2016 FIVB World League

  • Finnish Federation has announced 2016 format. it is like WGP. no pools and no relegation of Russia. there will be 12 teams in first devision: 2015 8 teams+ France, Bulgaria, Belgium and Argentina. link


    every week will be 3 tournaments in 3 countreis:
    group 1 tournaments: (First team is host)
    Week 1: 17.-19.6.
    Tournament A: Australia, France, Italy, Belgium
    Tournament B: Brazil, USA, Iran, Argentina
    Tournament C: Russia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Poland
    Week 2: 24.-26.6.
    Tournament D: Poland, France, Argentina, Russia
    Tournament E: Italy, USA, Australia, Belgium
    Tournament F: Serbia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Iran
    Week 3: 1.-3.7.
    Tournament G: France, Brazil, Belgium, Poland
    Tournament H: USA, Bulgaria, Australia, Russia
    Tournament I: Iran, Serbia, Italy, Argentina
    Final6 13.-17.7.
    (First 5 teams + host will be in F6)

    group 2 tournaments:
    Week 1: 17.-19.6.
    Tournament J: Turkey, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia
    Tournament D: Finland, Japan, Korea, Cuba
    Tournament L: Czech Republic, Canada, China, Egypt
    Week 2: 24.-26.6.
    Tournament M: Slovakia, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Cuba
    Tournament N: Egypt, Japan, Turkey, Finland
    Tournament O Canada, China, Korea, Portugal
    Week 3: 1.-3.7.
    Tournament P: Korea, the Netherlands, Egypt, Czech Republic
    Tournament Q: China, Japan, Turkey, Slovakia
    Tournament R: Portugal, Canada, Finland, Cuba
    Final4 9.-10.7.

    group 3: (schedule will be announced later )
    Montenegro, Puerto Rico, Tunisia, Greece, Mexico, Spain, Kazakhstan, Venezuela. (Slovenia should join them I think)
    Tournaments 17.-19.6., 24.-26.6.
    Final4 1.-3.7.

  • Interesting...Now we'll have less matches :D good news for players before Olympic Games. However, World League will be still without Germany? Or will they play in group 3?

    Gold Medal - Prediction Game - Men's - Olympic Games 2012
    Gold Medal - Prediction Game - Men's - European Championship 2015
    Silver Medal
    - Prediction Game - Women's - Olympic Games 2012

    がんばれ 日本!

  • Official confirmation by FIVB as well here.


    I never liked the format of the female World Grand Prix and I was happy it had never been applied to the men's World League until today. Now they have finally made the format of the two events identical and, unfortunately, it is the men's tournament that had to be changed. We've had different formats in previous years with fewer matches due to the Olympics, so I'd rather see them applied than watch this mixture of teams and pools. Teams can only be compared and included in the same ranking if they face the same opponents. This should be common sense!


    As for the participants, greetings to those who said how cruel it would be to change the format only to keep Russia in :) A brand new formula just to suit the Russians and make everyone happy. The biggest loser due to these changes is Canada, they should've been in Division I after the finals in Mar del Plata in 2013. The teams that will take advantage of Division I's expansion are Bulgaria, Argentina, and Belgium. Yes, I am also curious what the German Federation have decided. I don't know if FIVB are punishing Germany for the withdrawal in 2015, or maybe the Germans refused to participate again. Also, Slovenia should be in Division III. We'll have 8 teams there, Montenegro should also be invited, we'll have to wait for the remaining 6. Meanwhile, Slovakia, Turkey, and China promoted to Division II for unknown reasons. Portugal weren't relegated to Division III.


    Overall, I don't think I could be more disappointed by the weirdness and lack of transparency of this, fortunately, commercial-only tournament :thumbdown: The best would be now to give France a ninth place from the 2015 edition.

  • ugh if that's the Schedule we got murdered. No match against Bulgaria, Australia or Belgium = 0 wins for us. Meanwhile Australia and Belgium (the weakest teams) get to play each other twice wtf. We'll have to give everything to stay in Division I...

  • I never liked the format of the female World Grand Prix and I was happy it had never been applied to the men's World League until today. Now they have finally made the format of the two events identical and, unfortunately, it is the men's tournament that had to be changed.

    I think they'll return to 2015 format after Olympics, but with 12 teams.

  • c4ndlelight :lol:


    Where is Slovenia?

    In the news in Finnish Federation site Slovenia wasn't mentioned but I think it must be added it to group 3. (In the news from FIVB none of group 3 teams were mentioned.)

  • Oh! what a disastrous decision:
    "In order to improve the level of competition, and to make games more interesting for sponsors and fans, FIVB has decided to make a unique rule in volleyball. From now on, all national teams will have to include in their World League rosters at least 10 out of 14 players from the last major volleyball competition!" link


    The next step will be this: FIVB chooses the starting lineup of the teams.

  • Oh! what a disastrous decision:
    "In order to improve the level of competition, and to make games more interesting for sponsors and fans, FIVB has decided to make a unique rule in volleyball. From now on, all national teams will have to include in their World League rosters at least 10 out of 14 players from the last major volleyball competition!" link


    The next step will be this: FIVB chooses the starting lineup of the teams.


    I would rather wait for an official statement here. That, even by FIVB standards, sounds a bit too weird to be true......



    Regarding Germany and World League there are no reports so far, whether they applied or not. Some kind of punishment by FIVB of course is thinkable as they surely want to avoid that last years german withdrawal sets an example for other teams.


