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The English Basketball League (EBL) is a men's basketball league in England, covering professional, semi-professional, and amateur levels of the game. This is effectively seen as the second tier of men's basketball in the United Kingdom, along with the less celebrated Scottish Men's National League. The EBL was established in 2003 by England Basketball to replace the former National Basketball League, and currently operates several men's leagues in a four-tiered pyramid structure, as well as the English Women's Basketball League. The senior leagues are supported by a junior structure for both male and female players, with leagues for under-18s, under-16s and under-14s.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url = http://img.basketballengland.co.uk/media/BasketballEnglandWeb/Docs/NationalLeague/Youth%20Structure%20To%20Publish.pdf )〕 The leagues operated by the EBL form the second, third, fourth and fifth levels of men's competition in England, with the highest level consisting of the professional British Basketball League. There is no promotion and relegation between the EBL and the British Basketball League, which operates a franchise system. Despite this, several teams have applied to make the step from EBL to the BBL in recent years, looking for greater competition and more exposure. ==Senior Competitions== English Basketball League - The men's competition is headed by a 14-team Division 1, followed by a 12-team Division 2, both of which are open to clubs from across England. Below this, Division 3 is operated as two regional 12-team conferences, divided into North and South groups. All other teams affiliated with the EBL compete in the National Basketball Development League, which is divided based on the number of clubs applying for membership each year. The Playoffs - The top eight teams in each division compete for the season's final showdown and silverware. The top four teams have home advantage against the lower placed sides in the quarter-final (1st v 8th, 2nd v 7th, 3rd v 6th & 4th v 5th). In Division 1, the semi-finals and final are held at a neutral venue in a Final Fours weekend. The lower divisions have only the final at a neutral venue. National Cup - Open to all EBL teams and played on a straight knockout format at club venues with the final being held at a neutral venue. The 2014/2015 finals were staged at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, and saw Manchester Magic take the trophy 76-58 against the Reading Rockets. National Trophy - Also known as the EBL Trophy, this is played for by all men's Division 1 teams. The teams play a round-robin competition followed by knock-out rounds. The Manchester Magic won the 2014/2015 tournament, taking the final 88-48 in against Leicester Warriors at Leeds Beckett University Arena. Patrons Cup - The Patrons' Cup is played for by all men's Division 2 teams on a similar basis to the EBL Trophy. Lancashire Spinners took the 2014/2015 Cup, beating London Lituanica 118-86 at Leeds Beckett University Arena. National Shield - Open to all men's teams in EBL Divisions 3 & 4 and run on a straight knock-out format with the final held at a neutral venue. The 2014/2015 final took place at Leeds Beckett University Arena and saw Team Newcastle University top Liverpool 68-59. National Founders Cup - A round-robin competition organised on a national basis specifically for non-EBL clubs, i.e. amateur clubs who have not entered the national leagues. The 2014/2015 final took place at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, and saw Kent Crusaders III claim the title 80-64 against the Oxford Brookes Devils.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url = https://www.basketballengland.co.uk/fixtures-and-results/fixtures-and-results )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「English Basketball League」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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