EOSL Promotion & Relegation Policy - 2026

1. General

The goal of this policy is to ensure that every team within the EOS and SOSA is placed at the appropriate level of competition. That is generally accomplished by ensuring that the lowest level of play has the most teams and decreasing the number of teams at each higher level. To this end, the EOSL will restrict the number of teams in each Regional division from U14 to U18 to 8, with 7 EOS teams and 1 SOSA team in each division.

Ontario Soccer governs Regional-level soccer and has the right to approve or decline any Regional placement if it falls outside these rules.

Clubs eligible for promotion will receive an offer from the EOSL no later than October 15th of the playing season and will be required to declare their intentions regarding the promotion within 14 days of the offer.

Clubs will be given 7 days to respond to any additional promotional offers made after Clubs have declined the initial offers.
Each Club is limited to a maximum of two regional teams in any division.

When a Team Must Accept Promotion to Regional:

First-place District C1 teams that are ten points clear of the second-place team

Teams that are the District C1 champions in two consecutive seasons

Where a playoff is required to break a tie in the standings where promotion eligibility is at stake, the game will be played under the conditions specified in the tie-breaker procedures of the EOSL’s Rules and Regulations.

If either or both teams that are required to play a tie-breaker game fail to do so within the timelines established by the EOSL, the Team(s) will forfeit their eligibility for promotion in the subsequent season.

When a Team Must Accept Promotion to Regional:

1. First place District C1 teams that are ten points clear of the second-place team
2. Teams that are the District C1 champions in two consecutive seasons

Where a playoff is required to break a tie in the standings where promotion eligibility is at stake, the game will be played under the conditions specified in the tie-breaker procedures of the EOSL’s Rules and Regulations.

If either or both teams that are required to play a tie-breaker game fail to do so within the timelines established by the EOSL, the Team(s) will forfeit their eligibility for promotion in the subsequent season.

Promotion/Relegation

U13 Placements
Clubs will enter teams into the U13 Regional based on their internal Club determination. If the number of teams entered exceeds 10, the EOSL LMC may restrict teams based on their results in the previous playing season. EOS will keep internal standings at the U12 level.

U14 to U18

EOS Teams
The following steps will be taken to determine team placements for EOS teams.

1. The first and second-place District C1 teams from EOS will be offered promotion into the Regional division.
2. If the promotion is declined, the offer of promotion will be extended to the next team if that team is within 6 points of the last originally eligible Club to qualify for promotion.
3. If there are more than 7 teams in a regional division, enough EOS teams will be relegated to reduce the number of EOS teams to 7.
4. If a vacancy remains in a regional division, any additional teams from EOSL C1 will be offered promotion to Regional to increase the number of EOS teams to 7, if the team is within 6 points of the last originally eligible team to qualify for promotion.
5. The EOSL LMC will review any additional team applications that do not fall within this policy and may, at its sole discretion, request that Ontario Soccer approve a Regional team spot for an eligible team within the 7-team limit.
6. If there are still fewer than 7 EOS teams in Regional, then the EOSL LMC may, at its sole discretion, decide to relegate fewer EOS teams from the previous season’s Regional division.

Once the EOSL is advised that the Club is disbanding or withdrawing its application for a team for which it had a spot, the EOSL may, at its sole discretion, assign the forfeited spot to any other eligible team in accordance with this policy.

Once the EOSL is advised that the Club is disbanding or withdrawing its application for a team for which it had a spot, the EOSL may, at its sole discretion, assign the forfeited spot to any other eligible team in accordance with this policy.

SOSA Teams
SOSA teams will be assigned to EOSL Regional Divisions based on the recommendation of SOSA Staff and Board, and with the agreement of the EOSL LMC.

SOSA teams may move between different Regional divisions as their specific geographic location requires.