General Information

Please register your team as soon as possible (even before your final player selections have been made) to avoid disappointment.

We do not need players' list when you register, only that your team exists and in which League and Division you will play this coming summer. We will close groups when they are full, even if this occurs before the registration and withdrawal deadline of May 4, 2025.

28th Edition of the Ottawa Internationals' "Icebreaker" Soccer Tournament

Girls: May 24 and 25, 2025 – Boys: May 31 and June 1, 2025

Both competitions will include two competitive categories (the "Ice" Pile and the "Snow" Bank) in all of the age groupings from U-9 to U-17/18 (both inclusive).

Please note that Ontario Soccer's (OS) long-term player development matrix indicates that age groupings U-9 to U-12 are restricted to a single-day festivals.

  • The girls' U9, and U11 Snow Bank and Ice Pile divisions will play on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
  • The girls' U10 and U12 Snow Bank and Ice Pile divisions will play on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
  • The boys' U9, and U11 Snow Bank and Ice Pile divisions will play on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
  • The boys' U10 and U12 Snow Bank and Ice Pile divisions will play on Sunday, June 1, 2025.

The U-13 to U-17/18 age groups of this Tournament have been approved by Ontario Soccer as an "ONACC" Tournament which means that only Competitive Club Teams from North America are eligible to participate. All participating teams have to be registered to play in an outdoor league during the spring or summer of 2025 in order to be eligible to compete in the Icebreaker Tournament.

The U-9 to U-12 Festivals are currently approved by the local soccer governing body, the Eastern Ontario District Soccer Association (EODSA) as "Inter-Provincial Festivals" which means that teams from anywhere in Canada are eligible to apply for entry.

  • All teams must supply proof that they are registered with their District, Provincial or State soccer association.
  • All out-of-district teams must produce a Travel Permit from their home soccer association which authorizes that team to compete in the Icebreaker and that all players are registered to participate in this Tournament's class.
  • Validly certified player passbooks or cards will be the only proof of player registration that will be accepted. Improperly registered or unregistered players or teams will not be permitted to participate.
  • Teams must carry and supply proof of injury and liability insurance while participating in this event. Your team's fully-authorized or approved Travel Permit includes and proves this insurance coverage.

Entry Fees

  • $365 for U-9 to U-12
  • $665 for U-13 to U-17/18

Categories

All of the "Icebreaker's" games will be held in the City of Ottawa, and, subject to receiving the minimum number of entries, competitions in the following age categories will be held.

Age Group Birth Dates

  • Under-9 Festival Mini Soccer - (7-a-side) Born on or after January 1, 2016
  • Under-10 Festival Mini Soccer - (7-a-side) Born on or after January 1, 2015
  • Under-11 Festival Mini Soccer - (9-a-side) Born on or after January 1, 2014
  • Under-12 Festival Mini Soccer - (9-a-side) Born on or after January 1, 2013
  • Under-13 Born on or after January 1, 2012
  • Under-14 Born on or after January 1, 2011
  • Under-15 Born on or after January 1, 2010
  • Under-16 Born on or after January 1, 2009
  • Under-17/18 Born on or after January 1, 2007

A minimum of six (6) and a maximum of twelve (12) teams will be eligible to compete in each Tournament Divisional Age Grouping.

Festival Age Grouping Divisions will be structured to allow each team to play four games. Divisional sizes may vary - but we need a minimum of five (5) teams to start a Festival Round-Robin. If demand warrants it, Divisions may be expanded and/or more than one Divisional Section may be established.

Register early in order to avoid disappointment. The maximum number of players per team varies depending upon the age grouping in which the team is playing. Please check the Rules pages on this web-site for your particular age group's team roster and playing limitation. In spite of the age grouping in which a player is playing, a player may be registered on only one team and in only one age group in either the Tournament and/or in the Festival.

Icebreaker Division Definitions

U-9, U-10, U-11 and U-12 Festival Teams

Festival Teams are to select whether they wish to play in the stronger division (the Ice Pile) or in the standard division (the Snow Bank).

Note

In the U-13 to U-17/18 Tournament age groups, we will divide the groups into the Ice Pile (regional or AA teams) and Snow Bank (C1, C2 and A teams) when possible. If we do not have the required number of teams to break out a group all teams will be in the same group. Each grouping will play a full Round-Robin preliminary set of games before teams are seeded for the Play-off games. This format guarantees each participating team a minimum of six (6) games and will use a Shoot-Out to determine a winner in all tied games in both the Preliminary and Play-Off rounds.

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