Canada Soccer publishes 2026 Regulations for the National Championships

Canada Soccer has published the Regulations for the 2026 National Championships supporting the multiple amateur divisions from youth soccer to adult soccer. As Canada Soccer’s largest national event featuring amateur clubs from coast to coast to coast, the National Championships provide a meaningful week-long experience for players, coaches, support staff, officials and volunteers.

Qualifiers for the 2026 National Championships got underway in September 2025 and will continue through September 2026. Provincial and territorial soccer organisations have until 5 March 2026 to declare their intention to participate in the 2026 National Championships.

As Canada’s most accessible sport, qualifying for this past year’s national amateur competitions featured more than 1,100 teams taking part in leagues and cup competitions across 14 different divisions from the Futsal Canadian Championship (April), the Player-Development Program Championship (August), and the National Championships (October).

Regulations for Canada Soccer’s national amateur competitions are reviewed each winter in consultation with the Competitions Committee. This year’s review process included direct feedback from Member Associations and Participating Clubs, post-event surveys with participants including coaches and managers, workshops with members of the Competitions Committee, plus consultation and feedback from Canada Soccer staff.

As an extension to amendments made to the Regulations in 2025, notable updates to the Regulations for the 2026 National Championships include:

• (updated in 2025) Greater inclusivity so that more amateur players in Canada can take part in the national amateur competitions
  • Players eligible to compete in PTSO competitions should also be eligible to compete at the National Championships
  • (updated in 2026) clarity and greater opportunity for player movement after a team has qualified for the National Championships
• (updated in 2025) Increase in roster size for men’s and women’s adult amateur competitions (up from 20 to 21 players)
  • (updated in 2025) increase in the number of call-up requests permitted for each qualified team (up to three requests per team)
  • (updated in 2026) a provision for teams to make a late injury replacement after the roster deadline (in case of serious injury)

Added to the Regulations for the 2026 National Championships (which will notably be applied to the U-17 Cup and U-15 Cup competitions):

• In a three-team group, matches that are even after regulation time will head straight to a penalty shoot (three points will be awarded for a win in regulation time, one point will be awarded to each team for the draw, and an additional point will be awarded for the winner of the penalty shootout)

As part of the 12-team Youth National Championships, group matches are played Wednesday through Friday (these matches may now include penalties) while playoff and knockout matches are played Saturday through Monday (with only the medal matches played on Monday Finals Day).

The competition Regulations work alongside the Canada Soccer Rules & Regulations, Canada Soccer By-Laws, Canada Soccer Disciplinary Code, Canada Soccer Code of Conduct & Ethics, as well as any and all policies governed by Canada Soccer. For the 2026 National Championships, Canada Soccer will abide by the 2025-26 edition of the Laws of the Game. Links to these documents can be accessed through each respective competition landing page at canadasoccer.com/competitions.

Canada Soccer’s National Championships are hosted each October across six divisions in three venues: the adult competition for the men’s Challenge Trophy and women’s Jubilee Trophy; the U-17 Cup competition for boys and girls; the U-15 Cup competition for boys and girls.