For a short explanation about the divisions that make up amateur basketball in France: NF1, NF2, NF3 and youth basketball you can simply scroll down the page or click on the link that interests you.
Nationale Féminine 1, Nationale Féminine 2, Nationale Féminine 3
All the information about women amateurs playing basketball on this site can be found by moving to the amateur section further down the page or clicking on this
link
Under the Fédération Française de Basketball (FFBB) amateur basketball in France for women starts in the second division better known as Nationale Féminine 1 (NF1).
This division is situated on the second level of the women’s basketball pyramid. The word amateur is used to describe this league because teams only play matches once a week during the weekend, usually Saturdays.
The season has a programme of 30 games and the richer clubs in this division have full-time professional players on their roster.
These players tend to work for the club or community as trainers for other teams of the club or help run training sessions in the community.
While the number of professional players are increasing each year the bulk of the players are either students (youth players U18, university / higher education) and amateurs that practise a profession outside basketball.
The structure of the competition is explained in the competition guide. NF1 teams participate in the French cup alongside the professional clubs from the Ligue Féminine de BasketBall.
Go back to the
top of the page.
The second amateur basketball league for women playing basketball in France is Nationale Féminine 2 (NF2).
In order to help reduce the cost of travelling the 56 clubs in this division are split into four regional groups of 14 teams. The matches are normally played on Saturday.
Last season the FFBB introduced a new rule for clubs in the LFB: by 2008-2009 their second team must be in this division. Clubs like Aix-en-Provence, Bourges, Montpellier, Tarbes and USVO have already had programmes in place and have development teams made up of players from their basketball academies, centre de formation in NF2 and they have managed to survive last season.
Mondeville was not so lucky and are back in NF3 for this season, while Villeneuve d’Ascq won promotion form NF3.
The FFBB created an amateur version of the French cup in 2004 for clubs in the lower division starting with this division.
In addition to the second teams from the LFBB the CFBB (see below for explanation) has a side of talented 15/16 year-old players that also play in this league.
While only the winner from each group qualifies for promotion to NF1, four teams from each group face relegation to NF3 at the end of the season.
The CFBB (Centre Fédéral de Basket-Ball) is a team of young women playing basketball based at INSEP (Institut National du Sport et de l'Education Physique) in Paris.
The players join the CFBB at 15 and stay for three years. In the first year they play in NF2 and for the players retained to continue their basketball education they play basketball in NF1 in the following two years.
As this is a national development group their teams in NF1 and NF2 can neither be promoted nor relegated.
Go back to the
top of the page.
The third amateur basketball division run by the FFBB at national level is Nationale Féminine 3 (NF3).
There are eight groups of 12 teams with the groups split into regions. Games are normally played on Sunday afternoon. All the clubs in the LFB that are not represented in NF2 must have a team in this division. The one exception is that of Arras.
Arras finished last in their group last season. Due to the regulation of the FFBB they could have remained in NF3 but decided to accept the relegation.
This division is very competitive as four teams face relegation from each group at the end of the season, which means they are back to the regional leagues (not governed by the FFBB).
The rest of the amateur leagues below the national structure are run by the various regions in France.
Go back to the
top of the page.
The FFBB also runs two national youth leagues with Minimes (U15) and Cadettes (U18.
The Federation has become very strict on the number of games youth players are allowed to play in a weekend: all players up to minimes are only permitted one game per weekend.
It is only from the category of Cadettes that a player may be able to play two games a weekend. The only exception to the rule of the Minimes is when they play triangular competitions and final 4s at the end of the season.
The National French cup competition is played only for the U18 age group.
Amateur Basketball information
The amateur news section is split into five categories. Just click on the section that interests you or scroll down the page:
1. Nationale Féminine 1 (NF1)
2. Nationale Féminine 2 (NF2)
3. Nationale Féminine 3 (NF3)
4. Youth section
5. French Amateur Cup
6. Other information
Go back to the
top of the page
Nationale Féminine 1 (NF1)
24 June 2008: NF1 post season drama
23 May 2008: Nantes-Rezé are regular season champions
04 May 2008: Nantes-Rezé one win away from title
27 April 2008: Nantes-Rezé loss helps Basket Landes in the title race
26 April 2008: Round 27, Preview
13 April 2008: Round 26, French Basketball in mourning
8 April 2008: Round 25, No change at the top
30 March 2008: Round 24, Basket Landes did the double against leaders Rezé-Nantes
16 March 2008: Round 23, Dunkerque are back
11 March 2008: Round 22, Dunkerque fall at Marseille
2 March 2008: Round 21, Natntes-Rezè Nationale Fèminine 1 win top clash
17 February 2008: Round 20, Play-off picture taking form
4 February 2008: Round 19, Victories for Limoges and Voiron
28 January 2008: Round 18, Rennes take down Nice
22 January 2008: Round 17, Nantes Rezé are the leaders
16 January 2008: Round 16, no change at the top
8 January 2008: Round 15, Season reaches midway point
18 December 2007: Round 14, Three way tie at the top of NF1
11 December 2007: Round 13, Basket Landes and Charleville alone at top
5 December 2007: Summary round 12, Odile Santaniello new coach in Nice
Go back to the
Amateur information section.
Nationale Féminine 2 (NF2)
26 May 2008: SIG win NF2 title
04 May 2008: Quater-final first leg play-off resullts
26 April 2008: Basketball news round-up and the play-off pairings
01 April 2008: Basketball news round-up with the play-offs in sight
3 March 2008: Basketball news from the SIG - Nationale Fèminine 2 update
Go back to the
Amateur information section.
Nationale Féminine 3 (NF3)
Castelnau win NF3 title and you can read the Amateur basketball news of this in the NF2 final four report here
Go back to the
Amateur information section.
Youth section
23 June 2008: Lithuania win international basketball tournament in Rezé
21 May 2008: France publish youth international basketball preliminary squads
22 April 2008: Basketball Academy at Villeneuve d'Ascq
19 April 2008: Coupe de France cadettes Stabilo: last weekend before final
21 March 2008: Coupe de France Cadette Stabilo eighth-final news
13 February 2008: Saint Amand Centre de Formation
Go back to the
Amateur information section.
French Amateur Cup
19 April 2008: Trophée Coupe de France Amateur weekend
26 March 2008: Trophée Coupe de France eighth-final results
21 March 2008: Trophée Coupe de France féminines - eighth-final preview
1 March 2008: Draw for professional, amateur and cadettes (U18)
25 February 2008: Trophée Coupe de France féminines - sixteenth-final results
Go back to the
Amateur information section.
Other Amateur basketball Information
Go back to the
Amateur information section.
Return from Amateur Basketball "What's New" page
Return from Amateur Basketball LFB Information Page
