KARATE CANADA National Senior Team Criteria

KARATE CANADA National Senior Team Criteria Kata Athletes 2014-2015 Season February 7, 2014

1- Introduction These criteria apply to the National Senior Team Kata athletes only. The following items are discussed: 1. How to get on the National Senior Team; 2. How to get an Athlete s status; and 3. How to maintain a position on the National Senior Team. All funding directed to athletes, as stipulated in Table 3, will be a function of Karate Canada s budget and the athlete s status. These criteria will be applied to all National Senior Team members, taking into account any current points and statuses earned in the 2013-2014 season, using the 2013-2014 Senior National Team Criteria. For the purposes of this document, the term season designates the time period between (and including) one FNTC (First National Team Camp) and the following occurrence of the FNTC (excluded), in the following year. Also, any reference to the National Team Head Coach will refer to either the individual filling that position or an appointed substitute in the event that the Head Coach position is vacant. The classification of domestic, continental and international tournaments, and the points athletes are able to accumulate at each one, will be determined by the National Head Coach on an annual basis, pending approval by the High Performance Committee. Please refer to Tables 1 and 2 for the 2014-2015 classifications and point yields for each competition. The schedule of international tournaments and/or training camps chosen for the National Senior Team can be modified during the course of the season by giving at least eight (8) weeks notice prior to the event. Karate Canada may cancel participation in any of these events due to unforeseen circumstances, such as but not limited to, re-scheduling or cancellation of the event by its organizing committee. Please note that Karate Canada reserves the right to amend these Criteria after the date of their original publication, in accordance with the primary objective of enhancing Karate Canada s chances of obtaining podium results and achieving success at certain WKF and / or PKF competitions. 2- How to get on the National Senior Team Any kata athlete who is invited to the First National Training Camp (FNTC) must participate in the camp (see possible exceptions in section 2.1). The following athletes may receive an invitation to the FNTC: International A athletes. International B athletes.

National A athletes. Coaches pick athletes are athletes who may fill the open spots, if any. Coaches Picks must be approved by the High Performance Committee. Invited Athletes are athletes showing potential and invited by the National Head Coach, if any. Those athletes will not be named on the National Senior Team at the conclusion of the FNTC. Please note that the status of the athlete at the time of issuance of the invitation is to be considered. The invitation to the FNTC is to be issued to athletes at least three (3) weeks before the start of the Camp. At the conclusion of the FNTC, a National Team Roster of eligible athletes will be announced. The subsequent selection of specific athletes to represent Canada at major karate competitions during the season will: occur at defined times prior to each competition (see Section 5); be based on status and accumulated performance/ranking points : -if the status and accumulation of performance/ranking points does not clearly determine a specific athlete, the tie breaking criteria (Section 5) will be applied. draw only from the National Team Roster designated at the conclusion of the 2014 FNTC (with the exception of situations described in 2.1). Depend on the total size of the Team at each event, as determined by Karate Canada s budget and High Performance Plan, and /or by the tournament s organizing Committee requirements. For all athletes who have been issued an invitation to the FNTC, even in the case of injury or recovery from injury, the athlete will still be requested to attend the FNTC. Athletes with infectious disease may be requested not to attend by Karate Canada. Please refer to the exceptional circumstances section in Section 6. Athletes who have been issued an invitation to the FNTC based on status or as Coaches Pick and who do not participate in the FNTC will not be part of the National Senior Team Roster. 2.1 Selection Of Athletes To Fill Vacant Spots Participation in the entire FNTC is mandatory for all invited athletes who want to be part of the National Senior Team Roster (see possible exemptions in Section 6). However, if a certain spot or division is left vacant at the conclusion of the FNTC, the National Head Coach may, in the course of the season, exceptionally choose another athlete or other athletes to fill this spot or division. In such a case, the athlete(s) must be named to the National Team at least 15 days before the beginning of the first event which they will be selected to compete in, must have at least earned a podium result at the 2014 KC National Championships, and may be required to participate in one

