THE 28th EDITION OF THE OTTAWA
INTERNATIONALS'
“ICEBREAKER” SOCCER FESTIVALS AND TOURNAMENTS
Girls: May 24-25, 2025 Boys:
May 31 - June 1, 2025
Dear Soccer Fans:
Following 2024’s amazingly successful
Icebreaker, the Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club is extremely
pleased, excited and proud to be able to invite your team to participate in the
28th Edition of the “Icebreaker” Soccer Tournament for U-13 to U-18
teams, or in the Icebreaker Mini Soccer Festival for U-9 to U-12 teams.
As usual, “The Icebreaker” will be split over two week-ends with
the Girls’ Teams playing on May 24 and
25 and the Boys’ Teams playing on May
31 and June 1. Both competitions will have two
categories-of-play - the “Ice Pile” and the “Snow Bank”
in all of the age groupings from U-9 to U-17/18.
A MAXIMUM of twelve (12) teams will be eligible to compete in
each of the five (5) combined Ice Pile and Snow Bank Tournament age
groupings between U-13 and U-17/18; whereas a MAXIMUM of eight
(8) teams will play in each of the Ice Pile Divisions and in each of the Snow
Bank Divisions in each of the four (4) Festival Divisions
between U-9 and U-12.
In the U-13 to U-17/18 Tournament age
groups, each Division will be comprised of a maximum of two six-team
groupings and each grouping will play a full Round-Robin preliminary set of
games before teams are seeded into the Ice Pile and the Snow Bank Divisions for
the Play-off games. This format guarantees each participating team a minimum of
six (6) games. All games that are tied at the end of Regulation Time will
use a Shoot-Out to determine the game’s winning team. This rule
applies to all tied games in both the Preliminary and Play-Off Rounds.
There will be a Champion and Silver Medalist in each of the two Play-Off
Divisions (Ice Pile and Snow Bank) for the U-13 to U-17/18 Age Groups.
In the U-9 to U-12 Mini Soccer
Festival, each of the four age groups will have an Ice Pile and a Snow
Bank Division; and those two Divisions will each be comprised of two four-team
pools which will play a complete Round-Robin against each team in the other
pool. The U-9 and U-11 Divisions will play their games on the Saturday, whereas
the U-10 and U-12 Divisions will play their games on the Sunday of their
respective gender’s tournament weekend.
All of the "Icebreaker's" games will be
held in the City of Ottawa and Festivals and Tournaments in the following age
categories will be held:
AGE GROUP
|
BIRTH DATES
|
Under - 9
(Mini Soccer – 7
a-side)
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2016
|
Under - 10
(Mini Soccer – 7 a-side)
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2015
|
Under - 11
(Mini Soccer – 7 a-side)
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2014
|
Under - 12
(Mini Soccer – 7 a-side)
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2013
|
Under -
13
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2012
|
Under -
14
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2011
|
Under - 15
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2010
|
Under -
16
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2009
|
Under
– 17/18
|
Born on or
after January 1, 2007
|
Since spaces are much more limited than in
previous years, all teams are advised to register early in order to secure your
spot in the Tournament or Festival and to avoid the disappointment of applying
for a sold-out age group.
PLEASE NOTE:
All girls’ teams from outside of the Eastern Ontario Soccer (EOS)
are advised and STRONGLY encouraged to register for the Icebreaker AND to book
their hotels as early as possible because the Ottawa Marathon Race Week-end is
again running its races during the Girls’ Icebreaker
week-end.
The maximum numbers of players who can be
registered, dressed and play per team are as follows: U-9 and U-10 – 12
players; U-11 and U-12 – 20 players who are registered and 16 players
playing; and U-13 to U-18 – 20 players registered and 18 players playing.
A player may be registered on, and play for, only one team and in only
one age group in the Icebreaker. The Entry Fees are $365 for U-9, U-10,
U-11 and U-12 teams; and $665 for U-13 to U-18 teams.
The Icebreaker Festivals are awaiting approval by
the Ontario Soccer Association as Inter-District Festivals and the Icebreaker
Tournaments are awaiting approval by the Ontario Soccer Association as
"ONACC” Tournaments which designation means that only Competitive
Club (CC) Teams from anywhere in North America (NA) are eligible to
participate.
All Festival and Tournament teams must prove that
they are registered with their District / Provincial / State soccer association
and must be registered to play in an outdoor League in 2025. In addition,
all teams from outside of the EOS must produce an Authorized Travel Permit from
their home soccer association which authorizes that team to participate in the
Icebreaker and certifies that all players are registered to participate in the
Icebreaker’s tournament “class”.
In accordance with Ontario Soccer requirements,
validly certified player passports or cards will be the only proof of player
registration that will be accepted. Improperly registered or unregistered
players or teams will not be permitted to participate. Teams must carry
and supply proof of injury and liability insurance while participating in this
event – which is evidenced by the team’s Authorized Travel Permit.
For additional information and to
register your team, please visit our web-site at:
ottawaicebreaker.com
The ENTRY DEADLINE is midnight on Wednesday, April 16, 2025
ICEBREAKER CATEGORY DEFINITIONS
ICE PILE
EOSL-Development U-9 to U-12 Premier
teams
EOSL-District U-13 to U18 Tier 1 Teams
Quebec U-13 to U-18 “A” and
“AA” teams
Any team playing at the HIGHEST LEVEL within an Ontario Regional or a
Multi-Jurisdictional League.
OYSL, LSEQ (Quebec “AAA”), OPDL and
USODP teams will play in the Ice Pool but in the next older age grouping. These
teams can play in the Snow Bank for age groupings that are 2 years older than
the age group in which these teams are registered for league play.
SNOW BANK
EOSL-Development U-9 to U-12 Tier 1 and Tier 2
teams
EOSL-District U-13 to U18 Tier 2 and Tier 3 teams
Quebec U-13 to U-18 “A” teams
Lower level (“L6”) teams within an Ontario Regional or a
Multi-Jurisdictional League.
Club Teams playing in an Ontario District League,
Recreation level teams that are “carded” to play Competitively.