The football community lacks standardized levels of play. Age categories not only vary between regions, but also in their description, as some classify based on age (e.g. U11) while others use names (e.g. Atom). Categories also vary with respect to their age ranges. As a result, age categories are inconsistent with respect to the developmental stage of athletes, resulting in some that consist of larger gaps (e.g. 7, 8, 9 year olds) which can cause safety concerns. Larger age gaps may also result in younger athletes receiving limited developmental opportunities.

We caught up with Football Canada technical coordinator, Aaron Geisler, a member of the competition review committee, to learn more about the proposed strategies. Over the coming weeks, we’ll break down each of the eight gaps. Today’s series looks at gap one – levels of play.

Read more.

Rationale

A standardized system in-line with the LTAD would allow players across the country to compete in the same groupings. Confusion would be minimized when determining a standardized pathway for athletes to move from grassroots to high performance.

Two exceptions can be made:

1. If a player has no participation pathway, he/she can be moved to a different age group pending the approval of the PSO.
2. If the current age category does not fit the developmental age of the player, he/she can be moved up or down an age category pending the approval of the PSO.

Under designation
	Ages
U8	6, 7
U10	8, 9
U12	10, 11
U14	12, 13
U16	14, 15
U18	16, 17
18+	18 and older

Timeline: 2018.

Tackle football lacks a true off-season in Canada. The sport continues to grow and with it, so do the opportunities to compete. Playing additional games is seen as a means to get ahead. Leagues now play in the fall while an increasing number of spring or summer leagues are becoming available in many regions across Canada. In addition, during the fall season, some players choose to participate on two tackle football teams concurrently (e.g. high school and club football). In all, players may be members of three separate teams; playing 30 or more, full tackle football games a year.

Currently, players are also free to participate in an unlimited number of out-of-season tackle football games (e.g. all-star games). There is currently little regulation of these types of games. In addition to adding to players total games played, questions arise as to whether or not these types of contests are properly insured, have coaching staffs that are properly trained, or if they are being run by reputable organizations. Currently, the NCAA limits high school seniors to two of these types of games of which USA Football’s national teams are exempt.

We caught up with Football Canada technical coordinator, Aaron Geisler, a member of the competition review committee, to learn more about the proposed strategies. Over the next few weeks, we’ll break down each of the eight gaps. Today’s series looks at gap two – the number of games and length of season.

Read more.

Rationale

Playing two seasons concurrently (at the same time) dramatically increases the risks of injury. Proper recovery is necessary for optimal athletic performance and limiting risks such as burnout or injuries.

Playing two seasons at the same time also doubles the number of games played in a week, therefore diminishing time for practice and development.

Rather than adding repetitions through in-game tackle football competition through enrollment in a second team or season, athletes looking to develop would have more success through participation in out-of-season Player Development Programs or non-contact leagues.

Implementation process

A tracking system will be implemented through the online registration platform. Consequences for infringing this rule may result in disqualification for the team and/or suspension for the player(s).

Timeline: 2017.

Rationale

Allowing for proper rest and recover reduces the risk of injury, and maximizes weekly practice and preparation time. A longer recovery time between games would also enable player’s sufficient time to work through the return-to-play protocol and may deter some players from rushing through the protocol to return to competition during a short practice week.

Implementation Process

Tracking of players dressed for participation in competition through the online registration system.

Timeline: 2017.

• Exceptions:
  • Tournaments and jamborees from national and provincial high-performance programs

Rationale

Some out-of-season tackle football games offer little developmental benefits, whether the benefits are developmental or exposure. Adding in-game tackle football competitions increases the potential risk of injury for athletes. These additional competitions also reduce player’s ability to play other sports as well as focus on off-season activities such as strength and conditioning as well as skill development (e.g. Player Development Program).

Implementation Process

An application process for PSO and Football Canada sanctioned events would be established in addition to the creation of a committee to review applications. An athlete can participate in up to 5 sanctioned events and tracking would be done through the online registration system.

Timeline: 2019.

