Recognized Programs

eligibility rules for the 2025 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
• 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 2025 season, the following organizations are recognized: (as of May 30, 2025)

Application for Recognition

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-Topping, Rep Commissioner, at justin.snively@baseballontario.com

OBA
STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO PLAYING IN
INTERCOUNTY MAJOR LEAGUE

Updated June 19, 2025

In order to provide a consistent and equal playing field for OBA teams across the province, OBA is announcing pursuant to RP2.11 of its Rep Division Playing Rules the following with respect to players playing in the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) in 2025.

• Players playing in the Intercounty Major League are not eligible to sign with Senior teams within the OBA. In other words, players can only play with one senior-aged team in Ontario.
• 22U-aged players playing for the OBA 22U team in the same municipality that operates an IBL franchise may play as a call-up with that particular IBL team, but no other.  If an IBL team chooses to affiliate with an OBA 22U team within its municipality, up to 12 players may be designated as call-ups.  Both the IBL program and the 22U program must agree to this affiliation. Example: Players playing on the Kitchener Junior team may play as call-ups with the Kitchener Intercounty team only.
• For IBL teams who elect not to affiliate with an OBA 22U team within its municipality, or IBL team that does not have a 22U program within their municipality, the following Roving Call-up rule shall apply:
• IBL teams may delegate a maximum of three 22U teams from whom they can call 22U players up.  These 22U teams can be from anywhere in the province so long as they have not already aligned with another IBL team.
• IBL teams will declare which teams they have Roving Call-up Agreements with to the OBA no later than May 31^st annually (June 23rd for the 2025 season).
• The IBL team and the 22U team must mutually agree to align under the Roving Call-up rule and any players designated as a call up under this rule must be communicated to their 22U coach by the IBL team.
• IBL teams using the Roving Call-up rule may call up a maximum of 8 players.
• 22U-aged playing as a call-up with an IBL team are ineligible to play as a call-up with any OBA senior team in the province.
• Players who play in the IBL in violation of these rules will be deemed to be ineligible players for OBA purposes.

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