THE PVL is making one thing clear before the 2026 PVL on Tour even gets underway: country comes first.
In a major guideline released ahead of the seven-stop preseason caravan, the league announced that players currently committed to Alas Pilipinas will not be allowed to suit up for their respective clubs while they remain part of the national team's official activities.
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The policy forms part of the PVL's rules and innovations for the second staging of the PVL on Tour, which begins Wednesday in Ilagan City before heading to Batangas City (July 11), Vigan (July 25), Polomolok (Aug. 1), Santiago City (Aug. 8) and Lanao del Norte (Aug. 15), over the next six weeks, with an additional venue yet to be named.
The only exception covers players who are not included in the country's official delegation and have no scheduled national team commitments, allowing them to rejoin their club squads.
The move comes as Philippine volleyball continues to align itself with the roadmap set by the FIVB following its governance intervention earlier this year.
One of the key points in the FIVB's roadmap was ensuring the continued support of domestic stakeholders for the national teams, including greater alignment of the professional league with the country's international calendar and preparations.
The new policy reflects that commitment, eliminating any overlap between club competition and Alas Pilipinas duties, at least for this preseason series, as the national team gears up for another busy stretch of international tournaments.
Preseason twists and incentives
Beyond the national team guideline, the PVL also introduced several changes designed to add intrigue to the tour.
Every match will now carry cash incentives, with the winning team taking home P100,000 and the losing squad receiving P50,000.
The league also made player participation mandatory, requiring all 14 players on a team's roster to have entered the match by the end of the second set. Each player must also participate in at least three rallies before the restriction is lifted.
The two-point Premier Ball, first tested during the PVL All-Star festivities, will likewise return, where teams may activate the special ball until reaching 22 points in Sets 1 to 4 and 12 points in the fifth set, with the ensuing rally counting for two points instead of one.
"The PVL on Tour is our way, together with the teams, of bringing the game closer to our fans during the preseason. It allows supporters from different parts of the country to experience PVL volleyball firsthand, while giving our teams valuable opportunities to build chemistry and prepare for the season ahead," said PVL Control Committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo.
ZUS Coffee and Akari will open the preseason tour in Ilagan on Wednesday at 4 p.m., followed by Creamline and Nxled at 6:30 p.m.
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