Free agency has officially arrived for G.J. Gardner Homes Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa, with teams now able to begin shaping their rosters for the 2026 season. It is one of the most exciting points on the calendar, where returning stars, fresh faces, emerging Kiwi talent and potential game-changing signings start to come into focus. With player movement now underway, it is also the perfect time to break down the updated roster rules, player agreement settings, restricted player limits, Rapid League eligibility and finals qualification requirements that will guide how teams build for the season ahead.
Launching Monday 25 May, G.J. Gardner Homes Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa free agency is here, so it is time to shed some light on how team rosters will be structured for the upcoming 2026 season.
With updated roster rules, player agreement categories, restricted player limits, Rapid League eligibility and finals qualification requirements, there is plenty for fans, players and teams to keep across.
Here’s what you need to know.
A: Each Tauihi franchisee must maintain a minimum active roster of 12 contracted and registered players.
That means every team must have at least 12 players contracted, registered and active during the season.
A: Teams cannot register more than 15 active players at any one time.
However, franchisees are permitted to sign more than 15 players across the season. Any players outside the active 15 will be deemed unregistered or non-active, and teams must follow the relevant registration rules before moving them into an active roster spot.
A: Yes. While maintaining no more than 15 active registered players, teams can move players on and off the roster with no stand-down period.
This applies to players on both Paid Player Contractor Agreements and Amateur Player Agreements.
A: Teams can only sign players to one of two agreement types:
Paid Player Contractor Agreement
Amateur Player Agreement
Any payments or benefits made to a player under any other agreement with a franchisee, if it operates during the term of a Paid Player Contractor Agreement or Amateur Player Agreement, will count towards the franchisee’s Total Roster Payments for that season.
A: No. There is no minimum or maximum number of Paid Player Contractor Agreements or Amateur Player Agreements for each team.
Teams have flexibility in how they build their roster, provided they remain within the League’s roster and Total Roster Payment rules.
A: Yes. Franchisees can contract more than 15 players.
However, only 15 players can be registered as active at any one time. Players outside the active 15 are considered non-active, and must be registered accordingly before they can play.
All remuneration payments to players, whether they are in the active 15 or sitting outside it, must fit within the League’s Total Roster Payment rules for the applicable season.
A: Yes. Teams can sign Amateur Player Agreements.
Franchisees can also sign unlimited Amateur Player Agreements to players who are 24 years old and younger during the competition in which they are playing.
A: Teams can sign up to four restricted players to Paid Player Contractor Agreements. This is a decrease from previous season's where up to five restricted players were allowed to be signed.
A restricted player is a player who does not qualify to play for New Zealand under FIBA rules.
A: For Rapid League, all New Zealand players and a maximum of one restricted player can play.
That means teams will need to manage their Rapid League line-ups with those eligibility settings in mind.
A: To be eligible to play in the Finals, a player must have played in a minimum of 25% of their team’s regular season games.
To count as having played, the player must be suited up for the game, recorded on the scoresheet and have participated on court in that game.
If the regular season includes an uneven number of games, qualification will be based on 25% of games, rounded up to the next whole number.
For example, in a 12-game regular season, a player would need to play in 3 games to qualify for Finals.
The updated roster rules give teams more flexibility to manage players across the season, while still maintaining clear active roster limits and registration requirements.
Teams must carry at least 12 active contracted and registered players, can have no more than 15 active players at any one time, and can move players in and out of active roster positions without a stand-down period.
The introduction of clear rules around agreement types, restricted players, Rapid League eligibility and finals qualification also gives teams a strong framework to build their rosters before the season begins.
Didn’t get your questions answered here? Have even more questions?
Hit us on league socials @tauihinz and we’ll make sure the next Q&A keeps you in the know.