Category	Weeks per year
U8	No Contact Football
U10	10 + 1 Safe Contact Week
U12	12 + 1 Safe Contact Week
U14	13 + 1 Safe Contact Week
U16	15 + 1 Safe Contact Week
U18	16 + 1 Safe Contact Week

Rationale

Playing too many games can lead to burnout or to overuse injuries. Additionally, health and safety issues may arise when playing on two teams concurrently. For example, a coach may be unaware that a player on their roster has sustained an injury in another league (e.g. concussion) and are supposed to be following the return-to-play protocol. This can lead to various liability issues.

Having a true off-season is important for a number of reasons. Players not only need proper rest and recovery but can use time away from competition to work on skill development, conditioning as well as to play other sports.

The CIS calendar was used as a framework and through the use of LTAD principles, guidelines were produced to prepare athletes for this and other high performance levels.

Implementation Process

Reconfiguration of yearly schedules, including pre-season, in-season and off-season, to fit the number of weeks per year allowed of tackle football. Tracking will be done through an online registration system.

Timeline: 2021-2022.

Category	Male	Female
U8	Non-contact	Non-contact
U10	Non-contact or 6-a-side	Non-contact or 6-a-side
U12	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side	Non-contact or 6-a-side, 9-a-side
U14	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side
U16	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side
U18	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side
18+	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side	Non-contact, 6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side

Note: Males and Females may participate together up to U14, but it is recommended that if numbers allow, female participants should be provided their own participation programs specifically in the contact stream starting at U10.

Rationale

The modified versions of the game offer more development opportunities, especially at the younger levels. They offer more playing time, more involvement in the action and better coach-to-athlete ratios. The gradual progression will ensure optimal athletic and tactical development at each developmental stage.

Implementation Process

PSOs will adjust their leagues to fit the progression.

Timeline: 2019.

Mandating a team’s roster size at the start of a season with a minimum number of players makes sure teams have enough players to continue during a season should in-season injuries occur.

The recommended maximum to begin thinking of alternative options is a threshold at which having too many players restricts the ability for all players to get playing time or adequate development opportunities.

	Minimum to start season	Minimum to play game	Recommended to play a game	Maximum to begin thinking of other alternative options
Touch 5’s	7	5	7	13
Touch 7’s	9	7	9	17
Flag 5’s	7	5	7	13
Flag 7’s	9	7	9	17
6-a-side	9	8	10	17
9-a-side	17	13	15	30
12-a-side	30	24	28	45

Timeline: 2017.

Not enough time is dedicated to fundamental movement skills and skill development during the FUNdamental (ages 6-9) and Learn to Train (ages 10-12) stages. Instead, competition and strategy are over-emphasized, resulting in early specialization. In many cases, players never get to try multiple positions on offence or defence which can have adverse effects on their development.

The football system is also not standardized when it comes to the types of football, best suited to early levels play. In some parts of the country, young players may start with 12-a-side football while others begin with modified football such as flag, 6 or 9-a-side, and work their way towards 12-on-12.

We caught up with Football Canada technical coordinator, Aaron Geisler, a member of the competition review committee, to learn more about the proposed strategies. Over the next few weeks, we’ll break down each of the eight gaps. Today’s series focuses on gaps three and four—practice plans and calendars.

Read more.

Rationale

Creating a standardized practice calendar would assist coaches and leagues better align their programs with the LTAD plan.

Implementation Process

Football Canada’s content experts will develop standardized, yearly practice calendars for U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, and U18 age groups. These practice calendars will outline the number of practices, type of practices (contact vs non-contact), length of practices, frequency of practices as well as the allocation of game time.
Timeline: 2020-2021.

There is currently no guide with respect to how many practices or amount of contact in practice is best for specific ages. Not enough time is dedicated to fundamental movement skills and skill development during the FUNdamental (ages 6-9) and Learn to Train (ages 10-12) stages. Instead, competition and strategy are over-emphasized, resulting in early specialization. In many cases, players never get the opportunity to try multiple positions on offence or defence which can have adverse effects on their development.

The football system is also not standardized when it comes to the types of football, best suited to early levels play. In some parts of the country, young players may start with 12-a-side tackle football while others begin with modified football such as flag, 6 or 9-a-side, and work their way towards 12-on-12.

We caught up with Football Canada technical coordinator, Aaron Geisler, a member of the competition review committee, to learn more about the proposed strategies. Over the next few weeks, we’ll break down each of the eight gaps. Today’s series focuses on gaps three and four—practice plans and calendars.

