AT long last, the PVL is moving toward a more structured and standardized governance setup, with codified league regulations expected to take effect later this year.
Such sweeping changes are being lined up for the 2026–27 season, subject to approval from team owners and key league stakeholders.
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Among the long-discussed reforms set to be revisited are formal player trading rules and the long-awaited standardization of a Uniform Players’ Contract (UPC).
“Coming into the new season, we’ll be introducing new regulations that’s gonna be still discussed with the teams,” said PVL control committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo.
“Some of those are gonna be trading rules, guidelines, Uniform Players’ Contract, team commitment agreement, all those stuff.”
Both proposals have been lobbied in recent years, with the UPC first floated as early as 2024 but delayed due to differing positions among teams.
Modeled after systems used in established pro leagues like the PBA, a UPC would standardize contract terms to better protect both players and franchises, covering areas such as player compensation, health-related provisions and ethical obligations.
“We will also implement our code of ethics, disciplinary regulations,” Malonzo added.
“All those are already in writing but we still need to discuss these with the teams so that they have a full understanding of what’s gonna happen.”
If approved, the reforms would mark a significant step toward greater clarity, consistency, and stability in the league’s pro era.
Standardized PVL calendar
Malonzo also clarified that the league will now operate on a fixed annual cycle, running from June to May of the succeeding year, with two major events book-ending each season.
“For this conference, just to clear it out, we decided kasi that the season ends with the PVL Press Corps Awards Night which happens in May, then we open the season with our draft ceremony in June,” Malonzo explained.
“This [All-Filipino Conference] will be our last conference for this season.”
In practical terms, the upcoming All-Filipino Conference scheduled to open on January 31 will serve as the final tournament of the 2025–26 PVL season.
The cycle will officially conclude with the 2026 PVL Press Corps Awards Night, tentatively set for May 30, while the 2026 PVL Draft, to be held weeks later, will signal the start of the next league year.
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