Eligibility: OC Soccer-Noschang

2021-22 Season

October 13, 2021 

Facts:

Pedro Noschang is an International student-athlete who has been attending online classes at OC while awaiting a student visa, which, according to OC, was delayed due to Covid-19 processing complications. Mr. Noschang arrived in Canada on October 9, 2021. However, he did not participate during OC’s last regular season game on October 10, 2021. OC reports that Mr. Noschang’s name was included on the OC Soccer Conflink listing effective September 13, 2021.

OC seeks a ruling that Mr. Noschang is eligible to compete in the ACAC playoffs.

Ruling:

Article I Section 5 Rule 4 of the ACAC Operating Code states as follows:

Eligibility for Playdowns

A student-athlete must be listed on the original certificate of eligibility (fall semester) or on a supplemental certificate of eligibility and have appeared on an ACAC regular season game sheet (on or before January 30, soccer excepted) in order to be eligible for play-offs.

4.1. In the case of soccer, supplementary eligibility forms must be in the ACAC office by October 15th each year and all athletes must appear on one or more league game sheets to be eligible for the play-offs.

The October 15th deadline referenced in Rule 4.1 above is based on the pre-Covid ACAC schedule, which involved a longer regular season schedule than is the case during the current season. In this case, although OC confirms that it is able to comply with the above deadline for providing a supplementary eligibility form for Mr. Noschang, it is not possible for Mr. Noschang to comply with the requirement to have appeared on an ACAC regular season game

sheet. Although the current season has been shortened, the date of OC’s last regular season game has been known for some time.

The ACAC has made it clear to its member institutions that all ACAC rules apply to the current season except those specifically identified as Covid-19 and/or transition year exceptions. Unfortunately, Mr. Noschang’s circumstances do not fall under one of the identified exceptions included in the Supplemental Rules and Procedures. As such, to rule in Mr. Noschang’s favour would not be consistent with past eligibility rulings. Therefore, based on the above, Mr. Noschang is not eligible to participate in the 2021 ACAC playoffs.

Sincerely,

Bill Hendsbee 
ACAC Commissioner