Eligibility: KC Futsal-Ly Arellano

2022-23 Season 

May 6, 2023 

Facts:

William Ly and Hafid Arellano were listed on the KC Men’s Futsal eligibility list during the 2022-23 season. Both competed at the ACAC Championships after not having competed at the ACAC North Regional over the weekend of February 10-12, 2023.

Ruling:

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

4. 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 in a specific sport (on or before January 30, soccer excepted) in order to be eligible for play-offs in that sport. (Amended April, 2012/April, 2022)

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 soccer league game sheets to be eligible for the play-offs.

4.2. For tournament sports, a student-athlete must be listed on the main certificate of eligibility or a supplemental certificate of eligibility and must appear on one or more ACAC regular season game sheets in that sport in order to be eligible for play-offs.

See Specific Sports Rules under Article I, Section 13 for any exceptions.

4.3. Cases involving injury, illness or academic ineligibility shall be decided by the Commissioner. A medical certificate shall accompany any request for medical exemption.

I have been provided with medical substantiation that establishes that both athletes were injured at the time of the North Regional and were physically unable to participate for medical reasons.

Therefore, notwithstanding that Rule 4.2 requires that each athlete participate at the North Regional in order to be eligible to participate at the ACAC Championships, both athletes have established that they were medically unable to do so. As such, both athletes were eligible to compete at the ACAC Championships.

Although I have ruled in favour of these athletes, I would suggest that Council consider revising the wording of this rule, which is currently silent on timing, to require that applications such as these be required to be submitted before athletes participate in play-offs or ACAC Championships.

Sincerely,

Bill Hendsbee 
ACAC Commissioner