Everything You Need to Know About the Volleyball Nation’s League

Volleyball Nation’s League

• Various Locations
• May 15-July 8, 2018
• Schedule/Results

The FIVB announced the formation of the Volleyball Nation’s League in October as the replacement for the men’s World League and women’s Grand Prix tournaments.

With the start of the women’s event just one week away and the men’s competition set to begin May 25, here is a quick breakdown of what to expect.

By The Numbers

• 16 Teams per gender – 12 core teams which cannot face relegation, 4 challenger teams
• 260 matches – 130 per gender. 120 matches will take place during the preliminary rounds and 10 will be during the finals.
• 5 weeks of preliminary competition
• 15 matches – the minimum each team will play during the May 15 to July 8 competition
• 5 teams will progress from the preliminary rounds to the finals to join the host team

Format

• Round robin format
• Each of the 12 core teams will host at least one round of pool play matches
• Teams are divided into four-team pools, which rotate on a weekly basis during the preliminary rounds
• Women’s matches will be played during the week, while men’s will take place on the weekends

Women’s Teams/Sites

• The top five women’s teams will join host China in the finals, which are set to be played in Nanjing, China, from June 27-July 1
• The 12 core women’s teams are: Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey and the United States
• The four challenger teams for this year are: Argentina, Belgium, Dominican Republic and Poland
• The first four preliminary round host sites are
  • Yekaterinburg, Russia: Russia, Argentina, Netherlands, Thailand
  • Ningbo, China: China, Belgium, Dominican Republic, South Korea
  • Lincoln, Nebraska: United States, Italy, Poland, Turkey
  • Barueri, Brazil: Brazil, Germany, Japan, Serbia

Men’s Teams/Sites

• The top five men’s teams will join host France in the finals, which are set to be played in Lille, France, from July 4-8
• The 12 core men’s teams are: Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, Poland, Russia, Serbia and the United States
• The four challenger teams for this year are: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada and South Korea
• The first four preliminary round host sites are:
  • Rouen, France: France, Australia, Iran, Japan
  • Ningbo, China: China, Argentina, Bulgaria, USA
  • TBA, Poland: Poland, Canada, Korea, Russia,
  • Kralijevo, Serbia: Serbia, Brazil, Germany, Italy