{{Short description|Professional nine-ball billiards league}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Use Philippine English|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox sports league | title = Sharks Billiards Association | current_season = | upcoming_season = | last_season = 2025–26 SBA season | logo = Sharks_Billiards_Association_logo.png | logo_size = | sport = Nine-ball | founded = {{start date and age|2024|05|06}} | founder = | inaugural = 2024 | coo = Hadley Mariano | commissioner = Hadley Mariano | motto = | teams = 6 | country = [[Philippines]] | headquarters = [[Tomas Morato Avenue]], [[Quezon City]] | continent = | champion = Taguig Stallions<br>{{small|(1st title)}} | most_champs = Taguig Stallions<br>{{small|(1 title)}} | TV = [[People's Television Network|PTV]]<br />[[RPTV (TV channel)|RPTV]]<br />[[One Sports (TV channel)|One Sports]]<br />[[One Sports (TV channel)#One Sports+|One Sports+]]<br />[[TAP Sports]] }} The '''Sharks Billiards Association''' ('''SBA''') is a professional [[nine-ball]] league in the [[Philippines]] consisting of six teams.
The league's games are played at Sharks Arena, an indoor venue located at [[Tomas Morato Avenue]] in [[Quezon City]].
== History == ===As the Sharks Billiard League=== The Sharks Billiards Association was originally established in [[Quezon City]] as the Sharks Billiards League (SBL) by Hadley Mariano in partnership with the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP). It was founded in November 2022 by billiards promoter Perry Mariano and sports patrons [[Putch Puyat]], Isaac Belmonte and Jonathan Sy of BMPAP, and new officials Mon Aguirre, Larry Lim, Hadley Mariano, Jojo Sanchez, and Eric Salud.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ulanday |first1=John Bryan |title=Sharks out to reignite Philippine billiards |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2022/12/29/2233942/sharks-out-reignite-philippine-billiards |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[The Philippine Star]] |date=29 December 2022}}</ref>
With United Kingdom-based [[Matchroom Sport|Matchroom]], the SBL organized the 2023 Sharks International Open at the Great White Arena in [[Quezon City]]. It was won by Taiwanese player [[Ko Ping-chung]].<ref>{{cite news |title=How the Sharks International Open is trying to jump start Philippine pool |url=https://www.espn.com.sg/story/_/id/38064539/sharks-international-open-trying-jump-start-philippine-pool |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[ESPN.com]] |date=24 July 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="sharks-9">{{cite news |last1=Payo |first1=Jasmine |title=Sharks 9-ball looks to revive local pool scene |url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/sharks-9-ball-looks-revive-local-billiards-scene/ |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[Rappler]] |date=12 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813014718/https://www.rappler.com/sports/sharks-9-ball-looks-revive-local-billiards-scene/ |archive-date=13 August 2023}}</ref>
===Foundation of a professional league=== On May 6, 2024, the league was renamed the Sharks Billiards Association (SBA). It also now accredited by the [[Games and Amusements Board]]. Sports columnist [[Chino Trinidad]] was the league's inaugural commissioner until his death on July 13, 2024.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sharks Billiards Association to ‘revive’ pool action in PHL |url=https://www.bworldonline.com/sports/2024/05/07/593366/sharks-billiards-association-to-revive-pool-action-in-phl/ |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[BusinessWorld]] |date=7 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sharks Announces New Commissioner And Game Format|url=https://journal.com.ph/sharks-announces-new-commissioner-and-game-format/ |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=Journal Online |date=7 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sharks Billiards Association is 1st-ever pro pool league in Philippines |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2024/05/14/2355056/sharks-billiards-association-1st-ever-pro-pool-league-philippines |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[The Philippine Star]] |date=14 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Agcaoili |first1=Lance |title=Chino Trinidad, veteran sports journalist, dies at 56 |url=https://sports.inquirer.net/574396/chino-trinidad-veteran-sports-journalist-passes-away |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |date=14 July 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
On August 18, 2024, the league had its inaugural draft at [[Gateway Mall (Quezon City)|Gateway Mall]] in [[Quezon City]]. Jericho Bañares was selected by the Quezon City Dragons with the first pick.<ref name="mega">{{cite web |last1=Guerrero |first1=Bob |title=Can Sharks Billiards Make Team Pool Work? |url=https://thegame-onemega.com/features/can-sharks-billiards-make-team-pool-work/ |website=The Game |publisher=One Mega Group Inc. |date=25 August 2024}}</ref> The inaugural champions are the Taguig Stallions who won three of their five games against Manila MSW Mavericks in the finals series.<ref name=inaugural-champ>{{cite news |title=Taguig Stallions are inaugural Sharks Billiards champs |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2024/12/21/taguig-stallions-are-inaugural-sharks-billiards-champs-1314 |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[ABS-CBN News]] |date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
