Can my child play in an older or younger age category?

Volleyball Canada's 2026-27 age categories document allows an exemption request, but only under extraordinary circumstances, for an athlete born before the 16-month window for an age group. The head coach or team manager must make the request. It goes to the provincial or territorial association (PTA) first, and the PTA's acknowledgement must be included in the submission to Volleyball Canada. Requests are only considered if they are based on Long-Term Development (LTD) principles, and there is a $50 fee.

Clubs may have their own policies on playing up or down, and a PTA may set different age category requirements. The team is responsible for checking that athletes meet both the PTA's and Volleyball Canada's eligibility rules before selecting them.

For Nationals, a team "playing up" is one registering in an age group older than the one it declared with its PTA for the club season (2026 Youth Nationals guide). A team that plays in the older age category all season and at provincials is not playing up.