(1) to two(2) National Team Training Camp(s) in the course of the season (see section 2.5). The selection of this (these) athlete(s) must be approved by the High Performance Committee. 2.2 Citizenship Requirements Non-Canadian citizens may be named to the National Team Roster and, thereby, earn ranking points at Open tournaments if and only when they can demonstrate that they are in the process of becoming a Canadian citizen. Only upon the attainment of Canadian citizenship will they become eligible to be named to a National Team representing Canada at Pan American Championships, official Intercontinental or World Championships. Non-citizen athletes on the National Team Roster will receive no funding, and are not eligible for Sport Canada Carding (Athlete Assistance Program). 2.3 Selection Of Alternates Karate Canada is under no obligation to select an alternate for either a camp or an international event. The selection of alternates is at the discretion of the National Head Coach, but must be approved by the High Performance Committee. Ranking points acquired through performance by alternates who have not been selected onto the National Team Roster named at the conclusion of the 2014 FNTC will only be considered for invitation to the 2015 FNTC and, for selection and funding purposes, from the date of the invitation to the 2015 FNTC until the date of expiry of these points. 2.4 2014-2015 National Team Competitions: 2014 North American Karate Cup, March 22* Richmond, BC 2014 US Open April 16-20* Las Vegas, NV, USA 2014 Sr Pan American Championships May 18-26* Isla Margarita, Venezuela 2014 Istanbul Open Karate 1 Aug 30 Sept 8 * Istanbul, Turkey (plus international training camp) 2014 Ibero-American Championships October 3-6* To be announced 2014 Senior World Championships October 31-Nov 9* Bremen, Germany (see qualification and selection criteria in Appendix A) 2015 Canadian National Championships February 6-8* Richmond, BC, Canada 2014 Paris Open WKF Karate 1 January 2015* Paris, France (for designated National Team athletes)

Senior National Team Roster kata athletes may also choose to engage in other Open competitions. No coaching staff, logistical support nor funding will be provided to athletes participating in these additional tournaments. (*= Exact dates to be confirmed) 2.5 Training Camps: In order to remain on the 2014 Senior National Team roster, all invited Senior Kata National Team athletes may be required to take part in one to two training camps (exact dates and locations to be confirmed; approximate duration should not exceed three (3) days). Invitations to such training camps will be issued to 2014 National Team Roster kata athletes at least forty-five (45) days prior to the start date of each respective camp. 3- How to obtain a Status Athletes accumulate points for their performance at the events listed in Tables 1 and 2 and the Rules about Status and Points. In turn, a particular status can be obtained: 1. By the accumulation of points as follows, as indicated in Tables 1 and 2 and following the Rules About Points and Statuses: a. International A: 260 or more points; b. International B: between 100 and 259 points; c. International C: between 75 and 99 points; and d. National A: between 20 and 74 points. 3.1 Rules about Status and Points 1. An athlete must win at least 2 bouts in order to be awarded 100% of the points as listed in Tables 1 and 2. 2. An athlete who obtains a result, with only 1 win, will be awarded only 50% of the points as listed in Tables 1 and 2. 3. A win through a bye and/or absence of an opponent will not be counted as a victory. 4. Points obtained in team kata will remain in the team kata division and will not be added to any athlete s individual division. Should one of the three members who earned these points be replaced by another athlete (due to the replaced athlete being injured or having decided to retire or withdraw from the team willingly), the team will continue to benefit from these points from the date on which they were earned until the date of expiry. Should more than one of the original team members be replaced, points will be lost regardless of their original anticipated expiry date.

