Ontario Elite Flag League

Tryout period

1. The OEFL tryout period for a centre runs no earlier than August 1 of the year before the OEFL playing season.

Playing season

1. The OEFL playing season runs January to August each year. Division-specific schedules are published on TeamLinkt at registration.
2. Game days are Fridays, Saturdays and/or Sundays, depending on the division or tournament.
3. The playing season includes all games played: development, round robin and playoff games.

Playing rules

1. Pool and playoff games are played per IFAF – Flag Football (5v5 or 7v7).
2. Age categories align with Football Canada’s technical package, with U10 and U12 added to support athlete development.
3. OEFL plays downs per the IFAF Flag Rulebook with two 20-minute halves or two 10-minute halves.
4. Each team has two time-outs per half in 40-minute regulation games, or one per half in 20-minute games. Divisions can deliver 5v5 or 7v7 flag football.

IFAF rules: provincial & national events

Football Canada and Football Ontario are adopting IFAF rules for sanctioned provincial and national events. Local and regional programming may modify field size for space constraints.

1. Field: 70 by 25 yards for national and elite events.
2. Game structure: four downs to the half, four downs to score (a change from the three-down game).
3. Blitzers: up to two blitzers may be declared; a rusher may also be sent from 7 yards without declared right of way.

Game balls

Size-marked balls equivalent to the sizes above may be permitted with official and opposing-team permission. All teams supply their own football.

A roster is the list of players registered to play for a team.

1. Maximum roster size is 15 players and 3 coaches, with only 12 athletes permitted to play on game day.
2. Rosters are set each game day or tournament and registered within TeamLinkt (or the applicable event platform).
3. Once a player is rostered to an age division, they may only play in that division.
4. Rostered players may register and play for one centre only, and remain with that centre through all competitions until the end of the following provincial championship (see Roster movement for exceptions).
5. Rosters must be submitted to OEFL for approval, confirming each player’s eligibility and standing with Football Ontario.

Registration with a centre means a player is registered to play the OEFL season through that centre for the calendar year, or is new to the sport and not registered with another centre for the following calendar year.

1. No centre may open registration before August 1 prior to the OEFL competition year.
2. Non-Canadian residents are not eligible to participate in OEFL.

Age divisions: Season One

Open to club-level teams of Football Ontario–registered athletes, per the Football Ontario Age Policy:

Call ups and playing up

1. Call ups are not permitted.
2. Play ups are permitted if they follow the Football Ontario Age Policy.

Player releases

1. A player with no outstanding fees, debt or unreturned equipment owed to a centre (evidenced by the centre) is granted an immediate release up to the first game of the playing season.
2. A centre registering a player after the first game or tournament of the season must obtain written confirmation of the player’s eligibility from Football Ontario.
3. No release is required for a player who has been cut or removed from their official OEFL team roster.
4. A centre registering a player cut or removed from another centre’s roster must obtain written confirmation of eligibility from Football Ontario before that player takes part in any football activity. Football Ontario will respond within 72 hours.
5. A player may be released for a single tournament, with approval from both the team and Football Ontario, if their original team is not competing.
6. No player may practice or play with another team until a release has been granted and confirmed by Football Ontario.

Transfers & alternates

A player is rostered to one club travel team per season; school play is unaffected. Transfers are open until the roster lock, and after that only for relocation or a folded team. A releasing club cannot block a transfer over fees owed. Teams may carry up to four named alternates, callable to fill to minimum, capped per season.

Member consensus from the 2026 townhalls: a short trial window early in the season, mandatory coach-to-coach communication before recruiting a rostered player, and a discipline committee review for special release requests. This is being drafted into formal policy. Every eligibility, transfer and discipline decision carries a defined appeal path with deadlines and an independent panel.

Tampering means approaching a player already registered with another centre.

1. As of January 1 of a playing year, any coach, staff member, manager or organization member must ask a potential player whether they are already registered with another centre.
2. Officially registered OEFL players are considered signed and must not be approached by another centre until a release is granted.
3. Players registered for the OEFL season may reach out to other centres on their own; that communication must be player-initiated.

