unprofessional” and “obstructionist” behavior by the national federation.

Despite the timely submission of all documentation, including signed clearances from the players, their respective federations and PVL clubs, the PNVF has withheld the final endorsement necessary for the foreign athletes to take the floor.

“The PVL regrets to inform the public that the foreign guest players will not be permitted to participate in the ongoing season-ending conference until their ITCs are duly approved,” Palou said in a statement minutes before the opening salvo between ZUS Coffee and Akari on Tuesday.

This delay not only disrupts the tournament’s competitive integrity but also jeopardizes the careers and contracts of professional players who traveled to the Philippines in good faith. The PVL stressed that it remains committed to following international volleyball protocols and upholding the integrity of the sport, even as the impasse places both players and fans in limbo.

“We respectfully urge the PNVF to expedite the signing process to prevent further disruption to the tournament,” the statement added.

But insiders revealed that the impasse is far from procedural. They claim that the PNVF is leveraging the ITC approval as a bargaining chip to twist the PVL’s arm and force it to adjust its conference schedule, allegedly to accommodate national team preparations for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

The PNVF reportedly demanded that the Reinforced Conference end by 16 November, despite the PVL having already structured the tournament to run until 27 November, including the finals. PVL officials said they had previously adjusted their calendar to support the national program — even moving the conference to begin after the national team’s commitments were scheduled to end by 30 September.

“Preparations have been made in good faith based on the schedule given to us. But then, at the last minute, the PNVF changed the terms,” a league official said.

“Is the PVL composed only of players in the national team? What happens to the rest of Philippine volleyball — to its growth, to its fans, to the professional clubs — if all PNVF programs are implemented unilaterally and disruptively?”

The fallout from the ITC issue has forced the PVL to launch its Reinforced Conference with an all-Filipino lineup, robbing fans of the spectacle of topnotch imports — a hallmark of the reinforced format.