Read more.

Rationale

These early stages of play are vital, as they provide the foundation for future success. As described in the LTAD plan, all athletes are more likely to succeed, if early in life, they develop a wide range of movement, balance and object control skills.

A focus on strategies such as special teams or executing complicated play calls is very difficult, given the cognitive capacity of players at these age levels (e.g. attention span, memory capacity). Significant time in practice is devoted to teaching players strategy instead of skill development.

Implementation Process

A committee of experts will create season-long practice plans where every practice is mapped out for coaches to follow. The practice plans will be adapted to appropriate developmental stages in an effort to provide the best development opportunities for athletes.

An online coaching education module will also be created so that coaches can have easy and convenient access to coach education in an effort to better align their coaching methods with the development stage of their athletes.

Timeline: 2018.

Rationale

Creating a standardized practice calendar would assist coaches and leagues better align their programs to the LTAD (see Appendix C).

These early stages of play are vital, as they provide the foundation for future success. As described in the LTAD plan, all athletes are more likely to succeed, if early in life, they develop a wide range of movement, balance and object control skills.

A focus on strategies such as special teams or executing complicated play calls is very difficult, given the cognitive capacity of players at these age levels (e.g. attention span, memory capacity). Significant time in practice is devoted to teaching players strategy instead of skill development.

Implementation Process

A committee of experts will create season-long practice plans where every practice is mapped out for coaches to follow. The practice plans will be adapted to appropriate developmental stages in an effort to provide the best development opportunities for athletes.

An online coaching education module will also be created so that coaches can have easy and convenient access to coach education in an effort to better align their coaching methods with the development stage of their athletes.

 

U8 (non-contact [flag and touch] only)
	Off-season	Pre-season	Safe Contact week (1 week before Pre-season)	In-season
Number of practices	None allowed	None	3 practices allowed	2 practices/week
Length of practices	N/A	N/A	60 minutes max.	60 minutes
Two-a-days	N/A	N/A	N/A	None allowed
Number of games	None allowed	None allowed	N/A	4 games max. 1 developmental game (recommended)

 

U10
	Off-Season	Safe Contact week (1 week before Pre-season)	Pre-season (1 weeks before 1st game week)	In-season
Number of practices	None allowed	3 practices allowed	3 practices allowed	2 practices/week
Contact to non-contact ratio	N/A	Helmets only	First 2 practices must be helmets only with optional 3rd practice being full pads	30 minutes max. of contact per practice
Length of practices	N/A	60 minutes max.	60 minutes max.	60 minutes max.
Two-a-days	N/A	N/A	N/A	None allowed
Number of games	None allowed	N/A	None allowed	6 games max. (4 regular season, 2 playoffs), 1 developmental game

 

U12
	Off-Season	Safe Contact week (1 week before Pre-season)	Pre-season (1 week before 1st game week)	In-season
Number of practices	None allowed	3 practices allowed	4 practices allowed	3 practices maximum/week
Contact to non-contact ratio	N/A	Helmets only	1 practice with helmets onlyNo contact practices two days in a row	3 practices/1 must be helmets only
Length of practices	N/A	60 minutes max.	90 minutes max.	90 minutes max.
Two-a-days	N/A	N/A	None allowed	None allowed
Number of games	None allowed	N/A	None allowed	8 games max. (6 regular season, 2 playoffs)1 developmental game

 

U14
	Off-Season	Safe Contact week (1 week before Pre-season)	Pre-season (1 week before 1st game week)	In-season
Number of practices	None allowed	3 practices allowed	4 practices allow	3 practices maximum/week
Contact to non-contact ratio	N/A	Helmets only	Must have 1 practice with helmets No contact practices two days in a row	3 practices/1 must be helmets only
Length of practices	N/A	60 minutes max.	90 minutes max.	90 minutes max.
Two-a-days	N/A	N/A	None allowed	None allowed
Number of games	None allowed	N/A	None allowed	9 games max. (6 regular season, 3 playoff)1 developmental game

 