    I can't see Germany playing third division as well. Maybe they can jump on the carrussel again when the format is changed next year time. Good results on ECH and an olympic qualification would surely help......

  • I like that demand from FIVB, World League has been turning into a joke lately because everyone is using it as an experimental field.


    Anyway, I think 10 out 14 is too much, should be 7/14 or sth. There can be injuries, retirements, players who are too tired, etc

  • I'm not very happy with this format and I think it will be kind of tradition in Olympic year. Same was in 2012. Considering what happened in 2012 in WL and then at the Olympics with my team I won't even pay attention. Anyways, saving players' energy is a key. If anyone care to play with main rosters the whole tournament long at all. Pity we still won't see Canada in elite. Should I still call it the elite? Because of the format changing I'm a bit confused if there's still a real elite and the others.



    MADE MY DAY! :thumbsup:


    Oh! what a disastrous decision:
    "In order to improve the level of competition, and to make games more interesting for sponsors and fans, FIVB has decided to make a unique rule in volleyball. From now on, all national teams will have to include in their World League rosters at least 10 out of 14 players from the last major volleyball competition!" link


    The next step will be this: FIVB chooses the starting lineup of the teams.

    ?( That's a nonsense and a dream of a madman, imo. Won't believe it till I see it.

  • I'm not very happy with this format and I think it will be kind of tradition in Olympic year. Same was in 2012. Considering what happened in 2012 in WL and then at the Olympics with my team I won't even pay attention. Anyways, saving players' energy is a key. If anyone care to play with main rosters the whole tournament long at all. Pity we still won't see Canada in elite. Should I still call it the elite? Because of the format changing I'm a bit confused if there's still a real elite and the others.


    MADE MY DAY! :thumbsup:


    ?( That's a nonsense and a dream of a madman, imo. Won't believe it till I see it.


    It is a great concept on the 10 of 14, but what happens after the World Championships or Olympics when players retire? Is the FIVB going to force them to play?


    The easiest thing to do is to reduce the roster usable roster size for these tournaments. 18 players for the whole thing sounds good to me. Some people complain that they don't get the best players every week. So if you wanted to see Brazil with Bruninho and he did not make the trip, you may have thought that you have wasted your money. Or what about the FIVB World Grand Prix Finals where basically every team it seemed played the backups, other than the USA.


    Was I right about Russia not going down to Group 2? Actually I like the new format, because the tournament is shorter (due to the Olympic year), but it should be a better package for the fans as you have the ability to see 4 different teams in one weekend.


    They still need to have double promotion and relegation (two teams go up and two go down). With the few teams changing, it would become a little stale.

  • Was I right about Russia not going down to Group 2? Actually I like the new format, because the tournament is shorter (due to the Olympic year), but it should be a better package for the fans as you have the ability to see 4 different teams in one weekend.


    They still need to have double promotion and relegation (two teams go up and two go down). With the few teams changing, it would become a little stale.

    And why should we relegate the two weakest teams that will have had to face, let's say, Brazil, Russia twice, Serbia, and USA (hypothetically speaking), instead of the Italians, based on memory here, who will have to face Belgium, Australia (one of the two twice), Argentina and so on. Nothing personal against any of the teams mentioned (Italy, Argentina, and the rest), I am making my point by showing you how ridiculous this system is. Also, the local crowd would've been happy with any format that allows them to watch their favourites at home. Last, there have been shorter systems that worked in Olympic years. I don't see a way why this format is accepted.

  • system is ridiculous indeed, women are playing with this system throughout many years and we have many complaints quite often :whistle:


    draw of seeding teams is just a mystery :what:

    Gold medal - World League 2013 Prediction Game
    Bronze medal - World League 2012 Prediction Game

  • Each team will play 1 team at least twice in their 9 matches.
    Argentina with Iran
    Australia with Italy, Belgium and USA
    Belgium with France, Italy and Australia
    Brazil with Iran
    Bulgaria with Serbia and Russia
    France with Belgium and Poland
    Iran with Brazil, Serbia and Argentina
    Italy with Australia and Belgium
    Poland with France and Russia
    Russia with Bulgaria and Poland
    USA with Australia


    Iran, Belgium and Australia are screwed with their 6 matches listed above.


    I was saying a double promotion and relegation because, if there is only one spot changing due to the winner of Group 2, you won't see much change with the top teams. Essentially that is what the FIVB has had with the World League before its expansion to 16 teams and now 28/32.
    If only one team gets promoted, you have to win Group 2 or 3 to be promoted. We all would have said, Australia and Russia should go down after their performance in Group 1 (albeit with 8 teams). If this was a 12 team league, they both should have been relegated and the finalists from Group 2 should have come up.

  • Germany team return to World League, but they will play in 3rd division ;)
    http://www.fivb.com/en/about/n…-in-world-league?id=58075

    Gold Medal - Prediction Game - Men's - Olympic Games 2012
    Gold Medal - Prediction Game - Men's - European Championship 2015
    Silver Medal
    - Prediction Game - Women's - Olympic Games 2012

    がんばれ 日本!

  • Germany team return to World League, but they will play in 3rd division ;)
    http://www.fivb.com/en/about/n…-in-world-league?id=58075


    Heynen :wavy:.
    Actually I dont think he will have the honor of playing with Qatar and Mexico after probably being fired due to not going to OG.