Editing Liga ACB (section)

== Competition format ==
[[File:Jump ball - Real Madrid vs Fuenlabrada - Ante Tomić vs Gustavo Ayón.jpg|thumb|Real Madrid playing against Fuenlabrada]]

The competition format follows the usual double [[Round-robin tournament|round-robin]] format. During the course of a season, which lasts from October to May, each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, for a total of 34 games. Teams are ranked by total wins. The eight highest-ranked clubs at the end of the season advance to the playoffs. The winner of the playoffs is crowned champion.

=== Relegation and promotion ===
A system of [[relegation and promotion]] exists between the Liga ACB and the [[Primera FEB]]. The two lowest placed teams in Liga ACB are relegated to the Primera FEB, and the top team from the Primera FEB promoted to Liga ACB, with an additional club promoted after a series of playoffs involving the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth placed clubs. Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history:
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Number of clubs in Liga ACB throughout the years
!Period (in years)
!{{Abbr|No.|Number}} of clubs
!Relegations
!Promotions
|-
|1983–1986
| rowspan=2|16 clubs
|3 clubs
|3 clubs
|-
|1986–1988
| rowspan=11|2 clubs
| rowspan=9|2 clubs
|-
|1988–1992
|24 clubs
|-
|1992–1993
|22 clubs
|-
|1993–1996
|20 clubs
|-
|1996–2008
|18 clubs
|-
|2008–2009
|17 clubs
|-
|2009–2016
|18 clubs
|-
|2016–2017
|17 clubs
|-
|2017–2020
|18 clubs
|-
|2020–2021
|19 clubs
|1 club
|-
|2021–present
|18 clubs
|2 clubs
|}

==== Controversies about promotion to Liga ACB ====
Prior to 2012, in the 29 editions played of the Liga ACB, only three teams declined promotion, due to acting as reserve teams or for lack of funds: [[CB Guadalajara]] and [[CB Cornellà]] in 1993 and [[CB Cajabilbao]] in 1994.

Since 2012, due to the [[2008–2014 Spanish financial crisis|financial crisis that started in 2008]], only two teams ([[CB 1939 Canarias|Canarias]] and [[BC Andorra|Andorra]]) of a possible 10 could promote to Liga ACB. This started a discussion about the promotion requirements of the [[Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto|ACB]], considered by the [[Primera FEB|LEB Oro]] clubs as "disproportionate".<ref name="Tizona">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbtizona.es/noticias/el-cb-tizona-denuncia-las-%E2%80%9Cdesproporcionadas%E2%80%9D-condiciones-exigidas-por-acb-en-madrid|title=El CB Tizona denuncia las "desproporcionadas" condiciones exigidas por ACB en Madrid|date=23 April 2015|access-date=28 March 2016|publisher=CB Tizona|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408080526/http://www.cbtizona.es/noticias/el-cb-tizona-denuncia-las-%E2%80%9Cdesproporcionadas%E2%80%9D-condiciones-exigidas-por-acb-en-madrid|archive-date=8 April 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

For clubs that promote and would make their debut in the ACB demands:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marca.com/2013/04/20/baloncesto/acb/1366444929.html|title=El arduo camino que le queda a Burgos hacia la ACB: 4,7 millones, SAD y un nuevo pabellón|publisher=Marca|date=20 April 2013|access-date=28 March 2016|language=es}}</ref>
* An arena with a minimum capacity of 5,000 seats.
* An inbound of €3m. For clubs that return to the league after a promotion, an update of the inbound is demanded.
* A deposit of €1.7m that would be returned in case of relegation to LEB Oro. In case of a new promotion, this deposit is required to be restored.
* Conversion into a [[Sociedad Anónima Deportiva]] if the club remains in Liga ACB after its first season.

In 2012, [[CB 1939 Canarias|Iberostar Canarias]] and [[Menorca Bàsquet]] achieved promotion to ACB, but neither could fulfill the requirements in order to promote.<ref>[http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=85761 Menorca Bàsquet SAD no presenta la documentación para jugar la Liga Endesa] ACB.com 28 June 2012</ref> However, Canarias finally played in ACB after buying the berth in the league of [[CB Lucentum Alicante|Lucentum Alicante]], previously sold to the association.<ref>[http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=86278 La ACB adquiere la plaza vacante del Lucentum y la asigna al CB Canarias] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226172731/http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=86278 |date=26 February 2019 }} ACB.com 20 July 2012</ref>

In 2013, neither [[CB Atapuerca]], Ford Burgos by sponsorship reasons, nor [[CB Lucentum Alicante|Lucentum Alicante]] could promote. The latter resigned also to play in the second league and joined the fifth division.

