mport, Expat & Roster Classification Rules
TEBA League classifies players as Thai players, imports, or league-approved expats for purposes of roster construction and game-day eligibility. Team owners are responsible for ensuring their rosters and lineups comply with these requirements.
First-Year Team Import Limit
A team participating in its first TEBA League season may roster a maximum of two (2) standard import players.
A first-year team may receive one (1) additional import roster position exclusively for a qualifying player promoted from the Unsigned League.
This allows a first-year team to carry a maximum of:
2 Standard Imports + 1 Unsigned League Import = 3 Total Imports
The additional Unsigned League position may only be used by a qualifying player promoted from the Unsigned League. It may not be converted into a standard import position or used to sign an additional import through the TEBA Draft, free agency, a team tryout, trade, or any other method.
If a team does not use its Unsigned League import position, the team remains limited to two (2) imports during its first season.
Second-Year and Returning Teams
Beginning with a team’s second TEBA League season, the team may roster up to four (4) imports, which is the standard TEBA League import maximum.
The Unsigned League exception does not increase the standard four-import maximum. A second-year or returning team may not use the exception to carry five imports.
Expat Classification
An expat is a player who has established residency in Thailand and has been formally reviewed and approved by TEBA League as an expat.
To qualify for expat status, a player must:
1. Have lived in Thailand for at least 12 consecutive months; and
2. Hold a valid Thai work visa or student visa; and
3. Submit the required residency and visa documentation to TEBA League for verification.
Players cannot self-nominate or self-designate themselves as expats.
Team owners, coaches, agents, and other representatives also cannot independently classify a player as an expat.
Only TEBA League may approve a player’s expat status.
Until TEBA has received, reviewed, and approved the required documentation, the player will be classified as an import for roster and game-day purposes.
American Expats
An American player may qualify as an expat under the same requirements.
Once TEBA formally approves the player’s expat status, that player:
– Does not occupy an import roster position.
– Does not count toward the two-American on-court limit.
– Is not subject to an expat-specific roster or on-court numerical restriction.
There is no limit on the number of TEBA-approved expats that may be on the court at the same time, provided all other TEBA lineup requirements are satisfied.
American Import On-Court Limit
A team may have no more than two (2) American imports on the court at the same time.
TEBA-approved American expats do not count toward this limit.
For example, a lineup containing two American imports and one TEBA-approved American expat does not violate the two-American-import restriction because the approved expat is not classified as an import.
Thai Player Requirement
Every TEBA team must have at least one (1) Thai player on the court at all times during game play.
An expat does not replace or satisfy the Thai-player requirement solely because the player resides in Thailand.
Therefore, a lineup consisting of:
1 Thai Player + 4 TEBA-Approved Expats
is permitted.
A lineup consisting entirely of imports and/or expats without at least one qualifying Thai player is not permitted.
Owner Responsibility
Team owners are responsible for confirming player classifications before adding players to their official roster or using them in competition.
Owners should not assume that residency in Thailand automatically makes a player an expat. A player remains classified according to their existing TEBA status until the league formally approves a change.
Teams should submit expat documentation to the league sufficiently in advance of competition to allow the league to review and approve the player’s classification.
TEBA League reserves final authority over player classification, roster eligibility, and the application of these rules.