U16
	Off-Season	Safe Contact week (1 week before Pre-season)	Pre-season (2 weeks before 1st game week)	In-season
Number of practices	10 maximum	3 practices allowed	6 practices minimum8 practices maximum	4 practices maximum/week
Contact to non-contact ratio	All non-contact	Helmets only	Maintain a 3 contact/1 non-contact practice ratio	4 practices/2 must be helmets only3 practices/1 must be helmets only
Length of practices	120 minutes	60 minutes max.	120 minutes max.	120 minutes max.
Two-a-days	None allowed	N/A	None allowed	None allowed
Number of games	None allowed	N/A	None allowed	10 games max. (1, exhibition, 6 regular season, 3 playoff)

 

U18
	Off-season	Safe Contact week (1 week before Pre-season)	Pre-season (2 weeks before 1st game week)	In-season
Number of practices	10 maximum	3 practices allowed	6 practices minimum15 practices maximum	4 practices maximum/week
Contact to non-contact ratio	All non-contact	Helmets only	Maintain a 3 contact/1 non-contact ratio	4 practices/2 must be helmets only3 practices/1 must be helmets only
Length of practices	120 minutes	60 minutes max.	120 minutes max.	120 minutes max.
Two-a-days	None allowed	N/A	4 two-a-days maximumOnly 1 padded practice allowed in a two-a-day	None allowed
Number of games	None allowed	N/A	None allowed	12 games max. (1 exhibition, 8 regular season, 3 playoff)

 

Timeline: 2021-2022.

The current system has room to grow football’s non-contact streams across Canada. The lack of programming in the FUNdamental and Learn to Train stages are counter-intuitive, as they’re well suited for the sport’s introduction while promoting fundamental skill development. There’s also a lack of programming in the Active for Life (non-competitive and senior league, recreation) stage.

We caught up with Football Canada technical coordinator, Aaron Geisler, a member of the competition review committee, to learn more about the proposed strategies. Over the next few weeks, we’ll break down each of the eight gaps. Today’s series focuses on gaps five and seven—non-contact programming and female development pathways.

Read more.

Rationale

Non-contact football is a great opportunity to help introduce young athletes to the sport while teaching many of the fundamental skills required to be proficient in sport at later stages of development. Non-contact football also provides a safe and fun way for youth to interact with the sport without having to worry about contact. In addition, non-contact football requires less equipment which may reduce start-up costs and can be played on a greater number of playing surfaces.

Implementation Process

Football Canada and its partners will work together to help develop standardized non-contact programming that can be distributed across the country.

Timeline: 2017.

Rationale

Non-contact football is a great avenue to promote sport for life and keep former tackle athletes participating in the game of football. It is also an opportunity to introduce adults who have not participated in the tackle context to enjoy football for fun, exercise and competition.

Implementation Process

To be determined with provincial partners.

Timeline: 2019.

The current system does not allow for athletes to play at appropriate competition levels at all stages. Regardless of skill level (development age), players of the same chronological age compete against one another. In addition, players of lesser ability as compared to their peers are sometimes cut from teams.

We caught up with Football Canada technical coordinator, Aaron Geisler, a member of the competition review committee, to learn more about the proposed strategies. Over the next few weeks, we’ll break down each of the eight gaps. The last installment of our series focuses on gaps six and eight—appropriate competition levels and high performance pathways.

Read more.

Rationale

Especially at younger ages, lesser skilled players may benefit from additional coaching, playing time or off-season opportunities to bridge developmental gaps.

Implementation Process

With a limited number of spots on a roster, players would go through a tiering process where the top players participate in one level and the less developed players will play in separate levels where numbers allow.

The tiering process would use the different modifications of the game (6-a-side, 9-a-side, 12-a-side). For example, at the Atom level, 6-a-side and 9-a-side are being used. For tier-1, the more advanced players would play 9-a-side where the complexity of the systems would be more suitable to their development. For tier-2, the less developed players would play 6-a-side where they can have more development opportunities and coach interaction.

The tiering for the playoffs would consists of different playoff brackets where the teams are grouped according to their regular season standings. For example, in a 12 team league, the first four teams would compete in their own championship. Teams finishing 5-8 would form their own playoff draw while the 9-12 seeded teams would also compete in a tier-3 playoff. In this fashion, teams would compete against similar competition and have a shot at a championship.

Timeline: 2020.

