Italian Baseball League
The Italian Baseball League (IBL, Italian: Campionato italiano di baseball), officially known as the Serie A (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsɛːrje ˈa]), is the top-level baseball league in Italy. Founded in 1948, it is governed by the Italian Baseball & Softball Federation (FIBS), which has its headquarters in Rome.
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| First season | 1948 |
| President | Riccardo Fraccari |
| No. of teams | 33 |
| Country | Italy San Marino |
| Most recent champion(s) | UnipolSai Bologna |
| Most titles | Nettuno BC 1945 (17 titles) |
| Relegation to | Serie B |
| Official website | www.fibs.it |
Many of the teams are based in the northern Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, which has historically been the hotbed of baseball in the country; a team from the Republic of San Marino also plays in Serie A.
Like most professional sports leagues in Europe, and unlike professional baseball leagues in North America and Asia, the IBL uses a promotion and relegation system; the bottom five clubs are relegated to the Serie B minor league. Winners of the league are awarded a scudetto, and earn the right to represent Italy in the European Champions Cup.