Select, top rated, Canadian University soccer players from coast to coast will have an opportunity to earn a spot on a Canadian Premier League Club through the 2021 CPL-U SPORTS Draft. This year’s edition will be conducted via an amended format due to the cancellation of the 2020 U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship and Canadian university season across each of its four member conferences.
Following a behind closed doors draft meeting, the player draft picks will be officially announced in succession on Friday, January 29 at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT LIVE on CanPL.ca, Twitter @CPLSoccer and OneSoccer. The draft will be hosted by OneSoccer’s Adam Jenkins, who will be joined by Alan Hudes, U SPORTS Manager of Communications and Content.
The Draft will consist of two rounds, with eight picks in each round due to the addition of Atlético Ottawa. All 16 draftees will be invited to their club’s preseason training, with the hopes of securing a 2021 U SPORTS Developmental Contract for the upcoming season. The order of the draft is based off of the Club’s regular season record over the course of the CPL’s 2020 season (Island Games) and will be formatted in a “snake draft” order as follows:
- Reverse league table for non-playoff teams
- Reverse order for two playoff but non-final teams
- Runner up
- Winner
Draft Rounds: The 2021 CPL-U SPORTS Draft will include two rounds and 16 selections.
Selection Clock: Teams are permitted three (3) minutes to make a selection.
Intermissions: There shall be a ten (10) minute break between Rounds.
Timeouts: Each team is permitted one (1) timeout. Timeouts are three (3) minutes in duration. Selections must be made immediately following the timeout (no additional time given). More than two (2) timeouts cannot be used consecutively.
Failure to Make Selection in Designated Time: Clubs that fail to make their selection in time must wait until the next selection is made, regardless if their choice is presented prior to the next club’s decision. The team that was delinquent with its selection must immediately have its choice in hand following the selection of the club that followed. If not, the original club must again wait for the next selection to be made.
