Finalizing the schedule for the 2026 National Volleyball Championship

The Vietnam Department of Sports and the Vietnam Volleyball Federation have officially issued the regulations for the 2026 National Volleyball Championship, incorporating important changes in the competition format.

Vietnam Department of Sports and the Federation Vietnam Volleyball Federation have officially released the rules for the 2026 National Volleyball Championship with key professional modifications.

According to the timeline, the first round will take place from April 6 to April 19, 2026, in Đông Anh district (Hanoi). The second phase and the finals will be held separately: the women's competition will be hosted in Vĩnh Long from October 14 to October 25, while the men's matches will be held at the Ho Chi Minh City Police Sports Center from October 28 to November 8, 2026.

The most notable change for the 2026 season is the adjustment in the competition format. Unlike 2025, when teams played a single round-robin, in 2026 both men's and women's teams will compete in a double round-robin to determine rankings from 1 to 8. Therefore, each team will play 14 group stage matches instead of the previous 7.

After completing the two phases, the organizers will select the top 4 teams to advance to the finals to compete for the championship, while the remaining 4 teams will play classification matches. According to federation representatives, increasing the match frequency allows teams more chances to recover from mistakes and enhances competitiveness and professional quality throughout the season.

Regarding personnel, the foreign player registration rules remain unchanged to maintain stability. Each club can transfer up to 2 foreign players, but only one foreign player is allowed on the court at any given time.

Foreign players hired must comply with the Volleyball Federation world volleyball (FIVB) transfer regulations and cannot be on the roster of teams currently competing in the A-league. Additionally, each team may register a preliminary list of 20 domestic players, with personnel changes or additions in phase 2 limited to no more than 3 players compared to the initial list.

The 2026 tournament gathers the top 16 teams nationwide. The men's division includes reigning champion Biên Phòng, Thể Công Tân Cảng, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Ninh Bình, Hanoi, Đà Nẵng, Sanest Khánh Hòa, and Ho Chi Minh City.

The women's division features the defending champion VTV Bình Điền Long An along with rivals Ninh Bình, Thông tin - Đông Bắc, Công Thương Bank, Đức Giang Lào Cai Chemicals, Thanh Hóa, Hưng Yên, and Hanoi.

With a prolonged competition format demanding high consistency, the 2026 national championship promises to be an intense battle testing both the physical endurance and tactical skills of the teams.