What selection and eligibility disputes are
These disputes involve an athlete challenging a decision of a sporting body or tribunal in relation to their selection and/or eligibility for an event or team. There can be some overlap between these two types of disputes if a sport’s rules or policies do not clearly separate eligibility criteria and selection criteria.
Check your sport’s rules on how they define each of these.
We have provided some basic definitions below to guide you.
A selection dispute concerns a sporting body’s decision not to select an eligible athlete.
An eligibility dispute concerns a person’s eligibility to participate in an event or be selected in a team.
How we handle selection or eligibility disputes
To start the process off, the parties to a selection or eligibility dispute must agree to bring the matter to us. This agreement may be automatically part of a sporting body’s regulations, selection policy, rules or a contract. If not, the parties may enter into a specific agreement about a specific matter.
Our General Division deals with selection or eligibility disputes.
We use mediation, conciliation and case appraisal as well as arbitration to help parties deal with selection or eligibility disputes.
Our Appeals Division can deal with appeals about decisions made by our General Division or a sporting body’s internal tribunal.
Who can apply to resolve a dispute
If the dispute is between a person and a sporting body, either one can apply to us. The other party will need to provide their signed consent to bring the dispute to the NST unless the selection policy already refers the matter to the NST.
When you can apply
If you are applying to the General Division, you must apply within the time period for eligibility or selection disputes stated in your sporting body’s rules (for example, a selection policy). If the rules do not mention a time period, you must apply within a reasonable period after the event that caused the dispute.
If you are appealing to our Appeals Division against a selection or eligibility dispute decision, you must appeal within 30 days of the date of the original decision.
Apply to resolve a dispute
See How to apply for details of how to apply to resolve a dispute.
Contact
For more help, contact us.