PVL sets first-ever Rookie Draft on July 6

The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is set to hold its inaugural Rookie Draft on July 6, marking a historic event in the league as it looks to improve the parity in competition.

The draft process will follow a lottery and reverse ranking to determine the order of selection.

This means that the bottom four teams in the previous All-Filipino Conference will have the chance to pick the top seed after undergoing a lottery only for the first round. Strong Group, the last-seeded squad last conference, will have a 40-percent chance of securing the first pick in the lottery scheduled on June 24, followed by Capital1 (30%), Galeries (20%), and Farm Fresh (10%).

Teams who ranked from 8th up to 1st in the previous conference will pick fifth to 12th in descending order.

The second and subsequent draft rounds will follow the reverse order of the AFC standings, with the team having the worst record picking first.

After the recently-crowned champion Creamline and first-runner Choco Mucho, Petro Gazz, Chery Tiggo, PLDT, Cignal, Akari, and Nxled follow suit in rank.

"Drafts are the great equalizer in pro leagues. This season, we will hold our first-ever draft with guidelines influenced by some of the top leagues in the world," said PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo.

Applicants, regardless of educational attainment, should be at least 21 years old while Filipino-American aspirants must secure a Philippine passport. Deadline of submission of all requirements is set on May 31.

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News