In 2014 and 2015, [[CB Tizona]], also Ford Burgos by sponsorship reasons, did not promote despite achieving the place two years in a row. After its second failed promotion, the third in the city of Burgos, the club sued the Association<ref name="Tizona" /> and accused it of "distorting the reality".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=114508|title=Comunicado Oficial sobre la situación del Burgos|publisher=ACB.com|date=5 July 2015|access-date=28 March 2016|language=es}}</ref> Also in 2015, despite having played in the league during the 1980s and 1990s, [[Club Ourense Baloncesto]] was not admitted into the league despite fulfilling all the requirements, after not passing an accounts audit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=114475|title=Comunicado oficial de la asamblea de la ACB|date=3 June 2015|publisher=ACB.com|language=es|access-date=28 March 2016|archive-date=5 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005231239/http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=114475|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, ACB would admit Ourense for the 2016–17 season if it fulfilled the requirements regardless of their position in the [[2015–16 LEB Oro season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rtve.es/deportes/20150909/acb-alcanza-preacuerdo-ourense-para-su-inscripcion-liga-endesa-2016-17/1215200.shtml|title=La ACB alcanza un preacuerdo con el Ourense para su inscripción en la Liga Endesa 2016/17|language=es|publisher=RTVE|date=9 September 2015|access-date=28 March 2016}}</ref>

On 24 April 2016, the National Commission of the Markets and the Competence argued that the inbound impedes, in an "unjustified, disproportionate and discriminatory" way, access of new clubs to Liga ACB.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elespanol.com/deportes/baloncesto/20160424/119738101_0.html|title=Competencia elimina el canon de ingreso en una ACB "fosilizada"|publisher=El Español|language=es|date=24 April 2016|access-date=25 April 2016}}</ref>

In June 2016, the two promoted teams from LEB Oro ([[Palencia Baloncesto|Palencia]] and [[Club Melilla Baloncesto|Melilla]]) resigned promotion to the [[2016–17 ACB season]] and requested to the ACB their sign-in before the 2017–18 season. However, as [[Gipuzkoa Basket]], who finished in relegation positions in three of the last four seasons, resigned from ACB,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gipuzkoabasket.com/noticias/gipuzkoa-basket-se-inscribe-en-leb-oro-N3263.php|title=Gipuzkoa Basket se inscribe en LEB Oro|date=12 July 2016|access-date=12 July 2016|publisher=San Sebastián Gipuzkoa Basket Club|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161122103155/http://www.gipuzkoabasket.com/noticias/gipuzkoa-basket-se-inscribe-en-leb-oro-N3263.php|archive-date=22 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> the Association offered again its place to Palencia and Melilla under these conditions:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=124385|title=Comunicado Oficial de la Asamblea ACB|publisher=ACB.com|language=es|date=22 July 2016|access-date=23 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clubmelillabaloncesto.org/comunicado-oficial-nueva-propuesta-de-la-acb-al-club-melilla-baloncesto/|title=COMUNICADO OFICIAL: Nueva propuesta de la ACB al Club Melilla Baloncesto|publisher=Club Melilla Baloncesto|language=es|date=24 July 2016|access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref>
* An arena with a minimum capacity of 5,000 seats.
* An inbound of €2m. The second million delayed on the dates agreed between the club and ACB.
* A deposit of €1.6m that would be returned in case of relegation to LEB Oro. In case of a new promotion, this deposit is required to be restored.
* Conversion into a [[Sociedad Anónima Deportiva]] before the start of their second season in Liga ACB.

Palencia and Mellila refused the invitation, to reinforce their position against the inbound to play in the league.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palenciabasket.com/noticia-comentario/1714/palencia-baloncesto-declina-la-oferta-de-acb/|title=Palencia Baloncesto declina la oferta de la ACB|language=es|publisher=Palencia Baloncesto|date=22 July 2016|access-date=23 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725165210/http://www.palenciabasket.com/noticia-comentario/1714/palencia-baloncesto-declina-la-oferta-de-acb|archive-date=25 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clubmelillabaloncesto.org/comunicado-oficial-el-club-melilla-baloncesto-declina-la-propuesta-de-la-acb/|title=COMUNICADO OFICIAL: El Club Melilla Baloncesto declina la propuesta de la ACB|publisher=Club Melilla Baloncesto|language=es|date=29 July 2016|access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref>

In April 2017, the National Commission for Markets and Competition declared the entering inbound and the deposit for the regulation of promotions and relegations as illegal, as they consider it "unjustified, discriminatory and excessive" and imposed a fine of €400,000 to the ACB.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnmc.es/en/node/361172|publisher=CNMC.es|date=12 April 2017|access-date=13 April 2017|language=es|title=La CNMC multa a la Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto (ACB) con 400.000 euros por imponer condiciones económicas desproporcionadas y discriminatorias para el ascenso de otros clubes a la Liga ACB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=RESOLUCION – 1610441_3.pdf|url=https://www.cnmc.es/sites/default/files/1610441_3.pdf|publisher=CNMC.es|access-date=12 April 2017|language=es|date=13 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216144056/https://www.cnmc.es/sites/default/files/1610441_3.pdf|archive-date=16 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurohoops.net/en/acb/431579|publisher=Eurohoops.net|date=12 April 2017|access-date=13 April 2017|title=ACB League fined by the National Commission of Markets and Competition}}</ref> Subsequently, the ACB replied that it would appeal the decision of the CNMC, contending that it infringed on the self-organizing capacity of professional leagues, as recognized in the [[Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]] and in the European jurisprudence, and which was unprecedented in Europe and in the rest of the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=Comunicado oficial de la ACB|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=131023|publisher=ACB.com|access-date=23 June 2017|language=es|date=12 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Productiva reunión de trabajo de los clubes de la ACB|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=131141|publisher=ACB.com|access-date=23 June 2017|language=es|date=18 April 2017}}</ref>

