Only one division will be showcased this season—the Recreational Division—which means there will be no ex-college varsity players allowed in the tournament, leaving the path to the title wide open for the rest of the field.
This is because the reigning champions ARQ Builders as well as traditional powerhouse squads such as StorageTown of businessman and sportsman Chase Cokaliong and Cooking Kalgas of Talisay City are not participating this season.
The 22 teams have been divided into two categories. Teams will play a single round-robin in each category with the top six in each category moving on to the Round of 16. The top two finishers in each category will have a twice-to-beat advantage in the Round of 16, while the rest of the games will be knockout matches.
The MCBL is a stellar platform for amateur players to show off their skills. With real-time stats available as well as live streaming on Facebook, scouts can easily assess their skill level and perhaps recruit them for the next level.