In April 2025, the SBA secured a partnership with [[People's Television Network]] as they launch the 2025 Philippine Open.<ref>{{cite news |title=SBA Philippine Billiards Open launched |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/04/15/sports/sba-philippine-billiards-open-launched/2091954 |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[The Manila Times]] |date=15 April 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Villar |first1=Joey |title=Billiards body wants to be NBA of cue sports |url=https://www.philstar.com/about-us/sports/2025/04/14/2435956/billiards-body-wants-be-nba-cue-sports |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[The Philippine Star]] |date=14 April 2025}}</ref>
The 2025 draft is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2025 and the second season proper in September 2025.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bigger, better Sharks Billiards Association season looms |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2025/06/17/2451278/bigger-better-sharks-billiards-association-season-looms |access-date=19 June 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=17 June 2025}}</ref>
== Teams == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Team ! Locality ! Joined |- ! Makati Titans | style="text-align:left" | [[Makati]] | [[2025 SBA season|2025]] |- ! Manila MSW Mavericks | style="text-align:left" | [[Manila]] | [[2024 SBA season|2024]] |- ! Negros Occidental Pillars | style="text-align:left" | [[Negros Occidental]] | [[2024 SBA season|2024]] |- ! Parañaque Kings | style="text-align:left" | [[Parañaque]] | [[2025 SBA season|2025]] |- ! Quezon City Dragons | style="text-align:left" | [[Quezon City]] | [[2024 SBA season|2024]] |- ! Taguig Stallions | style="text-align:left" | [[Taguig]] | [[2024 SBA season|2024]] |}
== Format == === Regular season === ;Game structure Similar format to the [[Mosconi Cup]], each game consists of five nine-ball matches spread across a five-day period, each with a different format.<ref name="mega"/> * King of the Hill (5v5) – Each team will nominate one player to begin the match. Once a rack is completed, the losing team will send another player for the next rack. Once all five players have played, referred to as a "cycle", all players can be nominated to play again. The first team to score 15 racks wins and earns five points. * Doubles (2v2) – Each team will nominate two players to begin the match. Once a rack is completed, the losing team will send another two players for the next rack. The first team to score 13 racks wins and earns five points. * Singles (1v1) – Each team will nominate a player that will play the entire match. The first player to score 13 racks wins and earns three points for his team. Each team is required to send one player to a singles match once during the season before nominating them again. ;Sharking During the games, players may [[trash talk]] their opponents, known as "sharking", before the shooter gets in a shooting stance.<ref name="mega"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Villar |first1=Joey |title=Pool patron Mariano not a fan of ‘sharking’ |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2026/03/09/2513068/pool-patron-mariano-not-fan-sharking |access-date=10 March 2026 |work=Philstar.com |date=9 March 2026}}</ref>
;Game rules * After the lag, the losing team nominates first. The winner then selects a player and breaks first.<ref name="mega"/> * A 9-ball is racked on the spot, and the cue ball must placed on center for break. * A 40-second shot clock applied after the break, then 30-second shot clock after shot. * Each team gets one 15 second extension per rack. * Failing to strike a cue ball after the buzzer is considered foul. * Each team gets two 2-minute timeout per match. * Jump shots are illegal.
== Championships == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Main Season !colspan=2| Season ! Champion ! Score ! Runner-up ! MVP ! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | 1 | [[2024 SBA season|2024]] | Taguig Stallions | 3–2 | Manila MSW Mavericks | Rodrigo Geronimo | <ref name=inaugural-champ/> |}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Philippine Open !colspan=2| Season ! Champion ! Score ! Runner-up ! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | 1 | [[2025 SBA Philippine Open|2025]] | [[Anton Raga]] | 13–6 | Jerico Bañares | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Malanum |first1=Jean |title=Cebu pride Raga rules SBA PH Open |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1248874 |access-date=28 April 2025 |work=[[Philippine News Agency]] |date=28 April 2025}}</ref> |}
== Commissioners == * [[Chino Trinidad]] ({{dts|2024|05|07}}–{{dts|2024|07|13}}) * Hadley Mariano
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Facebook|sharksbilliardsassociation}}
{{Sports leagues in the Philippines}}
[[Category:2024 establishments in the Philippines]] [[Category:Cue sports in the Philippines]] [[Category:Pool tours and series]] [[Category:Sports in Quezon City]] [[Category:Sports leagues established in 2024]] [[Category:Sports leagues in the Philippines]] [[Category:Professional sports leagues in the Philippines]]