TRYOUT RULES Please be advised that the GTHL Board of

TRYOUT RULES
Please be advised that the GTHL Board of Directors has passed the following Rule Change based on the
request of the North York Hockey League as a result of a vote taken at the meeting held by the North
York Hockey League last week.
17.9 Operating Guidelines for House League Select Programmes
(a) Intent of House League Select Hockey: Teams participating in House League Select Programmes,
while considered more competitive than House League teams, are an extension of the House League and
are intended to reflect the same spirit of community-oriented recreational hockey. Therefore, they should
seek to be inclusive and provide as much opportunity as possible for House League players to participate.
(b) House League Membership. All House League select players must be registered and active
participants in a legitimate House League that is sanctioned by the League. The prime and important
considerations are that:
(i) Each player in a House League Select Programme is playing on a legitimate House League
team whose membership is substantially different from the membership of the House League select team.
(ii) Each player in a House League Select Programme is playing on a bona fide and posted
schedule of a minimum of 16 regular season House League games, plus playoffs, that are separate and
distinct from the House League Select Programme games, practices and skill sessions.
(c) Tryouts: All House League players should be invited to try out for their own House League Select
Program. A player must be registered in the House League in the immediate prior season (the season
that ends as of April 14th) or for the coming season (2015-16 season beginning April 15th) prior to
being eligible to participate in any tryouts for that House League Organization. In accordance with Rule
17.7(b), a Program and its coaches, officials and representatives should not solicit players who were
registered with another House League Organization in the previous Season, whether or not such players
also played in a Program. A Program shall not conduct tryouts, nor finalize team selection before May 1
in 2015 (and after the conclusion of “A” Tryouts as defined in Regulation 8.1 in subsequent years),
and then, only with the provision that players have been registered with the League Office. Failure to
comply with any of these provisions shall nullify the eligibility of the offending team to participate in any
aspect of the Program.
FAQ
This rule change is effective immediately. Noted below are some questions and answers that I anticipate
may come up. I hope they assist in clarifying how the rule change is to be implemented.
1. Why did the GTHL Board make the start date for select tryouts different in 2013 than in
subsequent seasons?
Answer – The Board was of the opinion that many Clubs/Associations had made commitments
for ice based on the February decision by the Board and felt it would be unfair to those who had
made previous commitments to allow tryouts to being earlier than May 1. In 2013, there will
only be one day between the completion of “A” tryouts and when House Leagues will be able to
begin select tryouts so the impact of starting May 1 this year seemed inconsequential.
2. A player was registered in my house league during the 2014-15 season but has not registered
anywhere for the 2015-16 season. Can he/she attend select tryouts with my Club/Association?
Answer – Yes.
3. A player was registered in another house league during the 2014-15 season but has registered
with my house league for the 2015-16 season before my select tryouts begin. Can he/she attend
select tryouts with my Club/Association?
Answer – Yes.
4. A player was registered in another house league during the 2014-15 season but has not registered
with my house league before my select tryouts begin. Can he/she attend select tryouts with my
Club/Association?
Answer – No, the only Club or Association he/she would be eligible to attend tryouts with would
be the one in which he was registered with during the 2014-15 season.
5. What is the definition of “Registered”?
Answer - "Register(ed)" means that a participant's Registration Information has been entered
in the Hockey Canada Registry and has either been approved or conditionally approved by the
GTHL Coordinator Registration.
6. Does my Club/Association have to operate Spring Tryouts?
Answer – No. Tryouts can take place anytime after the stated start date ( May 1 or after the last
scheduled date of “A” tryouts in subsequent years).
7. Is there a limit on the period of time in which tryouts can take place?
Answer – No, unlike the five day tryout period for “AAA”, “AA” and “A” teams, there is no limit
on the period of time in which tryouts for Select Hockey can take place.
8. Is there a limit on the number of registration certificates a player can sign in one season?
Answer – Yes. GTHL Regulation 7.20 reads: “No Third Registration. A player may not register
with more than two Teams in a single season without the prior approval of the Board or a
Special Committee. If a Club wishes to release a player from his or her second Registration
Certificate of the Season, then, prior to the release being approved, the Club and player/parents
must appear before the Board or Special Committee and provide evidence and/or an
explanation satisfactory to the Board or Special Committee that a second release is warranted.
Should the Board or Special Committee consider the second release not to be appropriate or
warranted, then the Board or Special Committee may deny the proposed release. At that same
hearing, the Board or Special Committee, depending on the decision, may allow the player to
sign a third Registration Certificate for that Season.”
9. What are the consequences for a team allowing a player to tryout who was not registered with
that Club/Association in the immediate proceeding season or is registered for the coming season?
Answer – GTHL Regulation 17.9 (c) reads: “Failure to comply with any of these provisions
shall nullify the eligibility of the offending team to participate in any aspect of the Program.”
10. Will not making a select team automatically qualify a player for a release from a House League
Program?
Answer – No. The only way in which a player can be released is either by the Club/Association
at its discretion or after a GTHL hearing in which the onus would be on the player to demonstrate
that he/she has been aggrieved by the Club/Association in some way.