In May 2017, the ACB filed a contentious-administrative appeal and request for precautionary measures before the [[Audiencia Nacional (Spain)|National Court]], on the occasion of the resolution of the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC), as well as to refuse any resolution or decision, present or future, which relates to that act. Also, the ACB approved to establish a negotiation plan with the [[Consejo Superior de Deportes|CSD]] and the [[Spanish Basketball Federation|FEB]] regarding the number of participating teams and the conditions to access to the competition in the next seasons.<ref>{{cite web|title=Comunicado Oficial de la ACB|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=131695|publisher=ACB.com|access-date=23 June 2017|language=es|date=9 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Comunicado oficial de la ACB|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=132078|publisher=ACB.com|access-date=23 June 2017|language=es|date=23 May 2017}}</ref>

In June 2017, the ACB agreed not to require the promotion requirements that have been the subject of the resolution (entering inbound and the deposit for the regulation of promotions and relegations) and the participation fee. Also, the ACB agreed to continue negotiations with the CSD, the FEB and the CNMC to try to establish by mutual agreement new conditions for promotion. In view of the possibility of reaching an agreement that establishes economic and financial requirements in a consensual way before 5 July, the Assembly agreed to establish two new access criteria, provided that there was no pronouncement of the National Court on the precautionary measures regarding the resolution of the National Court, nor agreement with the different bodies that replace it.<ref>{{cite web|title=Comunicado oficial de la Asamblea General Extraordinaria de la ACB|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=132822|publisher=ACB.com|access-date=10 July 2017|language=es|date=21 June 2017}}</ref> These conditions were:
* A deposit of €1.9m that would be returned in case of relegation to LEB Oro, guaranteeing at least the value contributed by the clubs in their moment of promotion.
* A minimum budget (for all clubs) of €2.3m to play in the league.

On 10 July 2017, the ACB ratified the agreement with the FEB endorsed by the CSD, to change the conditions to make them easier for promoted teams from LEB Oro. The ACB had also reached a principle of agreement with FEB and CSD regarding a reduction of competition to 16 clubs in 2019 and the model of promotions and relegations in the coming seasons. However, this text has not obtained the necessary support of the clubs in the General Assembly and has not been approved, agreeing to continue the negotiations to find the model of competition appropriate to the interests of the teams overall.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aprobadas condiciones económicas que dinamizarán los ascensos y descensos|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=133243|publisher=ACB.com|access-date=10 July 2017|language=es|date=10 July 2017}}</ref> These new conditions consist of:
* A deposit of €1.6 million, to be paid over four seasons, that would be returned in case of relegation to LEB Oro, guaranteeing at least the value contributed by the clubs in their moment of promotion.
* A minimum budget (for all clubs) of €2 million to play in the league.

Ten days later and two years after the denounce of [[CB Tizona]], [[Gipuzkoa Basket]] and [[CB Miraflores]], also from Burgos, were promoted to Liga ACB. These were the first promotions since the Andorra in 2014. Also, Miraflores became the first team to make its debut in ACB since 2009.

=== Ranking of clubs on equal wins ===
If wins are equal between two or more clubs, the rules are:<ref>{{cite web |title=Normas reguladoras de las Competiciones de la ACB (Artículo 22) |url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=4557 |publisher=[[Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto|ACB]] |access-date=27 February 2017 |language=es}}</ref>

* If all clubs involved have played each other twice:
** If the tie is between two clubs, then the tie is broken using the point difference for the two matches those clubs have played against each other
** If the tie is between more than two clubs, then the tie is broken using the games the clubs have played against each other:
*** a) head-to-head wins
*** b) head-to-head point difference
*** c) head-to-head points scored
* If two legged games between all clubs involved have not been played, or the tie is not broken by the rules above, it is broken using:
** a) total point difference
** b) total points scored
* If the tie is still not broken, a new tiebreak process is initiated with only those teams that remain tied.

=== Qualifying for European competitions ===
The top teams in Liga ACB, apart from [[EuroLeague]] clubs, qualify for the [[EuroCup Basketball|EuroCup]] and the [[Basketball Champions League|Champions League]] with no preference for any competition. Three teams have guaranteed spots in the EuroCup and four teams have guaranteed spots in the Champions League. In addition, other clubs could participate in the [[FIBA Europe Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |title=ACB Estatutos y Normas Reguladoras 2018/19 |url=http://test.multiwebdia.com/clients/acb/Estatutos-Normativa-Temporada2018-2019/130/ |website=test.multiwebdia.com |access-date=1 July 2020}}</ref>