Tryouts - Procedures

TRYOUT ELIGIBILITY, EXEMPTIONS, RELEASES, POLICIES

Eligibility

• For insurance purposes, all players must be registered for the current season with Ringette Ontario to be eligible to participate in APRA tryouts.
• All players must complete an advanced tryout registration form to attend APRA tryouts.
• A player will not be eligible for a position on an APRA A or AA level team unless they have attended at least one APRA tryout.
• A player will not be eligible for a release to play on a neighbouring association’s A or AA level team unless they have attended at least one APRA tryout at the same level. 

Tryout Exemptions

If a player is unable to attend one or more tryout dates for a valid reason (i.e. injured, illness, away at school, traveling out of country) but still intends to try out, they must request in writing an exemption from the APRA President in advance of the 1^st tryout date.

If a tryout exemption is granted, a player may be given an additional opportunity to tryout at a later date. Alternatively, the player may also be placed at the level where the player has consistently played, without evaluation. The decision regarding whether to extend additional tryout opportunities or consider immediate team placement rests with the APRA Board and will be determined after consultation with the Team Selection Committee.

Home Association

All players are able to participate in another centre’s tryouts; however, the following is taken from the Ringette Ontario's Athlete Release Policy, (updated Mar 2023) which states:

Section 2.11 - Each year a player’s first loyalty must be to their home association. If the home association hosts a tryout for their level of play a player must attend, and if selected for a team, they must remain with their home association.

Attending Tryouts in Another Association

It is common for some players to attend another association’s tryouts. For instance, a player's home association may not be hosting the age/level the player is interested in playing during the upcoming season, and, they are open to the option of playing A or AA level ringette in another centre. Players may also choose to do so if uncertain of being selected for their home association’s team. A player may also use the opportunity to help them prepare for their home association’s tryouts.

A player is no longer required to seek permission if they wish to tryout with another association.

Release to Play in Another Association

In cases where a player is requesting a release to play in another association, Ringette Ontario’s Athlete Release Form (updated Mar 2023) must be completed and signed by all applicable parties if one or more of the following criteria have been met as outlined in the Ringette Ontario's Athlete Release Policy:

Section 2.2 - A player may subsequently be released to play in another association for the following reasons:

2.2.1. Level of play not available*
2.2.2. Age group not available*
2.2.3. Other

*The player must have attended their home association’s tryouts and have not been offered a position on the team, OR, the home association is not offering the Level of Play for the upcoming season.

NOTE: A player can tentatively accept an offer to join another centre, pending the results of their home association tryouts (i.e. a host association’s tryouts might occur before the home association’s tryouts). If the player ends up not being selected for the home association team, they would then be eligible to accept a position with the other host association. 

Player Movement Policy

Per Ringette Ontario’s Athlete Release Form, player movement is governed as follows: 

1. Releases Within Central Region:

Provided all Player Release guidelines are met, current Central Region policy regarding "Closest Association" allows for a player to accept an offer to play with any other Central Region association. 

Section 2.13 - The associations within the player’s home Region will have priority over associations in another Region regardless of proximity. The Executive of the player’s home Region will resolve any disputed situations.

2. Releases Outside Central Region:

If the level of play is not available within Central Region, or, a player has not been offered a position on a Central Region team, only then would a Player Release be granted to a player who wishes to accept a position on a team in another Region (Southern Region - e.g. Markham, Richmond Hill, etc.), as per the following policies found in the Ontario Ringette Association Operating Manual, Membership Services section, which state:

Section 2.14 - Where a release is approved by the player’s Home Region for release to another Region, determination of closest association shall be governed by the Receiving Region’s policy.

QUESTIONS? ... Contact the APRA President