The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) has three active tournaments, known as conferences, each one differs depending on the format, player eligibility, and the overall structure of the conference.
As of the 2024–25 All-Filipino Conference, the PVL has held 20 conferences over eight seasons.
The All-Filipino Conference was first held in 2017. In this conference, only professional players with Filipino citizenship can compete. Known as the Open Conference from 2017 to 2022, [1] it was originally catered to a hybrid of corporate-backed amateurs and collegiate squads when the league had not yet garnered its professional status. It has been held nine times as of the 2024–25 season.
The Reinforced Conference was first held in 2017. It is an import-laden conference where teams can hire foreign reinforcement(s). It has been held five times as of the 2024 season.
The Invitational Conference was first held in 2022. In this conference, foreign-based guest teams are invited to play in a short tournament against the local teams. [2] It has been held three times as of the 2024 season.
The Collegiate Conference was held from 2017 to 2019. This conference featured collegiate teams from various associations. Due to the PVL's professionalization, this conference can no longer be held and is succeeded by the revival of the V-League. [3] It was held three times during its lifetime.
The PVL on Tour was first held as a tournament in 2025. Named after the out-of-town series of the same name, this tournament puts greater emphasis on games held outside of Metro Manila, particular during the preliminary round. [4]
A traditional PVL season is composed of three conferences. Each conference takes place once per season with the order in which they are played varying each season. There are a few exceptions to this, however.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Philippine sports at the time, the PVL was only going to host two conferences for the 2021 season, the Open and Reinforced conferences, the latter of which was cancelled due to the continuing effects of the pandemic and national team preparations. [5]
The 2023 season featured a second All-Filipino Conference which replaced the intended Reinforced Conference due to sanctions imposed by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) for violating FIVB regulations. [6] This sanction temporarily barred teams from getting foreign players as the federation was forbidden from issuing international transfer certificates.
The 2024–25 season featured the PVL on Tour as an additional preseason tournament to accommodate the Philippines' hosting of the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship. [7]