Iran – team
The FIVB World League qualification process, which provides countries from four different zones around the world the chance to participate in the FIVB’s premier annual men’s competition by challenging the two teams who finished bottom of the previous World League competition, consists of two rounds.
The first round of qualifiers is played by four “challenger” teams coming from four zones: CEV, AVC, CAVB, and a zone formed by the two American confederations, CSV and NORCECA.
In a set formula for the first round, the CEV Challenger plays the NORCECA-CSV Challenger in one leg while the CAVB Challenger plays the AVC Challenger in the second leg. The Challenger with the highest world ranking in each leg hosts their opponent two times in the same weekend. The winner of each leg qualifies to the second round of the qualification process.
The second round sees the two winners from the first round (the two challengers) take on the two teams who finished the 2012 World League team in 15th and 16th position over two matches on the same weekend with the winner earning a spot in the 2013 edition. The two challengers have home advantage.
The opponent of each challenger is determined according to the Specific Competition Regulations, which include the following:
If a victorious challenger comes from the same continent as one of the two 2012 World League sides, then they will automatically play the team from the same continent.
If both victorious challengers are not from the same continent as the 2012 World League sides, the 2012 World League 15th team will play the challenger with the lowest world ranking and the 2012 World League 16th team will play the highest world-ranked of the two challengers.
The four challenger teams were determined by the following:
CEV – Netherlands (Euro League winners)
NORCECA-CSV – Dominican Republic (Best team at the Pan American Cup who had not already qualified for the World League)
CAVB – Egypt (Appointed by the confederation)
AVC – Iran (2011 Continental Championship winners)
The two 2012 World League teams are the following:
Team ranked 15th in the 2012 FIVB Volleyball World League: Japan
Team ranked 16th in the 2012 FIVB Volleyball World League: Portugal
Therefore, the first matches to be played in the World League 2013 Qualification Playoffs see the Netherlands take on the Dominican Republic in Rotterdam on August 24 and 25, while Egypt face Iran in Cairo on August 31 and September 2.
