National basketball league limits foreign player height

Each team in VBA (Vietnam Basketball Association) will get to register 10-14 players. The teams can also add homegrown players to their squads, though the total number of players should not exceed 17.

In addition, each team will be allowed to register a maximum of two foreign players and one Vietnamese-origin player. This is a new addition compared to the last season when each team could only add one foreign and one Vietnamese-origin player in the squad.

One special thing about this season is that the total height of the two foreign players in each team cannot exceed four meters.

"To increase the attraction of VBA, one additional spot for foreign players in each club has been allowed. Domestic players will also get to learn from these foreigners by playing alongside them. This is necessary for Vietnamese basketball because in SEA Games, strong teams like the Philippines have many foreign players with strong physical skills," said Tran Chu Sa, CEO of VBA.

"We have decided to limit the total height of the two foreign players in a team at under four meters to make it easier for local players to compete," Sa said.

The height of Vietnamese players in recent years has improved significantly, especially Nguyen Huynh Phu Vinh (2.02 meters) or Nguyen Van Hung (1.95 meters). However, the average height of domestic players is only 1.8 meters.