Purpose
This Policy encourages coaches and players and their families to make informed choices about their selection of Ontario Basketball (OBA) teams and member clubs. It promotes commitment and respect among players, coaches and teams. This policy also enables OBA, as a sport governing body, to promote fair competition among its member teams and to uphold the values of equity, opportunity and accountability for its members.
Policy
As outlined by Ontario Basketball, an OBA coach or player participating in a competitive rep program must complete a transfer should he/she want to join another OBA member club. Ontario Basketball will process the transfer and all parties will be notified upon completion.
Application
This Policy applies to all coaches and players in the OBA system participating with OBA member club competitive rep (travel) teams from the U10 to U19 age categories. This policy does not apply to coaches/players who have never previously registered with an OBA member club, or coaches/players who are changing teams within the same OBA member club.
Timing
Once a coach/player has signed to a particular OBA member club, he/she is committed to that OBA member club for the competitive season, within their respective age category.
Joining an OBA Member Club Team
The following are the steps to join an OBA member club team:
- Coach/player signs Ontario Basketball membership application (held by OBA member club)
- Club completes online registration and pays membership fee on their behalf
Transfer Fee
The fee to transfer a coach/player within the terms of this policy is $50 payable to Ontario Basketball. The fee is administrative and will be split between OBA and the member club the player is leaving. The $25 received by OBA will be invested in grassroots, community-based basketball programming.
Summer Season
Each OBA member club must inform its coaches and players of its intention to field a summer team in the applicable age category no later than May 1 each calendar year. Should an OBA member club team not participate in summer basketball programming (e.g., TIDP, AAU events), a coach/player will be eligible to coach/play for another club during the summer without completing the transfer process.
Responsibility of Players
During the season, a player must play for the OBA member club team he/she has joined and may not join another OBA member club team. After the season, a player can choose to play for a different OBA member club, but must complete the transfer process and pay the transfer fee in order to do so.
Note: A player who has been removed from a roster for disciplinary reasons may not join another OBA member club team without approval from Ontario Basketball.
Responsibility of Coaches
During the season, coaches must coach the OBA member club team he/she has joined and may not leave the club to coach another OBA member club team. After the season, a coach can choose to coach for a different OBA member club, but must complete the transfer process in order to do so.
Coaching Teams for Multiple OBA Member Clubs
Coaches are permitted to coach teams for more than one OBA member club provided that none of the relevant teams compete on the same Ontario Cup weekend. No exceptions or changes will be made to tournament draws, league games or Ontario Cup draws to accommodate coaches who have schedule conflicts between his/her teams. Coaches are not permitted to be listed on more than one roster (either as head coach or assistant coach) in any single age group.
Player Recruitment
Coaches, or their representatives, may not engage in discussions with players or their families about recruiting players to play for his/her OBA member teams or clubs. For the purposes of this Policy, the term ‘discussions’ refers to verbal communication in-person or by telephone, as well as all forms of electronic discussions such as through e-mail or other social networking sites, during the Ontario Basketball competitive season within their respective age category.
Ontario Basketball High Performance Coaching
Ontario Basketball looks to continue to develop OBA member club coaches through the coaching pathway and for OBA member clubs to encourage its coaches to participate in OBA high performance activities, such as Team Ontario, Centre for Performance and Talent Identification and Development Programs. No coach participating in OBA high performance programs may recruit and coach any player for his/her OBA member club team for the following OBA club season.
Note: A player that has been on a roster prior to the start of the high performance season with a particular coach may continue playing for that coach for the following OBA club season.
Breaches and Penalties
Any person who is aware that a coach/player is in breach of this Policy may report such a breach by means of a written complaint to Ontario Basketball from the OBA member club president to the Commissioner of Fair Play.
Note: OBA member clubs are encouraged to investigate the complaint and contact the opposing member club’s executive to resolve the matter directly, before a complaint is submitted to Ontario Basketball.
In the event an Ontario Basketball entity (i.e., player, coach or club) is found to have breached this Policy, by way of a club administrator, coach, player or family member, Schedules A & B of Ontario Basketball’s Fair Play Policy and Procedures will apply to those responsible for violating the policy.
Approved August 20, 2016 by Ontario Basketball Board of Directors