The current system does not provide a standardized pathway for female participation and development. The effect of this gap is evident through a lack of female specific programming at the Learn to Train (9-11), Train to Train (11-15) and Learn to Compete (15-17) age groups. The current system primarily introduces female athletes to the sport of football through non-contact streams or by playing in predominantly male tackle leagues. A number of female athletes either rejoin the sport or become introduced to football at the senior (18+) level.

We caught up with Football Canada technical coordinator, Aaron Geisler, a member of the competition review committee, to learn more about the proposed strategies. Over the next few weeks, we’ll break down each of the eight gaps. Today’s series focuses on gaps five and seven—non-contact programming and female development pathways.

Read more.

Rationale

Having programs across the country to service female participants is crucial for the development of our sport. Collecting quality feedback from our current female participants on how to grow and develop those programs is the best approach to eliminate this particular gap.

Implementation Process: Completed

Timeline: 2017.

There are currently no standardized U14 and U16 high performance pathways. A number of provinces lack U14, U16 and U18 regional and/or provincial championships which would prepare athletes for national and international competition in their later years. This gap includes both male and female tackle as well as non-contact football.

We caught up with Football Canada technical coordinator, Aaron Geisler, a member of the competition review committee, to learn more about the proposed strategies. Over the next few weeks, we’ll break down each of the eight gaps. The last installment of our series focuses on gaps six and eight—appropriate competition levels and high performance pathways.

Read more.

Rationale

The creation of regional and provincial championships would introduce players to higher level competition in preparation for national and/or international competition. Such competition could also be used to identify players for regional or provincial teams in addition to allowing players to test themselves against elite competition. Elements such as strength and conditioning, physical testing and tracking could also be gradually introduced in preparation for national and international play.

Note: The gap is currently at the U14 and U16 levels, where no real high performance teams or opportunities are offered (changes are highlighted).

Implementation Process

U14 level

Provincial championships would follow one of two systems. The first consists of a provincial championship extending from a local league’s playoffs where the league’s winning teams would meet in a provincial playoff draw, leading to a provincial championship game.

The second system is more suited to provinces with large populations located in a few major centres (e.g. Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). Each geographical region would put together an all-star team that would compete in a 2 or 3 game tournament like the Canada Cup.

U16 level

The provincial championship would follow one of the two formats as described above at the U14 level.

The regional championship would consist of an inter-provincial tournament where provincial teams within a region of Canada would compete against one another. For example, a western Canadian regional championship could consist of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba while an eastern Canadian regional championship could consist of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

U18 level

The regional championship would follow the same format as the U16 regional championship.

Timeline: 2019-2020.

 

Male Tackle Football
	Current	Proposed
U14	No championships	Provincial championships only
U16	Provincial championships (sometimes provided) Regional championships (sometimes provided) Red River Cup, Spalding Cup	Provincial championships Regional championships
U18	National championship (Canada Cup) International competitions International Bowl IFAF U19 (Junior) World Championship	Regional championships (Tier-2 Canada Cup athletes) National championship (Canada Cup) Pursue national multi-sport games (e.g. Canada Games) International competitions International Bowl IFAF U19 (Junior) World Championship
18+	Vanier Cup (CIS) Canadian Bowl (CJFL) International competitions International Bowl U19 (Junior) World Championship Senior World Championship	Vanier Cup (CIS) Canadian Bowl (CJFL) Pursue national and international multi-sport games (e.g. Olympics) International competitions International Bowl U19 (Junior) World Championship Senior World Championship

 

Female Tackle Football
	Current	Proposed
U14	No championships	Provincial championships
U16	No championships	Regional championships
U18	Women’s National Championship	Women’s National Championship Pursue national multi-sport games (e.g. Canada Games)
18+	International competitions Women World Championship	International competitions Women World Championship Pursue national and international multi-sport games (e.g. Olympics)

 

Non-contact Football (male and female)
	Current	Proposed
U14	No championships	Provincial championships
U16	Flag Nationals U16 category	Provincial championships Regional championships Flag Nationals U16 category
U18	Flag Nationals U18 category	Regional championships Flag Nationals U18 category Pursue national multi-sport games (e.g. Canada Games)
18+	U20 Flag National Flag World Championship	U20 Flag Nationals (all-star provincial team) Flag World Championship Pursue national and international multi-sport games (e.g. Olympics) Football Canada non-contact league (PSO act as divisions) 18+ Flag National Championship