The FUBA Appeals Tribunal has dismissed a joint appeal by JT Jaguars and Namuwongo Blazers, upholding the clearance of City Oilers stars Chad Bowie and Kurt Curry Wegscheider for the ongoing National Basketball League season.
The two clubs had challenged the Competitions Council’s decision, accusing it of jurisdictional overreach, procedural unfairness, and reliance on scanned documents instead of signed hard copies.
They argued that, under Article 3.05(h) of the FUBA Competition Rules, only physically signed documents submitted in person should be valid.
After three sittings, the Tribunal ruled that the clubs failed to prove any wrongdoing by the City Oilers, stating the team followed proper registration procedures and should not be penalized for alleged administrative gaps.
“No procedural irregularity is attributable to City Oilers BBC,” the Tribunal noted. “Clubs cannot be held liable for mistakes or omissions by the Competitions Council.”
The ruling also exposed loopholes in FUBA’s registration regulations, particularly on whether players must sign documents in person or can do so remotely.
To fix this, the Tribunal directed the Competitions Council to create clearer guidelines on player registration and clearance, including:
• Standardizing procedures for signing and verifying documents
• Allowing video confirmation for overseas signatures
• Publishing a full list of cleared players after the transfer window
• Permitting electronic amendments to team lists during the transfer period
With the appeal dismissed, Bowie and Wegscheider remain eligible as the Oilers continue their NBL title defense. The ruling sets a precedent until FUBA updates its registration rules.
The quarterfinal Playoff games between City Oilers and JT Jaguars are therefore scheduled to be played, tipping off Game One on Tuesday September 9, before Game Two on Friday September 12 and Game Three, two days later on Sunday.
