Canadian Championships

The Softball Canada Men's and Women's Canadian Slo-Pitch Championships is the most prestigious tournament in Canada where the top Men's and Women's slo-pitch teams from every Province and Territory battle for GOLD - the ultimate award to be earned in slo-pitch in this country.

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CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION AS A CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP REPRESENTATIVE^

(Rev'd November, 2009)

Ontario #1: Elimination Champions (if Canadian Defending Champ, then Elimination Finalist).

Ontario #2: Provincial Champions (if Defending Champ or Ontario #1, then Provincial Finalist, and if Finalist is Defending Champion or Ontario #1, then third place finisher).

Ontario #3 (if applicable*): The Team with the highest Point Total of Super Series "A" Division not already selected.

Ontario #4 (if applicable*): The Team winning the Canadian Qualifier.

Ontario #5 (if applicable*): If Defending Champ is from Ontario, and if applicable.

Successful teams are eligible for the Canadian Championships the year following their qualifying Event.

Qualified Men's teams must compete in the Eliminations and four (4) Super Series Events, including the Provincial Championships, in the year of the Canadian Championships.

Qualified Women's teams must compete in the Eliminations and three (3) Super Series Events, including the Provincial Championships, in the year of the Canadian Championships.

* Softball Canada Special Operating Rules (SOR) allow each Province one (1) berth. Since up to sixteen (16) teams are allowed, Ontario, due to its size, is guaranteed a second berth. If space is available, under the present Rules, Ontario may receive up to a maximum of four (4) berths. Defending Champions will not be included in the four (4) berths. Host Team (if applicable) must be included in the four (4) berths.

Teams must be aware that there is no guarantee the 3rd and 4th berths will be available every year, and cannot be confirmed until after the May 1st commitment date.

Teams must use their Qualifying Rosters, plus three (3) eligible pick-ups, to a maximum of seventeen (17) players, as per Softball Canada SOR's.

To be eligible for participation, all teams must be members in good standing of Slo-Pitch Ontario and be approved by the SPO Board of Directors. Slo-Pitch Ontario reserves the right to revise this Criteria at any time.

CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTERS

The Issue: Since teams qualify the year previous to the Championships, each year one or more qualified teams asked to be allowed to pick up additional players. It appears these difficulties have occurred because players leave a qualified team to play for another team the following year with the understanding they will be playing at the Canadian Championships for their new team as a pick-up. The outcome is the original team, even with the three pick-ups, ends up struggling to get sufficient players for their Canadian Championship roster.

The Restrictions: Teams have said they definitely want to qualify the previous year. The Softball Canada Special Operating Rules (SOR) states that teams must use only players on their Qualifying Roster and a team may add a maximum of three (3) pick-ups.

The Solution: As a result of the request of the teams to be allowed additional pick-ups when players left their team, the Slo-Pitch Ontario Board of Directors met and examined the situation. They agreed that something was needed to stop players from moving to other teams that will be participating in the Canadian Championships. First, the Board reaffirmed that they could not allow additional pick-ups but must follow the Softball Canada SOR's and only allow three (3) pick-ups.

The Board of Directors then unanimously adopted the following policy: Players on the Qualifying Roster of a team accepting a Canadian Championship berth may only play for that team at the Canadian Championships. If they leave a qualified team to play for a different team during the season of the Championship, they may not play for this team at the Championships. The only team (this includes other P/T teams) they may play for at the Canadian Championship is their original team.

Note: This policy came into effect at the beginning of the 2008 season.