New LKL Sponsored by Betsson Season Unveiled: Debutant Club, Rule Changes, and Historic Additions Among the Referees

A press conference held on Wednesday at Citadele Bank's headquarters in Vilnius officially launched the upcoming 2026–2027 season of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL), sponsored by Betsson.

With the addition of debutants Tauragė, the league returns to a ten-team format. As a result, fans tuning into BTV can look forward to two showcase games each weekend, while every single fixture throughout the season will be broadcast live on Telia Play.

Key rule updates were also introduced for the upcoming campaign. Going forward, whenever the attacking team turns over the ball (excluding fouls) in the opposition's frontcourt, the defending side may execute the throw-in immediately without referee intervention—a protocol similar to the one implemented in Spain's Liga ACB in recent years.

Furthermore, the officiating criteria for technical and unsportsmanlike fouls have been revised. Technical fouls will now be split into Category 1 and Category 2 offenses, while unsportsmanlike fouls are being replaced by two distinct categories: disruptive and flagrant fouls.

The referee corps also features several new additions, most notably Milita Stalaučinskaitė, who makes history as the first female referee selected to officiate in the league.

The new season tips off immediately: on Thursday, Gargždai host defending champions Žalgiris Kaunas in the opening fixture.