Article 2 - Residency
2.1 Resident Canadian Citizens
a) To be eligible to compete as a player, coach or manager in a Canadian Championship, a Canadian citizen must be a bona fide resident of the province/territory that he/she will represent by the official residency date of the year of competition.
b) The Softball Canada official residency date is May 1st.
c) Canadian citizens enrolled in full-time study at a post-secondary educational institution will be exempt from the official residency date requirement provided they establish residence (in the province/territory that they will represent) immediately following completion of commitments at that institution.
d) Canadian citizens participating in professional sport competitions (other than softball or baseball) will be exempt from the official residency date requirement provided they establish residence (in the province/territory which they will represent) immediately following the event.
2.2 Landed Immigrant Status
a) All residence requirements for Canadian citizens represent minimum requirements for Canadian landed immigrants.
b) In addition, landed immigrants must have obtained their landed immigrant status prior to the official residency of the year of participation.
2.3 Non–Resident Canadian Citizens
a) Canadian citizens who do not reside in Canada may play in the Canadian Championships, provided they have the official approval of the province/ territory they will represent, subject to the following considerations:
i) The non-resident Canadian citizen shall play for his/her home province/ territory. In the event that he/she plays in a province/territory other than his/her home province/territory, the non-resident Canadian citizen shall have import status.
ii) The player shall make Softball Canada aware of the province/territory that he/she intends to play for by the official residency date of the year he/she will play. The player will indicate his/her intention by filling in a Non-Resident Canadian Eligibility Form and submitting a copy to Softball Canada and to the province/territory in which he/she intends to play.
iii) In the case that there shall be a dispute between two or more Provincial/
Territorial Associations regarding the player’s province/territory of eligibility, Softball Canada shall make this determination by July 2nd of the year of competition.
2.4 Non–Canadian Citizens
Players, Coaches and Managers that are not Canadian citizens or landed immigrants may participate in a Canadian Championship provided that they have been continuous residents of Canada for one calendar year prior to the dates of the championship in which they wish to participate and meet all other residency requirements.
2.5 Bylaw Registration Requirements
All players must meet Softball Canada Bylaw registration requirements as per Article 1.3 c) ii).
2.6 Provincial Non-Residents (Fast Pitch only)
a) i) In U21 Men’s (U23 effective 2018), all but one (1) player on any provincial/territorial representative team to a Canadian Championship must be a bona fide resident of that province/territory by the official residency date for the year of competition.
ii) In U18 Boys (U19 effective 2018), U18 Girls (U19 effective 2018), U21 Men’s (U23 effective 2018) Championships, all but six (6) players, and only two of these will be allowed to be pitchers, on any territorial representative team to a Canadian Championship must be a bona fide resident of that territory by the official residency date for the year of competition. With the release of the Province/Territory that the player is registered with.
b) In Men’s and Women’s Canadian Championships, all but two (2) players, and only one of these will be allowed to be a pitcher, on any Provincial/ Territorial representative team to a Canadian Championship must be a bona fide resident of that Province/Territory by the official residency date for the year of competition.
c) These exemptions will be granted to players who meet either of the following conditions:
i) Canadian citizens living outside of Canada who return to their home province after May 1 and register for softball participation purposes only; or
ii) Canadian citizens residing in Canada WHO DO NOT register with the provincial/territorial association where they resided prior to that provincial/ territorial date but choose to register with a different association of their choice. This registration must be complete by the registration date and the individual must obtain consent from the province/territory they reside in even if not registered in his/her province/territory of residence; or
iii) Any player who has completed his/her playing commitments within his/her registered province/territory can be picked up by another provincial/territorial representative team with the consent of both provinces/territories. These players will be considered imports and treated as such under Article 2.6 a-b.
iv) Any player registered in Slo-Pitch in any province/territory is eligible to be used as an import in Senior Canadian Fast Pitch Championships.
NOTE: Players residing outside of Canada who declare their intent to play for their home province prior to May 1st as per the guidelines set out in Article 2.3 are not considered imports and there is no limit on the number of returning players.
d) No player of U18 (U19 effective 2018) category age, or under, may exercise Provincial Non-Resident (”import”) status.
2.7 Definition of Residency
a) Residency requirements exist to provide an orderly registration of participants in Softball Canada’s Canadian Championships. In simplest terms, the participant must be a legal resident of the province/territory that he/she will represent at the championship.
b) Legal residency for Softball Canada purposes shall require the participant to reside in his/her province of participation on the official residency date. In determining residency, Softball Canada must be satisfied that the participant has shown a substantial connection to the Province or Territory. Establishment of residential status may be demonstrated by, but is not limited to, the following factors:
i) Proof of employment in the Province/Territory;
ii) Proof of medical insurance coverage in the Province/Territory, issued by said Province/Territory, in the form of a health care card. An application for a health card will not suffice;
iii) Proof of a domicile, mailing address and telephone listing in the Province/Territory of the player or legal guardian;
iv) In the case of participants 16 years of age or over, proof of possession of a driver’s license from the Province/Territory;
v) In the case of participants 18 years of age or over, proof of registration as a voter in the Province/Territory; and/or
vi) Proof of other factors that convincingly demonstrate a strong social or economic connection to the Province/Territory as requested by Softball Canada.
vii) Proof of full time attendance at an elementary school, high school or related work/study program in the Province/Territory.
c) One of the major intents of Article 2.7 b) vii) is to ensure that Minor softball players play in the Province/Territory where they are bona-fide residents and attend elementary school, high school, a related work/study program or work full-time.
d) Softball Canada shall make the determination as to legal residency.
