The Ontario Cup, Ontario Soccer’s Provincial Soccer Championship, is the largest and oldest Club competition of its kind in Canada. The first Ontario Cup was staged in 1915 and has operated annually, with the exception of the World War II period and during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Ontario Soccer’s 2021 Ontario Cup will mark the 105th year of the Competition.
Each year, 12,000 athletes from all across the province compete for the Championship. The competition commences in May, with more than 600 teams drawn into either a Knock-Out round or a Round-Robin style tournament. The Ontario Cup Tournament culminates with the Final Round hosted at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan, Ontario, with the added prize of a National Club Championship in the Under 15's, Under 17's, Men's and Women's divisions. The Ontario Cup is classified under Long Term Player Development as a “Soccer For Life” competition.
The Ontario Cup is open to teams from Under 13 to Senior Open. Previously, teams were only permitted to enter the Ontario Cup in the division in which they were registered. For example, if a team was registered as an Under 17 team, the team was required to enter the Under 17 division of the Ontario Cup.
This Ontario Cup Competition Rule has been reviewed and will be changing for the 2021 edition of Ontario Cup.
In 2021, teams that enter the Ontario Cup, must enter the division which matches the League age and division which the team is competing in.
For example, if a team made up of Under 17 aged players is playing in an Under 21 League, then the team must enter the Under 21 division of the Ontario Cup.
Teams that are registered as “Tournament Teams” and are not playing in a League, must enter the Ontario Cup in the division to which they are registered.
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