EODSL Promotion and Relegation Policy

This policy will be reviewed before the start of each season.

Part A -- General Policies

1. The Promotion and Relegation Policies are applicable to EODSA Teams/Clubs. SOSA will use Technical Leadership to determine their regional teams.
2. Clubs eligible for promotion shall receive the offer from the league not later than October 15 and will be required to declare their intentions with respect to the promotion within 14 days after the offer is made. Clubs shall be provided 7 days to respond to any additional promotion offers that are made after certain Clubs have declined the initial offer.
3. Each Club shall be limited to a maximum of two regional teams.
4. First place District Competitive teams that are ten points clear of the second-place team MUST accept promotion.
5. Teams that are the District Competitive champions in two consecutive seasons MUST accept promotion.
6. Where a playoff is required to break a tie in the standings where promotion eligibility is at stake, the game shall be played under the conditions specified in the tie-breaker procedures of the EODSL’s Rules and Regulations.
7. If either or both teams that are required to play a tie breaker-game in accordance with point 6 fail to do so within the timelines established by the EODSL, the Team(s) shall forfeit their eligibility for promotion in the subsequent season to the higher-level division.

Part B – U13

The policy used to determine the selection of teams to populate the U13 Regional Level will be announced prior to the start of each season.

Part C -- U14 to U18

Selection of Teams for Regional

1. The first and second place district competitive teams from EODSA are offered promotion into the regional division. If promotion is declined, the offer of promotion shall be extended to the next Club(s) if the Club(s) is within six points of the last originally eligible Club to qualify for promotion.
2. Following the application of point 1, if there are more than 16 teams in a regional division, enough EODSA teams shall be relegated to reduce the number of EODSA teams to a maximum of 12 teams.
3. Following the application of points 1 and 2, if there is a vacancy in a regional division, then any additional team(s) from EODSL district competitive (eg, 3rd place, then 4th place, if they are within six points of the last originally eligible Club to qualify for promotion) will be offered promotion to the regional division to increase the number of EODSA teams.
4. Following the application of points 1-3, the EODSL will review any additional team applications that do not fall within this policy and may at its sole discretion grant a regional team spot to an eligible team, within the 16-team limit.
5. Following the application of points 3 and 4, if there is still an insufficient number of EODSA district competitive teams eligible for, or willing to accept, promotion to regional, the EODSL may, at its sole discretion, decide to relegate fewer EODSA teams from the previous season’s regional level.
6. Unless a team has been relegated to district competitive in accordance with Article 2, a Club that decides not to field a team in a regional age division for which the Club had an established team spot in the previous season, then that Club shall forfeit its team spot in the regional division.
7. Once the EODSL is advised that the Club is disbanding or withdrawing its application for a team for which it had a spot, the EODSL may, at its sole discretion, assign the forfeited spot to any other eligible Club/Team in accordance with this policy.