The Western Australian Basketball League (WABL) is WA’s premier junior basketball league catering for players for all age groups.
Currently WABL is currently comprised of 13 basketball associations from as far north as Joondalup, east to Mundaring and south to Bunbury.
The Cockburn Basketball Association has 33 (15x girls and 18x boys) teams in the 2023 WABL competition, ranging from 9 year olds through to adults in our Under 20 and Men’s and Women’s teams.
For each age group (U12/14/16/18/20) there are 5 or 6 divisions, with associations able to enter up to 4x teams across each age group.
WABL trials commence as part of the State Championships process in October, with the grading tournament following in Feb/March, and the season running April to September.
Following the season, trials re-open for the Basketball WA State Championships / WABL trial process, a tournament played across five different weekends in November and December.
For all Cockburn Cougar athletes and female players interested in 2025 WABL trials, registrations will re-open in September 2024
Please note if you are a male Non-Cougar domestic/WABL or State Championship athlete you are not guaranteed a trial.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
a) Do I need to be playing in the Cockburn Domestic competition to play WABL for the Cougars?
All athletes who trial for a Cockburn Cougars WABL team are selected in accordance with our player selection policy that outlines the most up to date guidelines on Cockburn domestic basketball. You can find the player selection policy below.
Our selection policy can be found HERE.
However, all male athletes engaging in WABL 2024 must already be in a CBA domestic team by the trial date. You can email competitions@cougarfamily.com for more information. If no teams are available, CBA has a level of discretion in each individual case.
b) How much does it cost to play WABL basketball?
Representative basketball has different costs at various stages of the year.Athletes are required to purchase a training uniform and playing shorts, these are available through our merchandise store. Fees associated with WABL / State Championships basketball include, but are not limited to:
| 2024 WABL Pre-Season fee (including grading) | $130 |
| 2024 WABL Season Fees | $440 (full-time) / $220 (train-on athlete) |
| WABL Game Fee (weekly throughout the season) | $15 per player – no spectator fee |
| 2024 State Championships Registration Fee | TBA |
| 2024 State Championships Tournament Fee | TBA |
c) How old do I have to be to play WABL basketball?
In our U12 Cougar teams, we have had athletes commence as young as 8. However, most start at ages 9-11. There is no hard and fast rule, with Cockburn Basketball happy to provide information on each individual should a parent be unsure.
d) What is the grading tournament?
The WABL competition is split into multiple divisions (1-6). The purpose of the grading tournament, played over multiple weekends for each age group, is to decide which division each Cockburn team belongs in.
For example, the Cockburn Cougars Under 14 boys team one will enter the grading tournament and be placed in either division one or two. Just because you are selected in a Cockburn first team, does not necessarily mean you will play in WABL division 1.
In addition, a Cockburn Cougars Under 14 boys team two may enter the grading tournament and qualify for division one, two or three.
This has been designed to place teams in the most suitable division to ensure as much competitive basketball as possible across the WABL season.
Selection Policy & Guidelines
The Cockburn Basketball Association implements the following policies and guidelines for the WABL / State Championships program.
