Club Administrator's Guide to Canada Soccer Club Licensing 2025-26

From the National Youth Club Licence standards (25 June 2025):

Safe soccer experience

• Adhere to the Canada Soccer Code of Conduct and Ethics, and have a Code of Conduct to Protect Children and guidelines for appropriate and inappropriate conduct between adults/adolescents and children.
• Have a policy on what to do if you witness inappropriate conduct (given to parents, coaches and team personnel) and a policy requiring any suspicion of child abuse to be reported to law enforcement.
• Provide an environment free of bullying and discrimination, with safe, well-maintained facilities and equipment.
• Have at least one person who has completed Commit to Kids online training, identified as the primary child protection liaison with contact information given to coaches, team personnel and parents.
• Actively implement the Canada Soccer Guide to Safety.

Responsible Coaching Movement

• Have Rule of Two guidelines that it educates players, parents, coaches and team personnel on.
• All coaches and team personnel must have completed Respect in Sport Activity Leader training.
• All coaches and team personnel aged 18+ must have a Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check, or an Enhanced Police Information Check, within the last 3 years.
• Respect in the Sport Parent Program for at least one parent or guardian per family is a recommendation.

Accessible and inclusive environment

• Programming for underrepresented groups, programs or partnerships that reduce barriers to participation, and accessible facilities for participants of all abilities.
• Equity, diversity and inclusion training for staff and leadership, an audit with inclusion surveys, and inclusive language and images in promotional materials.
• Actively implement the Canada Soccer Guide to Accessibility and Inclusion.

Source: Canada Soccer National Youth Club Licence standards (25 June 2025), criteria 13 to 32.

From the National Youth Club Licence standards (25 June 2025), a club must:

• Club pathway: submit a pathway aligned to the provincial/territorial and national player pathways, giving access to grassroots, community, competitive and development/performance streams and to the Soccer for Life stage (senior and masters), plus a player management pathway.
• Technical plan: submit program descriptions aligned to Long Term Player Development, a yearly training plan for every stage, age group and team, a playing philosophy and training methodology or curriculum, a game model, and a coach recruitment, retention, development and recognition strategy (including targeting women in coaching and moving players into coaching roles). The plan must align to the Canada Soccer Grassroots Standards (required by 2026).
• Sport science and medicine plan: a physical training plan with stage-appropriate testing, injury prevention, assessment, treatment and return to play protocols, and an anti-doping and healthy lifestyle policy and education program.
• Technology: make match video available to coaches and players, and have video analysis capabilities.
• Grassroots program: offer at least 3 sessions per week open to any player, allow open rosters in U9-U13 competitions, have two Grassroots Program lead coaches (boys and girls) who are Children's Diploma/Licence certified (one present at every session), and complete a desk audit and announced and unannounced site visits.
• Competition and futsal: take part in the Canada Soccer Player Development Program or another competitive environment recognized by Canada Soccer, and provide futsal programming.
• Technical lead: hold current certification including the Grassroots Workshops, Making Ethical Decisions, Respect in Sport Activity Leader, Safe Sport Roster, a Concacaf B Diploma/B Licence/Youth Licence, and the Children's Diploma (and the Canada Soccer Technical Director Diploma in 2028).
• Goalkeeping and support: have a goalkeeper coach (with the Canada Soccer Goalkeeping Workshop) and goalkeeper training, and access to an integrated support team, a qualified physical training provider, and medical staff including at least one doctor and one physiotherapist or athletic therapist.

Source: Canada Soccer National Youth Club Licence standards (25 June 2025), criteria 33 to 78.

From the National Youth Club Licence standards (25 June 2025):

Financial

• Register all participants with its governing organization(s), and not interact with non-member organizations unless approved by them.
• Have a bank account, at least two signing authorities, and require two signatures on all financial transactions.
• Prepare reviewed or audited financial statements.
• Meet these financial standards: net assets above 0; current ratio above 1.5; debt ratio below 1; operating reserves above 20% (or confirmation of financial support equivalent to a 20% operating reserve); average earnings above 0; staff productivity ratio above 2; technical cost margin above 20%.
• Provide financial support for the administrative lead, technical lead, technical staff and coaches to pursue ongoing development, training and certification.

Administration

• Submit an operational plan with a marketing and communications plan, financial development strategy, facility strategy and community engagement strategy.
• Have administrative policies on PIPEDA (or substantially similar provincial privacy legislation) compliance, refunds, collections, registrations, procurement and investments.
• Submit an organizational chart, and have an administrative lead with clearly defined responsibilities who is committed to ongoing development.
• Have a human resource policy (employee responsibilities and behavioural standards, employment agreements, performance management), and all staff must have completed Respect in the Workplace training.
• Run an annual member/customer satisfaction survey and an annual coach survey, and share the results with its governing organization(s).

Source: Canada Soccer National Youth Club Licence standards (25 June 2025), criteria 79 to 110.

From the National Youth Club Licence standards (25 June 2025):

Governance

• Be a member in good standing with its governing organization(s), a legal entity, and compliant with their by-laws, policies and directives and with government and regulator requirements (such as non-profit statutes).
• Hold an annual general meeting, and submit letters of incorporation, by-laws, a vision, mission and values statement, and a strategic plan.
• Have a board of directors (not for profit) or director(s) (private) responsible for the affairs of the organization, no larger than the optimal size of 8 to 12 directors. Directors must not hold a director, employee or contractor position at another organization with which the club has an ongoing relationship, and all must have completed Respect in the Workplace training.
• Not-for-profit clubs only: director recruitment policies for competencies and diversity, standing committees for audit/finance and nominations, and professional development for directors.
• Have policies and processes for discipline, dispute resolution and appeals that are independent of the board of directors (the standards mark some of these as not-for-profit only).

