Last year the tournament had to be shelved after the Botswana Football Association (BFA) barred Township Rollers, Extension Gunners and Mochudi Centre Chiefs from participating in any tournament not sanctioned by the mother body. The resolution was an enforcement of Section 23.1 of the BFA Play Rules and Regulations, which states: "No club shall participate in any event that is a non- official BFA event or game or an event or game not officially sanctioned by the Association, which consent shall be sought before no less than six weeks before the date of the said event or game taking place."
But the three clubs dragged BPL to the National Appeals Board and it was ruled, by consent, that the clubs were free to negotiate and participate in events like the Kabelano Cup. The judgment, dated November 9, reads: "Notwithstanding the current dispute between parties as to whether or not there was an undertaking made by the Premier League teams at the Premier League Board of Governors meeting on November 13, 2010 not to participate Kabelano Charity Cup, the Premier League places it on record that the Premier League General Assembly of June 19, 2011 resolved that the teams are free to negotiate all terms of participation and participate in friendly events such as Kabelano, provided that such events do not take place during the football season as defined by the BFA constitution."
