Basketball New Zealand

Player agents wishing to operate in the FIBA Oceania region, including Australian and New Zealand national leagues, now require official accreditation from basketballís international body.

FIBA amended their regulations last year, introducing a certification process that includes compulsory licensing of agents.

ìThe aim of these regulations is to make sure that a high standard of quality and transparency is guaranteed for the activities of playersí agents and transfers within the FIBA family,î says FIBA World Legal Commission vice president Ken Madsen.

ìIf a player or a club chooses to use an agent, then they should use a licensed agent and there are basic sanctions for not doing so. FIBA is unlikely to enforce those sanctions in the short term, but will no doubt do so once the whole system has been bedded down.

ìOf course, a player may act for themselves, but if they seek to use an agent, they should use a FIBA-licensed again. There are protections for both in the system.î

One of the benefits is access to a FIBA arbitration process - FIBA Arbitral Tribunal (FAT) - to resolve disputes that may arise.

Madsen, who is also chairman of the Australian NBL Tribunal, has been empowered by FIBA to conduct agent tests for Oceania and these will take place at Basketball Australia headquarters, Sydney, on October 11.

Basketball New Zealand has identified six agents currently operating locally and they will require accreditation if they are to continue their activities. Others considering this line of business should also sit these tests.

FIBA Agent Testing (pdf 124KB)
FIBA Agents Application Form (pdf 105KB)