5. Points obtained in an individual division can only be accumulated within that same division. Those points cannot cross-accumulate with other individual disciplines (i.e. kata and kumite) and weight divisions. 6. Only the events listed in Tables 1 and 2 of this document are considered for accumulation of points. 3.2 Duration And Expiration Of Points 1. The start date of an athlete s points is the date of the event where the athlete achieved the result for which the ranking points were awarded (see notes below Table 1). 2. An athlete s ranking points are valid: From the from the date of the 2013 National Championships to the February 2014 FNTC for points derived from performance at the 2013 National Championships, and from the date of the 2014 National Championships to the date of the 2015 National Championships for points derived from performance at the 2014 KC National Championships. As two (2) National Championships will occur within the season (2013 FNTC to 2014 FNTC) covered by last year s criteria, ranking points earned at both National Championships will be considered for athlete selection. From the from the date of the 2015 National Championships to the the date of the 2016 National Championships for points derived from performance at the 2015 National Championships, From event to event or 1 year if the event doesn t reoccur within the following season for results obtained at the following events: NAKF North American Cup USA Open Karate Championships European-based WKF Karate 1 Premier League Competitions** Senior Pan American Championships (except for a gold medal result see below) For 1 year for points derived from a top eight (8) finish at Senior World Championships; From event to event or for two (2) years if the event doesn t reoccur within the following two (2) seasons for points derived from a medal at the Senior World Championship; From event to the 2 nd subsequent edition of the same event, or for two (2) years if the event doesn t reoccur within the following two (2) seasons for points derived from a gold medal at the Senior Pan American

Championship; For all ranking point awards that carry for a two (2) year duration, a reduction of 50% will occur on the 1 st anniversary of the ranking point award and continue for the remainder of the second year. 3. When an Athlete is awarded a Status through the accumulation of points, the impact on the Athlete s Status will be: The status will only last as long as the points are maintained to keep that athlete within the respective brackets of statuses. 4- Selection Criteria for the National Team Roster (at the conclusion of the FNTC) In order to become eligible for selection onto National Teams who will participate in any Karate Canada sanctioned events throughout the season, athletes will be selected in the following order of priority, up to a maximum of 2 male and 2 female athletes (plus up to one male and female kata teams), at the conclusion of the 2014 FNTC: International A athletes; International B athletes; International C athletes; National A athletes; Coaches pick athletes are athletes who may fill the open spots, if any, as selected by the Head Coach. Karate Canada and the Head Coach are under no obligation to fill vacant spots. 4.1. Tiebreaking Criteria The tiebreaker process will be as follows for two athletes who hold the same status: 1. The athlete with the higher total number of ranking points earned from performance at international competitions will be selected; 2. If the tie persists, the athlete with the higher total number of ranking points earned from performance at continental and international competitions will be selected; 3. If the tie persists, a final decision will be made by the National Head Coach. The coach s decision may include a challenge match. This final selection and process must be approved by the High Performance Committee. The naming of an athlete to the National Team designated to attend a specific targeted event will be made in accordance with ranking point accumulation at the time of the selection, with the exception of selection for participation in the 2014 Senior World Championships (see Appendix

A).. Unless specified otherwise in this document, selection to the National Team for a targeted competition will occur no later than one month before the start of this competition. Selection of National Teams for specific events will occur at specific dates (see tables 1 and 2 and Appendix A). 5- Selection Criteria for National Teams at Specific International Competitions In order to participate in any Karate Canada sanctioned events (with the exception of the 2014 Senior World Championships see Appendix A), kata athletes will be selected from the National Team Roster and onto each specific event s National Team in the following order of priority, depending on the overall pre-set size of the Team (announced by Karate Canada at least 1 month before the start of each international competition) and the number of athletes able to participate in each division at each of these events: International A athletes; International B athletes; International C athletes; National A athletes; Athletes who were invited to participate in the 2014 FNTC as Coaches picks. 5.1 Tiebreaking Criteria The tiebreaker process will be as follows for two athletes who hold the same status: 1- The athlete with the higher total number of ranking points earned from performance at international competitions will be selected; 2- f the tie persists, the athlete with the higher total number of ranking points earned from performance at continental and international competitions will be selected; 3- If the tie persists, a final decision will be made by the National Head Coach. The coach s decision may include a challenge match. This final selection and process must be approved by the High Performance Committee. 6- Requirements, Exemptions and Appeals 6.1 Requirements To remain on the National Team Roster each athlete must: Sign and adhere to the Karate Canada Athlete Agreement. Have and maintain a valid Canadian passport or be actively in the process of obtaining

