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The Canada Soccer Hall of Fame honours Canadian Players that have played the game with excellence at the international and club level. To be eligible, a player must have played professional, semi-professional, major amateur, and/or international football for a minimum of 10 years, unless special exception is granted by Canada Soccer’s General Secretary.
Players must not have played for any other Member Association national soccer team, at any level, unless a change of Association, in accordance with FIFA Statutes, to Canada Soccer was granted. From the years in which Canada did not play international football, the player must be a Canadian citizen and/or hold a Canadian passport.
To be eligible for the Nomination List of Modern Canadian Players, a player must have been previously active for at least one season the past 15 years and retired from competitive football (all competitions, club and country) for at least five years. A player can only be eligible for the nomination list of Modern Canadian Players for a maximum of 10 years (from five years after retirement until 15 years after retirement).
To be nominated, a player must be in good standing with the Canadian Soccer Association and must have either:
Under these guidelines, to be eligible for the Nomination List of Modern Canadian Players in 2021, a player must have been previously active for at least one season between 2007 and 2016 and retired from competitive football (all competitions, club and country) for at least five years (they were not active as a player in 2017).
The Nomination List for Modern Canadian Players will be confirmed in the first week of each calendar year. For a player to remain on the Nomination List of Modern Canadian Players, that player must receive at least one vote every two years. Any player that does not receive any votes in three successive voting years will be dropped from the nomination list. The final Nomination List is ratified by the Canada Soccer General Secretary each year.
The Voting Group for Modern Canadian Players will consist of 15-23 voters. With the exception of honoured members of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame and the Chair of the Hall of Fame committee, any person currently or recently appointed to another Canada Soccer committee within the last three years is not eligible to vote on Modern Canadian Players.
The Voting Group will include
From each year’s nomination list, an eligible voter can select up to three male players and up to three female players.
Male Footballers
Female Footballers
Players that are no longer eligible for the nomination list of Modern Canadian Players may be considered as Past Canadian Players at least 25 years after their retirement (which is at least 10 years after they were last eligible for the nomination list of Modern Canadian Players). The Canada Soccer Hall of Fame may produce a candidates list of Past Canadian Players every few years, but mostly on special occasions and not necessarily on an annual basis.
The next class of Past Canadian Players will be honoured in 2021 featuring a catch-up class of players from the 1960s through 1970s. This group of players notably honours persons from an older era from well before the Hall of Fame was established.
In future years, the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame will continue to consider retired Canadian players no longer eligible as Modern Canadian Players. On a two-year cycle: candidates from the women’s game through the 1980s and 1990s will be considered for induction in 2023; candidates from the pre-WW2 era, notably those that starred in Canada’s major leagues, will be considered for induction in 2025.
The Canada Soccer Hall of Fame honours Builders, Coaches, and Referees that have served soccer with distinction over an extended period.
To be eligible, a Builder, Coach, or Referee must not be holding office in the game at an international, national, or provincial post for the past five years. The Builder, Coach, or Referee must be in good standing with the Canadian Soccer Association and must not have been part of any Canada Soccer Hall of Fame committee for the past three years. The Builder, Coach, or Referee must not have brought the game into disrepute during or after his/her career.
Nominations Nominations for Builders, Coaches, and Referees can be made by Canada Soccer and its Member Associations. To be nominated, a person must be in good standing with Canada Soccer and the nominating Member Association. From the list of nominations, the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame Operational Committee will establish a final nomination list of 6-15 persons in the first month of each calendar year. The final nomination list is ratified by the Canada Soccer General Secretary each year.
For a Builder, Coach, or Referee to remain on the nomination list, that person must receive at least one vote every two voting years. Any person that does not receive any votes in three successive voting years will be dropped from the nomination list. If dropped, the nominated person cannot reappear on the ballot for at least the next two voting years.
A separate Voting Group for Builders, Coaches, and Referees may include 8-12 persons. Starting in 2019, this Voting Panel will meet via conference call to review nominations in March and then cast their votes in early April.
From each year’s nomination list, an eligible voter can select up to three persons. From the collected votes, only one Builder, Coach, or Referee will be selected for induction, unless recommended and approved by the Canada Soccer General Secretary in advance of the voting period.
Builders, Coaches, Referees
The above voting structure has been established for the period of 2018 to 2020 after which the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame committee will review and may suggest changes to the voting structure. After the vote, the selected person(s) is(are) presented to the Canada Soccer General Secretary for ratification.
The Canada Soccer Team of Distinction award recognises Canadian soccer teams that accomplish a first or significant feat in our sport. The award recognises adult teams at the international, major amateur, or professional level.To be recognized as a Team of Distinction, the Canadian team must have won a medal at a FIFA or Olympic tournament, won a CONCACAF international “A” tournament, or accomplished a first or significant feat in Canadian football. The eligible team will be recognised a minimum of 10 years after their accomplishment. The Canada Soccer General Secretary will make the final decision on the year in which a team is recognised as a Team of Distinction.While Teams of Distinction are celebrated, their players and team staff are not considered honoured members of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. Only a player, coach, or builder inducted as an honoured member should be referenced as an honoured member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame.
The Canada Soccer Organisation of Distinction award recognises Canadian soccer clubs and organisations that have made a positive impact on the game at the national, provincial, and community level. The award recognises clubs, academies, leagues, and organisations that have existed for a minimum of 50 years.
Nominations for the Canada Soccer Organisation of Distinction award can be made by Canada Soccer and its Member Associations. Starting in 2019, each Canada Soccer Organisation of Distinction award will be presented at the Provincial or Territorial member association’s annual meeting or awards banquet.
While Organisations of Distinction are celebrated, their players and team staff are not considered honoured members of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. Only a player, coach, or builder inducted as an honoured member should be referenced as an honoured member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame.
