National Club Championships

Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2012

 Click here to view the updated listing of the 2009-2014 Hosting Venues.

Administration

A lot of work from the Host Province, the CSA, and the NWT Soccer Association is put in to the organization, confirmation, and delivery of this event. Teams interested in attending the Club National Championships and representing Team NWT must submit a letter of intention to the NWT Soccer Association before February 21st of the year of the competition. This must be accompanied by a draft roster of the team and a cheque for $1000 (This amount is the penalty which a team withdrawing from the competition after the deadline would incur) made out to The NWT Soccer Association, which will be cashed and held as a deposit until the teams return from the competition and all outstanding fees and/or fines have been paid.

Before September 5th of the year of the competition, each team must submit:

  • Their CSA Team Credentials Form;
  • the Airline Tickets Spreadsheet;
  • their team uniform colours;
  • a team photo in electronic format;
  • digital pictures and the following information for each athlete and member of the coaching staff to create ID badges:
    • full name;
    • birth date;
    • NWTSA Membership number; 
    • affiliation i.e. Player, Coach, Trainer, NWTSA Rep etc..

Coaching Staff

Having a solid and committed Coaching Staff is the first step to ensure that teams from the NWT get the most out of their national competition experience. The CSA requires that all coaches have a minimum certification at the 'Community Coach' level.

This requirement is imposed by the NWT Soccer Association to ensure the safety of our members and to enhance the competition experience. Any coaching staff travelling to the competition must also complete the NWTSA’s ‘Respect In Sport’ program prior to departing for the competition.

All teams must have, at minimum, a Head Coach and a Team Manager who are not players on the team. This is an extremely important function because it will ensure the administration of the team is handled in a timely and professional fashion and relieve some of the responsibility of the coach(es) and provide additional support and supervision to the players. All coaching staff must also have a valid CPIC with vulnerable sector check on file with the NWTSA.

 Territorial Play-Downs

If there is more than one club team wishing to represent NWT Soccer at the Club Championship in the same competition in the same year, a territorial play-down will be completed before September 1st of that year.

The play-down will consist of a two (2) game play-down, the winner being determined by the total number of points (WIN = 3 pts, TIE = 1pt) after two matches. The first game can end in a tie, however, if the two teams are tied in points at the end of regulation time after the second match, one (1) overtime period, consisting of two (2) halves in which the length of each half shall be determined according to the age guidelines specified by the CSA. To determine a winner, "Total Points" are considered first, then "Goal Differential, then "Penalty Kicks".

If no winner has been determined after the overtime period, 5 kicks for each team of players present on the field when the match ends shall take kicks from the penalty mark. If after five (5) penalty kicks, no winner has been determined, sudden death kicks from the penalty mark will be used to determine the winner. The order of shooting for the sudden death penalty kicks must go through all eleven (11) players on the field each time before any player can kick again. For both the play-downs and the Club Nationals Competition itself, every player must have matching team jerseys and socks.

The NWT Soccer Association will provide up to three (3) certified match officials for the play-down. The NWT Soccer Association will cover the costs of their accommodations, game fees and transportation to and from the play-down. Any other costs associated with the play-down will be divided evenly amongst the teams competing and paid for prior to the competition.

The rules and guidelines of the National Club Championships state that each team attending the tournament must have a representative from their respective PSO/TSO to act as a liaison between the CSA and the individual teams. The NWTSA will coordinate the application process and split the costs for the representative to attend the competition (~50/50) with each team travelling to the competition. The representative will be given a per diem based on current Government of the Northwest Territory rates.

Competition

There are many requirements for teams traveling to the Club Nationals outlined in the Competitions Handbook that will be updated and distributed by the CSA each year. The CSA will book all flights for teams up to a maximum of 24 persons per team (4 coaching staff and 20 players) and provide a subsidy for 18 seats at a percentage based on the total number of teams attending the competition that year (~25-45%). The CSA also covers the cost of any ground transportation to and from the airport to the hotels assuming that teams aren't intending on making any deviation from the route from the airport to the hotels. Many of the logistical details regarding travel and accommodations will be announced and circulated to teams closer to the date of the competition and is the responsibility of the Local Organizaing Committee (LOC).

Teams are also required to bring a Northwest Territories flag to the competition as well as enough pins to trade with all scheduled opponents. This is the responsibility of the Team Manager to organize.

For a listing and rating of all clubs that have competed in the Canadian Club Championships from 1984-2008, please read Dick Labrom's Report.

Please click on the following link for a printable pdf version of the NWT Soccer Association's Club Nationals Policy.

DATE OF BOARD APPROVAL: September, 2011