Nationals 2027 registration and qualification

Since posting on social media a reminder about the requirement to have met the qualifying standards for Nationals 2027 by the close of registration, which is November 16, 2026, we have received indications that the announcement made via email to all members in February of this year to that effect was either not sufficiently clear or that the timing that it implied did not fully register in everyone's minds. Time has a habit of flowing by rather swiftly and February seems a lot closer when you add in registration windows and requirements to have a qualifying total well in advance. It is therefore easy to not realise that the requirements for Nationals 2027 would need to be met in fall of 2026 given how early in the year Nationals is. Let’s clear it all up.

We would like to both clarify the ongoing regular process moving forward and also outline more explicitly what will be done this year (2026) only as we phase in this process.

Firstly, the practice moving forward will be that you MUST have achieved the CanPL Qualifying Standard (sometimes known as the “QT” or “Qualifying Total”) before the close of registration of both Regional and National events, as applicable. By policy, registration closes for these events 12 weeks or 84 days before the event start. By Qualifying Standard we mean specifically the total that CanPL requires that you have achieved within the 24 months prior to the event start date. This means you must think ahead to plan for achieving that total in due time and look at what meets are available to you.

It is also important to note that this timeline applies to the CanPL Qualifying Standard and does not necessarily apply to meeting the requirements of your provincial association on the same timeline. These requirements and their timeline are up to the provincial associations to determine. They may opt to allow for volunteering after that cutoff date as fulfilling a volunteer requirement, for instance. You MUST check with your province. CanPL requires that you have the CanPL Qualifying Standard by the registration deadline, but the provincial associations control and check their own qualification requirements.

What this means is that you should look at the dates for any Regional and National events that you hope to do and plan to have achieved your needed total 12 weeks or 84 days before the regional or national event starts. You should also contact your provincial association to ensure that you have opportunities lined up to cover their requirements as well.

For Nationals 2027, in light of the confusion, we are allowing totals achieved up to and including December 31, 2026 to be used for Nationals 2027. This is a one-time allowance being made specifically to address the new timeline and its adaptation.

Moving forward, from 2027 onwards, participation in any of the three Regionals 2027 events will require that you have achieved the required Regional Qualifying Standard by the close of the registration (12 weeks or 84 days out) for your regional event. Participation in Nationals 2028 and onward will require that you have achieved the National Qualifying Standard 12 weeks or 84 days prior to the start of the meet.

Thanks for your feedback and please let us know if you require further clarification.