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The First Step In Closing Player Movement Gap From OPDL To League1 Ontario

By OSA News, 10/01/16, 5:00PM EDT

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"This new technical OPDL initiative will be the first step to close the player movement gap from the OPDL to League1 Ontario," said Bryan Rosenfeld, OSA Manager of High Performance. "As we've seen already, League1 is helping players push their careers into the pro-ranks in North America and abroad, on both the men and women's side of the game. This OPDL initiative will further help prepare them for advancement and attaining their personal goals." 

The decision to allow placement of over age players to this age group comes after careful consideration by the OSA, in consultation with the OSA Technical Advisory Committee and OPDL License Holders and includes, among other reasons, the following:

  • Player placement based on biological age versus chronological age
  • Player movement to deal with late and early developers (larger rosters)
  • Competition level (best vs best)
  • Player distribution among License Holders
  • Proven concepts from other player development models (E.g. US Soccer Development Academy)
  • Clarity and efficiency in the player identification process

If you have any further questions, please contact Gabriel Assis.

There have been some questions stemming from the recent article “The Legacy of Competition and Future of Development in Ontario," which advised that the OPDL will add the U-16 age group for male and female players in 2017.

The OPDL U-16 age group will primarily include players born in the year 2001.

In 2017, OPDL License Holders will also be allowed to exercise the existing item 34 of the OPDL Operations Rules - "Playing down Policy" and register players born in the year 2000 to this age group.

These players will be allowed to play in the OPDL U-16 age group following a written request from the Technical Director of the player's OPDL License Holder. This process is to be completed at the time of the registration for OPDL in February 2017.