Recognized Programs

eligibility rules for the 2026 PLAYING SEASON

Rep Council shall automatically recognize any baseball program operating in Ontario which:

submits to Baseball Ontario an application in the form approved by Rep Council;

pays the fees established by Rep Council; and

operates only at the 13U to 18U levels, with no 11U or younger teams.

Recognized programs will be required to provide to Baseball Ontario a roster of the players participating on each of the program’s teams. The recognized program will be required to update the roster filed with Baseball Ontario as changes are made to the roster.

Recognized programs will be required to purchase insurance through Baseball Ontario at the member rate, or provide evidence of satisfactory liability insurance coverage.

A recognized program that is found to be operating, directly or indirectly, a 11U or younger team will automatically and immediately have its recognition suspended and will become a non-recognized program.

Subject to the foregoing clauses, recognition shall be effective from August 1^st to July 31^st annually, or the date application is received until July 31^st.

Programs seeking recognition will be required to pay a one-time fee of $1,000 with their initial application, together with annual team fees of $300/team.

So long as a program is recognized, the following shall apply:

1. teams from the recognized program may play OBA rep teams or other OBA recognized teams with no penalties or sanctions for either team;
2. teams from the recognized program may play in OBA elite tournaments (if the tournament host accepts the team’s application to the tournament); 
3. teams from the recognized program will not be eligible for OBA Rep National Qualifiers or OBA Rep Play-offs, unless the team complies with all residency requirements of P1 (i.e. all required release are obtained, the team registers with and is approved by an Affiliated Association, etc.);
4. players from the recognized program will be eligible to also register with an OBA rep team in compliance with section P1.12 e).
5. players from the recognized program are eligible to try out for the Ontario Youth Team operated by Baseball Ontario; and
6. players from the recognized program will be considered to be registered with Baseball Ontario for purposes of eligibility for the Canadian Junior National Team.

The following organizations are recognized for purposes of this rule: 

• PBLO franchises in good standing with the PBLO
• Ontario Senior Baseball Association
• All Senior Men’s House League Programs
• Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League
• Perfect Game Collegiate League
• Any organization which submits an application under, and complies with, the OBA Recognition Policy.   As organizations apply and are recognized, the will be added to this list. 
• For the 2026 season, the following organizations are recognized: (as of May 14, 2026)

Other than at Senior, players who are involved with a recognized alternative baseball program may ONLY sign with (i) the OBA Local Association in which they live OR (ii) the OBA Local Association with which they last rostered.  (Note:  In the case of (ii), if the player was not rostered with that Local Association in 2023, a release will be required from the OBA Local Association in which they live.)  If the Local Association(s) referenced in (i) and (ii) decide NOT to sign the player, the player may NOT sign with any other OBA team during the current playing season.

An OBA team may play against any organization listed above which has been recognized under the Baseball Ontario Recognition Policy. 

OBA teams wishing to play in one of those alternative baseball programs must follow all rules applicable to OBA teams, including rostering and release requirements, and must comply with their obligations to their Affiliated Association and OBA. 

REQUESTS 

Affiliated Associations or Local Associations wishing for OBA to recognize any other alternative baseball program may request the Rep Council to consider their request.  Any such request must be made in writing, and in the case of a Local Association have the approval of the team's Affiliated Association, and provide reasons why OBA should recognize the alternative baseball program.  Baseball Ontario's Rep Council reserves the right to approve or reject any such request. 

Non-OBA programs may apply for recognition in accordance with the OBA Recognition Policy. 

Anyone having any questions regarding these provisions may contact Justin Snively, Rep Commissioner, at justin@playoba.ca

OBA
STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO PLAYING IN
Canadian Baseball League

(FORMERLY THE INTERCOUNTY MAJOR LEAGUE)

Anyone having any questions regarding these provisions may contact Justin Snively, Rep Commissioner, at justin@playoba.ca.

The Canadian Baseball League (CBL), formerly known as the Intercounty Baseball League, is an Independent Professional Baseball League based in Ontario. In order to provide a consistent and equal playing field for OBA teams across the province, pursuant to RP2.11 of the OBA Rep Division Playing Rules the following memorandum of understanding is in effect as of April 1, 2026 with respect to players playing in CBL who wish to play OBA baseball.

• Players aged 23 and over playing in the Canadian Baseball League are not eligible to sign with Senior OBA. In other words, players can only play with one senior-aged team in Ontario.
• If a CBL player is released by their team no later than June 30, they may be added to a Senior OBA roster, so long as they make application to renounce their professional status, and that application is approved.
• Players wishing to renounce their professional status must apply to the OBA. Status change is not guaranteed. (See Amateur Player Status Reinstatement Policy <LINK>)
• Once a player renounces their professional status, they may not sign with a CBL Club for the remainder of the current season.
• CBL Clubs may use Alternate Players from an OBA 22U program, provided the following:
• CBL Alternate Players (AP/call-ups) from an OBA 22U team are not permitted to receive remuneration in any fashion to play baseball with the CBL team.
  • Exception: Players may receive mileage from the CBL Club at the current OBA-approved rate per kilometer to travel to-and-from the CBL game if they are using their personal vehicle.
• So long as no remuneration is paid and the CBL Club does not sign the 22U player to their roster, the Alternate Players will retain their amateur playing status.
• CBL Clubs shall not roster or AP any player under the age of 19. For greater clarity, a player who is eligible to play on an 18U roster in the OBA is not eligible to play in the CBL.
• CBL Clubs may affiliate with a 22U team within the same OBA Affiliated Association boundaries. These OBA 22U programs will be known hereinafter as CBL Affiliates.
• CBL Affiliates and CBL Clubs must mutually agree to affiliate.
• Players rostered on a CBL Affiliate team may be used by their CBL club as Alternate Players (call-ups).
• CBL clubs may use a maximum of 12 players from their CBL Affiliate throughout the baseball season.
• Players on a CBL Affiliate may only be called-up to their affiliated CBL Club and no other CBL team. Players on a CBL Affiliate may be called up to an OBA Senior team with their Head Coach’s permission. 
• For CBL Clubs without a 22U program within their Affiliated Association, or CBL Clubs who choose not to affiliate with a 22U program, the following Open-AP rules will apply:
• CBL Clubs may delegate a maximum of three 22U teams from whom they can call 22U Alternate Players up. These 22U teams can be from anywhere in the province so long as they are not a CBL-Affiliate Program.
• CBL Club will declare which teams they have Open-AP Agreements with to the OBA no later than May 31st annually (please email: admin@playoba.ca)
• The CBL Club and the 22U team must mutually agree to align under the Roving Call-up rule and any players designated as an AP under this rule must be communicated to their 22U coach by the CBL Club.
• CBL Clubs using the Open-AP rule may call up a maximum of 8 players.
• Players who play in the CBL in violation of these rules will be deemed to be ineligible players for OBA purposes.