A centre found tampering is subject to four-step progressive discipline:

1. Appointing game officials is the responsibility of the OEFL regional division host organization.
2. Officials are selected by local organizations (currently SOTFA).
3. OEFL assigns and covers the cost of officials as part of each centre’s registration fees.
4. Unless otherwise stated, all games have a minimum of two officials.

1. All teams are required to dress professionally.
2. Equipment must meet the IFAF Rulebook – Flag Football; equipment checks are conducted before every game.
3. Teams that fail an equipment check may correct it before the game starts; teams that do not comply will not be permitted to play.

1. Teams may record games with their own cameras, but not from the team or bench sideline. Film from an elevated position on the opposite side, about 4–5 yards from the sideline at midfield.
2. Recordings are for team use only and may not be posted on social media without explicit consent from the centres, athletes and coaches shown. This applies to centres and spectators alike.
3. Violations may result in fines and, particularly for the protection of minors, potential involvement of authorities.
4. OEFL may record games and use the media at its discretion, per the Football Ontario Social Media policy agreed to at registration.
5. Communication devices (radios, Bluetooth devices, electronic wristbands) and drones are not permitted.
6. All scores are updated in TeamLinkt after games by the on-site service representative.

Tie games

Regular season and round robin games may end in a tie, per the Canadian Amateur Football Rulebook – Flag Football. In games requiring a result, the visiting captain calls a coin toss after regulation; the winner chooses offense, defense or side of field (no deferring).

Postponement, forfeits & defaults

1. During the regular season or round robin, games are only postponed or cancelled for inclement weather.
2. A game is complete if fewer than 10 minutes remain when inclement weather arrives. With more than 30 minutes left, teams wait 30 minutes at the officials’ direction; officials may resume if the weather has passed.
3. A partially completed game that must be rescheduled resumes from the point of suspension, with time, score, downs and field position preserved.
4. Games must be cancelled or postponed at AQHI 7 or above. Below AQHI 7, the host may only cancel for air quality on local authority recommendation.
5. In an electrical storm, teams wait 30 minutes before resuming; if the game cannot restart within 2 hours it is a tie.
6. A forfeit or default awards the other team a 6–0 win. A $500 fine applies: $400 to the hosting centre and $100 to the Football Ontario/OEFL scholarship program.

All coaches and bench personnel must hold the qualifications, training, certificates and police clearances required by Football Ontario. Bench personnel over 21 require a Police Clearance with Vulnerable Sector Screening.

Certification requirements

Mirrored from the Football Canada Flag Events Technical Manual. Must be met at least one month before a team’s first event; missing the deadline is a $250 fine per coach.

Code of conduct

Everyone is expected to conduct themselves professionally at all times. Profanity, hate speech, derogatory comments and bullying result in disqualification for the current season (and potentially future seasons), based on an officials’ report reviewed by OEFL. Violence, hate speech or assault result in permanent suspension; local authorities will be engaged where necessary. Only head coaches or team managers may speak with officials. A suspended individual may appeal to a panel of the Referee-in-Chief and Competition Committee, with a further appeal to Football Ontario.

Player misconduct

1. A player with 2 unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike penalties in one game is ejected and suspended for the next game.
2. Players removed under the Rule of Rough Play are suspended for the rest of that game and the next.
3. OEFL may increase a penalty after hearing from the player and reviewing officials’ and coaches’ input.
4. A player ejected from a second game in a season is suspended until OEFL reviews the case.

Coach misconduct

1. A first Code of Conduct offense by a coach or club official draws a one-game suspension, escalating with further offenses.
2. A suspended coach, club official or spectator may not attend the next game.
3. Depending on severity, OEFL grants a hearing within 10 days of the suspension.

1. No game may be protested on an official’s interpretation of the rules.
2. Playoff-game protests are ruled on by Football Ontario.
3. Protests must be submitted in writing or by email to Football Ontario with a $250 fee, held pending the outcome.
4. Football Ontario’s decision is binding: the game may be awarded to the protesting team, a replay or media clip may be requested, or the protest may be disallowed.
5. If the protest is disallowed, the $250 fee is forfeited to OEFL.