In light of the decision to postpone the Canada Summer Games in Niagara by a year, the Canada Games Council (CGC) has been working collaboratively with all affected National Sport Organizations (NSOs) to review each sport’s technical package and its athlete eligibility rules for 2022.

Where practical, sports have adjusted their age categories so that the same cohort of athletes that was eligible for the Games in 2021 will remain eligible for the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games.

With the exception of baseball, cycling, golf and rugby sevens, all approved age categories for sports on the 2022 Canada Games program can be found below.

For those sports highlighted above whose age categories have yet to be identified, the CGC Sport Committee continues to work closely with those NSOs in order to make a determination, and we expect a decision to be announced for each of these sports by early 2021.

Age categories are uniquely selected for each sport with the goal of developing Canada’s next generation of national team athletes in the “Train to Compete” phase of the Long Term Development Model (LTD), or another suitable phase of the LTD as justified by a NSO, and approved by the CGC Sport Committee.

The LTD is a general framework of athlete development that also forms the basis for sport-specific models created by each NSO in Canada.

Athletics

ABLE-BODIED: Under 25 as of December 31, 2022

• Year of birth: 1998 or later

PARA: Under 37 as of December 31, 2022

• Year of birth: 1986 or later

SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Under 32 as of December 31, 2022

• Year of birth: 1991 or later

Baseball (M)

To be confirmed by early 2021

Basketball

18 or under as of December 31, 2022

• Year of birth: 2004 or later

PE: Two [2] 19 or under players per gender

• Year of birth: 2003 or later

NT, NU, YT: Five [5] 19 or under players per gender

• Year of birth: 2003 or later

Box Lacrosse

FEMALE: 17 AND UNDER

• Year of birth: 2005 or later

Overage athletes can be 1 year older (Year of birth: 2004)

• NT, NU, PE, YT: 3 overage players
• MB, NB, NL, NS, QC, SK: 2 overage players
• AB, BC, ON: 0 overage players

MALE: 17 AND OLDER

• Year of birth: 2005 or later

Overage athletes can be 1 year older (Year of birth: 2004)

• NT, NU, PE, YT: 3 overage players
• NB, NL: 2 overage players
• MB, NS, SK: 1 overage player
• AB, BC, ON, QC: 0 overage players

Canoe Kayak

Under 22 on January 1, 2022 

• Year of birth: 2000 or later

Cycling

To be confirmed by early 2021

Diving

Athletes must be born in the years 2002 through 2011

Golf

To be confirmed by early 2021

Rowing

Under 22 as of December 31, 2022 

• Year of birth: 2001 or later

Rugby Sevens

To be confirmed by early 2021

Sailing

ABLE-BODIED: 15-22 as of December 31, 2022 

• Year of birth: 2000-2007

PARA: 15-35 as of December 31, 2022 

• Year of birth: 1987-2007

Soccer

Under 18 before January 1, 2022

• Year of birth: 2004 or later

PE: Three [3] under 19 before January 1, 2022

• Year of birth: 2003 or later

NT, NU, YT: Nine [9] under 19 before January 1, 2022

• Year of birth: 2003 or later

Softball

MALE: Under 22 as of December 31, 2021

• Year of birth: 2000 or later

AB, MB, NB: Eligible to select up to two [2] under 23 players 

• Year of birth: 1999

NT, NU, PE, YT: Eligible to select up to three [3] under 23 players 

• Year of birth: 1999

FEMALE: Under 19 as of December 31, 2021

• Year of birth: 2003 or later

NB, NL, NS: Eligible to select up to two [2] under 20 players 

• Year of birth: 2002

NT, NU, PE, YT: Eligible to select up to three [3] under 20 players 

• Year of birth: 2002

Swimming

OLYMPIC PROGRAM:

• Male swimmers must be born in 2005 or later
• Female swimmers must be born in 2006 or later

PARALYMPIC:

• All para swimmers (classes S1-S14) must be born between 1996-2008

SPECIAL OLYMPICS:

• All Special Olympics Canada registered swimmers must be born between 1996-2008

Tennis

Under 19 on January 1, 2022*

• Year of birth: 2003 or later
• 2 Females & 2 Males

Under 17 on January 1, 2022

• Year of birth: 2005 or later
• 2 Females & 2 Males

* P/T Teams are able to have U17 athletes compete as U19 during the event

Triathlon

16-21 as of December 31, 2022

• Year of birth: 2001-2006

Volleyball

BEACH: 21 and under (21U) as of December 31, 2022

• Year of birth: 2001 or later

NT, NU, PE, YT: Eligible to select up to two [2] 23 and under (23U) players per gender 

• Year of birth: 1999 or later

INDOOR: 19 and under (19U) as of December 31, 2022 

• Year of birth: 2003 or later

NT, NU, PE, YT: Eligible to select up to four [4] 21 and Under (21U) players per gender 

• Year of birth: 2001 or later

Wrestling

16-19 as of December 31, 2022

• Year of birth: 2003-2006