Infrastructure

• A physical space or access to a consistent location as headquarters, a website, access to facilities that meet the minimum requirements of its programs, and a facility strategy aligned to its strategic, operational and technical plans.

Source: Canada Soccer National Youth Club Licence standards (25 June 2025), criteria 111 to 138.

From the Support Manual (July 2024), the yearly cycle is:

• By 1 August: Canada Soccer confirms and posts the National Youth Club Licence criteria and invites letters of intent.
• By 31 August: the club submits a written and signed letter of intent to apply.
• By 1 September: Canada Soccer gives each Member Association a list of potential applicants. Member Associations confirm the membership and standing of applicants by 7 September.
• By 8 September: Canada Soccer gives access to the application platform to clubs in good standing that submitted a letter of intent.
• By 1 November: the club submits its application package and all supporting documentation to the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Manager through the Club Licensing System.
• By 30 November: the Member Association completes and submits a Member Association Endorsement Form for each applicant from its jurisdiction.
• By 15 July (the following year): Canada Soccer tells every applicant its decision in writing.

Canada Soccer reviews, revises and posts the criteria by 31 July each year. The Support Manual lists two different completion dates for the committee's reviews of applications (31 March in one table, 31 May in another).

Source: Canada Soccer Club Licensing Support Manual (July 2024), sections I to IV.

To obtain the licence a club must take part in a review meeting. The Support Manual (July 2024) sets this yearly review process:

• By 1 November: Canada Soccer appoints a Club Licensing Committee, including the Club Licensing Manager and at least one person with expertise in finance, technical, governance and administration.
• By 8 November: completed application packages go to committee members.
• By 15 December: the committee reviews applications in this order: technical criteria, financial criteria, administrative criteria, then governance criteria. The review can end at any time if the application fails to meet the required criteria.
• By 15 January: the committee prepares a preliminary report on each application.
• By 15 February: the club submits a preliminary Action Plan in the Club Licensing System.
• By 15 March: the committee gives feedback on the preliminary Action Plan.
• By 31 March: committee representatives meet the club's president (or designate), administrative lead and technical lead to review the report and develop an Action Plan for any areas of concern.
• By 30 April: the club submits its Action Plan report.
• By 15 June: the committee approves the Action Plan (if needed) and finalizes its decisions.
• By 15 July: applicants are told the decision in writing.

Action Plans: a club may be awarded the licence with a supporting Action Plan developed by Canada Soccer, or be given an Action Plan that must be completed before the licence is awarded. Using Action Plans is at Canada Soccer's sole discretion. Some criteria must be met at application, while "actionable" criteria can be met by a set later date through an Action Plan. Some criteria are judged partly through subjective analysis by Canada Soccer, and the club gets feedback if a criterion is deemed incomplete.

Sources: Canada Soccer Club Licensing Support Manual (July 2024), sections IV, V and VI; Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program FAQ.

Decisions are made in two instances: the Club Licensing Committee decides first, and the Canada Soccer Appeals Committee decides appeals in writing and makes a final and binding decision. A refusal must be in writing and give reasons.

Timetable in the Support Manual (July 2024):

• By 15 July each year: Canada Soccer notifies every applicant of the committee's decision in writing.
• Written appeal: submitted to Canada Soccer by the earlier of 29 July or ten business days after receiving the decision.
• Within 15 days of receiving the application for leave to appeal: the Chair of the Appeals Committee and/or the Appeals Committee decides whether the appeal is granted.
• Within 60 days of receiving the application for leave to appeal: the Appeals Committee gives its final decision and notifies the club.
• By 15 September, or 7 days after the final appeal decision: Canada Soccer sends all licensing decisions to the governing Member Association, MLS and CONCACAF.

Sources: Canada Soccer Club Licensing Support Manual (July 2024), section I; Canada Soccer Club Licensing Regulations, Articles 6 and 10.

Sanctions: under the Catalogue of Sanctions in the Support Manual (July 2024):

• A criterion that is "current" must be met at the time of application, in advance of 1 November. If not, the licence may not be granted.
• A club on an Action Plan must send a progress report at least twice a year, before 30 April and 31 October. Failing to submit one is a first offence (warning), a second offence (placed under review) and a third offence (removal of the licence).
• At the sole discretion of the Club Licensing Committee, the general scale of sanctions (revising the Action Plan, a meeting with committee representatives, a written warning, a fine, being placed under review, or removal of the licence) can be applied for failing to meet an Action Plan deadline, failing to maintain the criteria during the licensing period, or failing to meet the minimum appraisal standard. Repeated offences may bring increased sanctions.
• A club placed under review may forfeit all or some licence benefits during the review. The full benefits are restored if it meets the Action Plan on time.

Withdrawal: under the Club Licensing Regulations, the licensing bodies may withdraw a National Youth Licence before its expiration date if the club becomes insolvent and enters liquidation, if any condition for issuing the licence is no longer satisfied, or if the club violates its obligations under the regulations. Canada Soccer sets the expiration date. Canada Soccer and CONCACAF may also carry out spot checks of clubs, facilities and headquarters at any time.

Sources: Canada Soccer Club Licensing Support Manual (July 2024), section VI; Canada Soccer Club Licensing Regulations, Articles 8, 13 and 15.