Canadian citizenship. Pay the required Senior National Team Package Fee in full and on time. Always report any performance limiting injuries or physical conditions to the National Head Coach. Provide proper medical information on the injury and on its treatment. Keep the National Head Coach informed on the progress of their recovery. Provide an accurate mailing address, an active e-mail address and all phone numbers at which they can be reached. Any changes must be sent to the Karate Canada Head Office in a timely manner. 6.2 Exemptions Exemptions from national team activities due to exceptional circumstances may include, but are not limited to: Death in the immediate family; Injury limiting participation and/or performance; Pregnancy; or Infectious disease Requests must be made as soon as the issue arises by notification in writing, to the Karate Canada Head Office. It should be sent no later than 3 weeks after the occurrence of the incident or exception. It will need to include the circumstances along with any supporting evidence scanned and emailed to the Karate Canada Head Office. In the cases of injuries, disease or other performance limiting physical condition, the athlete must include a medical certificate indicating the specific problem, its severity and the estimated recovery time. Karate Canada has the right to seek its own medical opinion before rendering their final decision. An athlete who has sustained an injury must be present at all mandatory training camps. An athlete whose condition persists and is unable to undergo full training during the 2-week period prior to an event may be withdrawn from the team representing Canada at that event. Karate Canada will accept or reject all exemptions requests and deliver its decision in writing. Such decisions will be final and without appeal. 6.3 Appeals Appeals regarding team selection are limited to the incorrect application of criteria. For any appeal, please refer to the Karate Canada s Appeal Policy.

Table 1:Points accumulated for performances in individual divisions Priority Event Team Selection Dates 2014 Senior World September 15, 1 Championships 2014 (International) 2 2014 PKF Senior Pan American Championship (International) Performance Points Duration / Expiry Gold Silver 600 540 From event to event or 2 years if the event does not Bronze 430 reoccur within the following 2 Top 5 200 seasons. Points are Top 8 130 reduced by 50% in the 2 nd year of possession. April 15, 2014 Gold 260 From event to the 2 nd subsequent edition of the same event, or 2 years if the 2 nd subsequent edition of the event does not reoccur within the following 2 seasons. Points are reduced by 50% in the 2 nd year of possession. Silver 150 From event to event or 1 year if Bronze 100 the event does not reoccur within the following season 3 All European-held 2014 WKF Karate 1 Open Competitions & 2015 Paris Open (International)** 4 2014 NAKF North American Cup (continental) -Istanbul Open: July 29 th, 2014 -Paris Open: December 2015* (No National Team selected for other Karate 1 events of the season; athletes may participate on their own.) February 23, 2014 Gold 220 From event to Silver 130 event or 1 year if Bronze 80 the event does not Top 5 30 reoccur within the following season Gold 60 From event to Silver 40 event or 1 year if the event does not reoccur within the

following season 5 2014 USA Open (continental) 6 2015 KC National Championships (domestic)*** March 14, 2014 Gold 60 From event to Silver 40 event or 1 year if Bronze 25 the event does not reoccur within the following season n/a Gold Silver 50 30 From event to event or 1 year if the event does not reoccur within the following season ** All 2014 European based WKF Karate 1 Premier League Competitions as well as the 2015 Paris Open Karate 1 Championships will be considered for point accumulation; however, athlete ranking points will only be awarded for the top two event placements. Senior athletes who are not named onto the Sr National Team at the conclusion of the 2014 FNTC for the 2014-2015 season may still earn performance points and statuses at these international events as well as the 2014 USA Open Championships. These points, however, will only be considered for the invitations to the 2015 FNTC and subsequent team selection. It is these athletes responsibility to provide Karate Canada with proof of the results obtained within 30 days of the completion of the event where these points were earned. *** Participation in the 2015 National Championships will be mandatory for any athlete to be invited for participation in the 2015 First National Training Camp (and for possible selection onto the Senior National Team Roster for the 2015-2016 competitive season). Table 2: Points accumulated for performances in team divisions Priority Event Performance Points Duration / Expiry 1 2014 PKF Senior Pan American Championship Gold 110 From event to event or 2 years if the event does not reoccur within the following 2 seasons. Points are reduced by 50% in the 2 nd year of possession. Table 3 : Funding ratios for athletes on the National Senior Team invited to compete at international competitions**** Status Points Ratio International A 260 or more 1.5:1

