FAQs about the 2021 season

We have created some FAQs to help you plan your season with the NCISL

Can anybody play in the NCISL this summer?
The NCISL is an open league for adult soccer players. Space will be limited in 2021, so priority will be given to existing NCISL teams. However, there will be space to accept new teams into the league.

What type of season will the NCISL operate in 2021?
With the current restrictions placed on recreational sport the NCISL believe that the best solution will be a 7 v 7 format. This is what we will offer for the 2021 season.

What are the restrictions placed on recreational sport?
Ottawa Public Health has stated that outdoor recreational sport can only be played in bubbles of 50 people. Furthermore, they have stated that bubbles cannot be changed once our season has started. You can visit the Ottawa Public Health website for more information.

How many teams will play in a bubble?
We can schedule 4 teams in a bubble. Each team would play a round robin sequence against the other 3 teams in their bubble.

If the restrictions change will the NCISL expand the bubble so we can play other teams?
Yes the NCISL will change the divisions to have more teams and less restrictions.  We will be continually monitoring changes in the government guidelines and will consider all options.

Where will the games be played?
All games will be played on the artificial turf at the Richcraft Recreation Complex in Kanata

How long will the games be?
Games will be 60 minutes in length (2 x 30 minute halves)

What times will the games be played?
There are 2 fields for 7 v 7 at Richcraft so we can schedule as follows

• Bubble 1 will start at 6:00pm and 6:15pm
• Bubble 2 will start at 7:20pm and 7:35pm
• Bubble 3 will start at 8:40pm and 8:55pm

The bubbles will rotate the time slots in the following week so that the different kick offs are shared fairly for all teams.

What divisions will the NCISL be running in 2021?
The NCISL are planning on running the following divisions this season:

Is the NCISL 7 v 7 league sanctioned by the EODSA?
Yes, the NCISL is an EODSA sanctioned league

How many teams can I play on in the league?
Due to Ottawa Public Health guidelines players are only permitted to play on 1 NCISL team

How many players are permitted on each team?
Each team may register 12 players

What if my team is short players, how can I borrow players?
As your team is within a bubble with 3 other teams, you can borrow the appropriate number of players from within the same bubble.  You are not permitted to borrow a player outside your bubble.

When will the season start?
We plan on starting the season in the 3rd week of June as long as we have permission to do so from the Ottawa Public Health Department. To play soccer Ottawa needs to be in the orange zone or better. If the start of the season is delayed, then we will extend the season into September.

Does the NCISL have any plans to play 11 v 11 soccer this summer?
Due to the restrictions placed on recreational sport we currently believe that 11 v 11 is highly unlikely in the 2021 NCISL season, however should the situation change then we will consider it.

Does the NCISL have any experience of operating a soccer league in the pandemic?
Yes. The NCISL ran a successful 7 v 7 season in 2020. 40 teams participated in a 10 game season. Several teams also participated in a weekend tournament at the end of the season

You can read our 2020 feedback survey here

What precautions will the NCISL take to limit the risk of Covid 19 during games?
The NCISL will be following Ottawa Public Health guidelines when it comes to the safety of our players including:  

• Contact tracing will be completed prior to anyone entering the gated field
• Field marshals will be taking attendance and doing player ID checks
• All players must sanitize their hands prior to entering the field area
• Game balls will be provided by the league and sanitized prior to each game
• Games will be scheduled appropriately to allow for teams to leave the field through a different gate before other teams will be permitted to enter the field.

What are the expectations of the league on players?
The NCISL expects all players to abide by the guidelines put out by Ottawa Public Health.  If a player has symptoms of being sick, stay home.

Will teams receive a refund if the season gets cancelled midway?
The NCISL will guarantee a prorated refund if the season has to be cancelled or the number of games is reduced.

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