Tournaments

Tournament Sanctioning Process 

Tournaments are a key component to the success of lacrosse in Alberta and an important foundation for the growth and development of our athletes. Providing a positive, inclusive athlete experience in the form of tournaments is central to the Alberta Lacrosse Association’s philosophy and player development philosophy.

All lacrosse tournaments within the Province of Alberta must be sanctioned by the Alberta Lacrosse Association. Securing sanctioning ensures safe participation for teams outside your District and the province. It also ensures that your players, coaches, and officials will be protected under the Alberta Lacrosse Association insurance policy. 

Sanctioning Your Tournament 

There are four steps in the tournament sanctioning process:  

1. Tournament Application  
1. Clubs wishing to have a tournament, festival, or jamboree must fill out the tournament-sanctioning application form (available on the Alberta Lacrosse Association’s website).  Please submit your completed tournament sanctioning application form to your Local Governing Body (LGB) for LGB-level approval.

1. LGB Approval
1. Each LGB will set a date for the receipt of tournament applications that is in advance of the Alberta Lacrosse Association’s tournament sanctioning application deadline (November 1, 2025) and will share this date with all of their member clubs.
2. The LGB will review and vet all sanctioning requests received to determine which tournaments they ultimately wish to sign off on and bring forward to Alberta Lacrosse for sanctioning.  
3. Each LGB will notify prospective tournament hosts about the status of their application and whether or not it will be signed off at the LGB level.
4. Hosts of tournaments signed off at the LGB levels must submit the signed “The Request to Host a Tournament” form must be submitted with a fee of $150.00  to the Alberta Lacrosse Association Office by November 1. 
5. Applications for tournaments being run by an ALA member club will only be accepted if submitted via their LGB.

 Sanctioning by the Alberta Lacrosse Association

1. The Alberta Lacrosse Association will review all tournament requests forwarded to them to ensure that they have been signed off at the LGB level and that all of the necessary information has been provided.
2. Alberta Lacrosse will convene a meeting of representatives from all of the LGBs as well as the Alberta Lacrosse Referees Association (ALRA) in early November to review the submissions and identify instances of scheduling overlap.  Based on the discussion at this meeting, clubs that have submitted a tournament application may be contacted to discuss a change of date(s) and/or age divisions if a conflict is noted.  
3. Once any conflicts have been resolved, the Alberta Lacrosse Association will send a letter to tournament contacts letting them know if their tournament has been sanctioned or not.  
4. The list of sanctioned tournaments will be uploaded to the Alberta Lacrosse Association’s website once the host club and their LGB have been formally notified.  

 Hosting the Tournament

1. The tournament schedule must be provided to the ALA office a minimum of two (2) weeks in advance of the first game of the tournament.  Tournament hosts are advised to consult the Alberta Lacrosse Association regulations for information on scheduling considerations.
2. Tournament hosts are responsible for working with the ALRA to schedule officials for their tournament.  The Alberta Lacrosse Association Office plays no role in this part of the process.  
3. The host organization of any tournament must, within 48 hours of the end of its tournament, file with the Alberta Lacrosse Association Office, as well as its LGB, a report outlining any discipline problems, accompanied by the corresponding game sheet (if applicable) which resulted in five-minute penalties and any suspensions of any official, player, coach, manager, or other person. Tournament discipline is to be supplied on the discipline template provided to the tournament’s discipline chair.

Questions?  Please contact the Alberta Lacrosse Association Office for more information.

Key Resources

Please refer to ALA regulations in our governance documents for information covering ALA Tournaments, but also, here are some key resources should you be hosting a tournament:

• Schedule Template
• Discipline Log
• Tournament Standing Report

2025 Box Lacrosse Tournament Schedule *Coming Soon*