The first Liga Endesa preseason tournament named “Circuito de Pretemporada Movistar de Guadalajara” will feature an expanded basketball court as a first test for potential future court expansion. The tournament will feature 6 Liga Endesa sides: Montakit Fuenlabrada, Monbus Obradoiro, Movistar Estudiantes, Unicaja, UCAM Murcia and San Pablo Burgos.

Following FIBA rule changes a few years ago that saw a three-point line being moved further from the basket the space on the sides of the court outside the arch got reduced since court dimensions were not changed. Liga Endesa decided to give a test of potential court expansion by its teams. The court will be expanded by 50 centimeters on either side.

Joan Roca, Sports and Competition Director of the ACB, sated that the expanded court “will allow us to study if the extension of the court would be positive in professional basketball in the medium term”, for which the results will be analyzed.

FIBA will be informed about the results. Mr Roca also emphasized that “at present there is very little space between the three-point line and the side and this causes turnovers by stepping outside by the shooters when making the first step in a 1-on-1 but also it cuts the game in the corners, and when we expand the court we will see if the offense is more dynamic and with more spaces in the game inside-out, it would be more difficult for defensive recoveries”.