27 June, 2019
07 July

Women's National Team Competition System 2019+

Coming into effect in November 2019, this new system sets out the road to all of FIBA's main women's competitions over a four-year cycle: the Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and the FIBA Women's Continental Cups.

OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION

With regular and competitive tournaments scheduled throughout the year, the qualification system will tip-off in November 2019 to qualify teams for the Olympic Games.

National teams will play FIBA Women's Pre-Qualifying Tournaments in three regions - Africa, Americas, Asia (including Oceania) - to qualify for one of the four global FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2020, taking place the following February.

In Europe, teams will not play FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments, but qualify 6 teams directly to the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2020 from FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019. Over the three windows - November 2019, November 2020 and February 2021 - teams will play Qualifiers for FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021.

FIBA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION

The same system is in place for qualification to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup - FIBA's flagship women's competition - with FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 Pre-Qualifying Tournaments held at regional level in November 2021 to qualify for one of the four global FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournaments in February 2022.

In this case as well, FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021 will qualify 6 teams directly to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournaments to be played in February 2022.

The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 Host Country will be appointed in 2019.

The FIBA Women's Continental Cups will have their own qualification process as of November 2020 (except for Europe - starting in November 2019).

Key Changes
    • Qualification for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup through the Qualifying Tournaments instead of through the FIBA Women's Continental Cups, which become stand-alone events.
    • The final standings at the previous edition of the Women’s Continental Cups determine which teams participate in the Pre-Qualifying Tournaments in three regions (Africa, Asia-Oceania and Americas*), for both Olympic Games and Women's World Cup.
    • Olympic Games 2020 qualification to be played as tournaments, with Pre-Qualifying Tournaments played in three regions (Africa, Asia-Oceania and Americas*) and 4 global FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2020 (WOQTs) after.
    • FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 Pre-Qualifying Tournaments in three regions (Africa, Asia-Oceania and Americas*) and 4 global FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournaments to qualify 12 teams to women's basketball's main event.


    *     Europe will not play Pre-Qualifying Tournaments to the Olympic Games or Women's World Cup and instead qualify 6 teams directly from the previous FIBA Women's EuroBasket.


    MAIN BENEFITS
    • Establish a clear 'road to' the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup during which teams will earn their places for the showpiece event by way of Qualifiers, instead of through the FIBA Women's Continental Cups.
    • Enable Continental Cups to be the ultimate standalone tournaments where regional champions are crowned.
    • Clarify the qualifying process for all other women's competitions, with a separation of events' qualifiers.
    • Enhance the exposure of women's basketball with more regular national team activity in all regions throughout the year.
      Increase inclusion and competitiveness as more teams and players participate in each region's qualification phase.
    • Develop National Federations through the women's game and the regular organization of tournaments at home. This will help the Federations grow their skills and push them to find new opportunities.

  • Download the FIBA Women's National Team Competition System brochure by clicking on the image below.