International B 100 259 1:1 International C 75 99 None National A 20 74 None Based on its budgets per event, Karate Canada may distribute additional funding to athletes participating in multiple divisions. (**** Whenever funding is available. Based on Karate Canada s available funds and overall budget for each event.) Upgrades in the status of athletes may be considered for athlete funding purposes after team selection for an event has occurred. The date on which statuses are to be considered for funding for an event will be at the discretion of Karate Canada.

APPENDIX A - 2014 SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION A.1 RANKING POINTS SYSTEM Please note that a distinct 2014 Senior World Championships Team Selection Ranking Points system has been designed and adopted by Karate Canada for selection of its Senior National Team athletes who will compete at the 2014 Senior World Karate Championships. Please see table 4 below. TABLE 4-2014 SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM SELECTION RANKING SYSTEM EVENT ATHLETE RANK / RESULT POINT VALUE NORTH AMERICAN CUP (MARCH 22, 2014) US OPEN (APRIL 16-20, 2014) SENIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (MAY 18-26, 2014) ISTANBUL OPEN KARATE 1 CHAMPIONSHIPS (SEPTEMBER 7-8, 2014) 1 20 2 10 1 50 2 40 3 30 1 70 2 60 3 50 1 80 2 65 3 50 5 40 A.2 ELIGIBILITY: In order to be selected onto the National Canadian Team for participation in the 2014 Senior World Championships, athletes from the 2014-2015 Senior National Team Roster must have participated in both the 2014 Senior Pan American Karate Championships and in the 2014 Istanbul Open Karate 1 Championships as members of the Canadian National Team.

A.3 SELECTION: The 2014-2015 Senior National Team Roster athlete holding the highest total of these points in each individual kata division on September 15, 2014 will be selected onto the Canadian National Karate Team for participation in the 2014 Senior World Championships. Should more than one athlete hold the same points total, the tie will be broken according to the following decreasing order of priority (considering only results earned within the division for which then athlete must be selected for participation in the 2014 Senior World Championships): a. The athlete with the highest placing at the 2014 Istanbul Open Karate 1 Championships will be ranked higher; b. If two or more athletes have the same placing at the 2014 Istanbul Open Karate 1 Championships, the athlete with the most wins at the 2014 Istanbul Open Karate 1Championships will be ranked higher; c. If two or more athletes still have the same number of wins at the 2014 Istanbul Open Karate 1 Championships, the athlete with the highest placing at the 2014 Senior Pan American Championships will be ranked higher; d. If two or more athletes still have the same placing at the 2014 Senior Pan American Championships, the athlete with the most wins at the 2014 Senior Pan American Championships will be ranked higher; e. If two or more athletes still have the same number of wins at the 2014 Senior Pan American Championships, the athlete with the highest placing at the 2014 North American Cup will be ranked higher; f. If two or more athletes still have the same placing at the 2014 North American Cup, the athlete with the most wins at the 2014 North American Cup will be ranked higher; g. If two or more athletes still have the same number of wins at the 2014 North American Cup, the athlete with the highest point accumulation from competitions (on September 15 th, 2014) as per the National Senior Team Criteria (ordinary ranking points used for determining athlete status) will be ranked higher; h. If after the application of this ranking process a tie still exists, a final decision will be taken by the National Head Coach (or appointed substitute). The coach (or appointed substitute) s decision may include a challenge match, in the case of athletes of the same gender.this final selection and process must be approved by Karate Canada s High Performance Committee.