The team selection is based on the results of the selection tournament, the appeal procedure, and the sickness / injury policy as described below.

SELECTION TOURNAMENT

General:

Players MUST play in either two or three events (singles, doubles or mixed doubles). A player may enter partner request for the doubles or mixed. The CWG Team Coach will endeavour to find a partner for that player; however it is not his responsibility to do this and it is not grounds for appeal if a partner cannot be found.

Ranking:

If a player wins in either singles or mixed, 1 point is awarded to them. If a player is second in singles or mixed, 2 points are awarded to them; if third, 3 points are awarded and so on.

If a team wins doubles, each player is awarded 1 point. If a team is second in doubles, each player is awarded 3 points. If third, each player gets 5 points and so on.

The tournament is a Ranking Style tournament. The tournament will determine the placement of all players from first to last in each event. This means that IF YOU LOSE, DO NOT GO HOME. You will be playing more matches.

If the number of entries is appropriate, round robin format may be played instead of tournament format.

Team Selection:

The first 5 men and 5 women with the lowest point total in their 2 best events will be selected.

However, the Canada Winter Games rules allow us to have no more than 2 players of each gender who are between 21 and 23 years old.

Consequently, if 2 players born in 1984 or 1985 are selected as team members, for either the men’s or the women’s team, the remaining players of that gender born in 1984 or 1985 become ineligible for team member selection.

If total points are tied, order will be decided by U21 ahead of U23 and if still tied by a coin toss.

Selection of Alternates:

For each gender, the sixth ranked player will be the 1^st alternate and the seventh ranked player the 2^nd alternate.

If 1 or 2 players born in 1984 or 1985 are selected as team members, then only 1 of the alternates may be born in 1984 or 1985. If no players born in 1984 or 1985 are selected as team members, then both of the alternates may be born in 1984 or 1985.

If total points are tied, order will be decided by U21 ahead of U23 and if still tied by a coin toss.

Participation:

Only the 5 men and 5 women selected to the team go to the Canada Winter Games. Alternates will be asked to replace players selected to the team if a selected player can not attend. Alternates are asked to play based on order unless age requirements preclude this.

Seeding:

Seeding will be done by the tournament seeding committee. The committee reserves the right to limit the number of entries based on national and provincial rankings.

APPEALS PROCESS

Appeals MUST be received by email to the following address:

val.butler@ontariobadminton.on.ca

within 48 hours after the announcement of the team and its alternates. We anticipate the announcement will be within 24 hours after the completion of the tournament.

The Appeals Committee will decide to hear the appeal if:

1. the selection process was not followed and,

2. the player(s) appealing were affected and, if the proper procedure was followed, potentially would have been selected for the team or as an alternate.

The Appeals Committee will decide within 5 days if the appeal will be heard based on meeting the criteria above.

If it is deemed that the appeal should be heard, the player appealing must submit a fee of $50 to the OBA, to be received by the OBA within 48 hours of the player being notified that there will be a hearing.

The hearing will be held within 14 days of the notification that the appeal will be heard. The fee is returned only if the appeal is upheld. Any players potentially affected by the appeal may attend the appeals hearing to state their case at this hearing. There will be no further appeals to the appeal and the decision of the appeals committee is final.

If the appeal is upheld the Appeals committee will decide the appropriate action to take. This may include (i) adjusting the point total for the player(s) winning the appeal; (ii) ordering a playoff and adjusting the point totals based on the result of the playoff; or (iii) other actions deemed appropriate. The team is then selected again based on the new point totals.

Sickness and Injury Policy

The OBA wishes to select the strongest team and allow all players to have a fair opportunity to make the team. The intent of this policy is to provide an opportunity for the very best players to be selected for the team, even if they were injured or sick at the time of the selection tournament. However this intent must be balanced with the level of uncertainty and inconvenience this may create for those players who were able to fully participate in the selection tournament.

Consequently, while a sick/injured player may be eligible to use this process to challenge for a place on the team, he/she may not use this process to challenge for the place of a team alternate.

There is no appeal to this part of the selection process.

Notice of Injury/Sickness:

In the event a player cannot continue to play as a result of sickness or injury during the selection tournament, the player must report this to the tournament referee at the time they incur the sickness or injury. If they want an opportunity to compete at a later date they must express their intent at this time.

Proof of Injury/Sickness:

In order to be permitted a later opportunity the injured/ill player must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the referee this is warranted based on their injury/illness. A confirming physician’s note will be required within 48 hours. Any relevant medical information regarding the injury or illness must be made available at the request of the referee.

Decision by Referee:

If it is deemed by the tournament referee that the injury or illness was significant enough that the player could not continue to play, then redress will be granted in the form of the player being allowed to challenge, with their original partner, in the events entered but not played due to the illness or injury. The challenge match must be played within a period no longer than 16 days from the date of the selection tournament.

Successful Challenge:

The challenge will be played against the highest ranked player or team in that event. If the challenger(s) win they will be awarded first place points for that event, and the losing team/player will now be awarded second place points. Each of the other players counting points in that event will then have their points adjusted down by one position.

The overall points will then be recalculated and the team reselected based on the new point totals. However, should the result be that the challenger(s) would replace a team alternate, this will not be allowed, and the originally selected alternates will remain as first selected.

Unsuccessful Challenge:

If the challenger(s) lose, then they will be awarded the same number of points plus one, than the highest point count for any of the team members counting points in that event.

Notice of Sickness/Injury That Occurred After Entering the Selection Tournament, but Prior to the Tournament being Held:

In order to be permitted a later selection opportunity the injured/ill player must:

(i) have been granted a place in the selection tournament by the seeding committee;

(ii) provide notice to the tournament referee, on or before the date of the tournament, of their inability to attend due to sickness of injury;

(iii) provide a confirming physician’s note within 48 hours of the tournament date, along with any relevant medical information about the injury or illness as requested by the referee;

(iv) provide a confirming physician’s note that the player is likely to be fit to play two challenge matches within 16 days of the tournament date;

(v) the referee will then decide whether to allow the player to challenge for a place on the team, and if so, the above challenge process will be followed.

On behalf of the Board:

Jamie McKee, High Performance Director