Dakari Johnson (right) of Qingdao Eagles looks on as his teammate Wang Qingming goes for a lay-up during the 38th round match between Jilin Northeast Tigers and Qingdao Eagles at the 2021-2022 season of the Chinese Basketball Association league in Shenyang of Northeast China's Liaoning province, March 21, 2022. (WANG YIJIE / XINHUA)

BEIJING - The 2022-23 Chinese Basketball Association season will kick off on Oct 10.

According to an announcement released by the league's governing body on Monday, 20 teams will participate in the new season, which features a total of 42 rounds during the regular season.

The 20 teams will be divided into four groups with five teams each. Each team will play in-group teams three times and out-of-group teams twice

The 20 teams will be divided into four groups with five teams each. Each team will play in-group teams three times and out-of-group teams twice. The top 12 finishers in the regular season will advance to the playoffs, which include round of 12, quarterfinals, semifinals and the finals.

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The first stage of the regular season will be played in a championship format for nine rounds between Oct 10 and 30, before Chinese national team members head for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

The CBA matches will resume after the qualifiers for its second stage, and are expected to adopt a home-and-away format.

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The 2022 CBA All-star Weekend, initially planned to take place in March, will be held from Oct 2 to 4.