General Rules & Policies
Participants must be permanent residents of British Columbia. British Columbia is divided into 12 zones and participants compete for their zone depending on the location of their permanent residence.
Participants must be 55 years of age or older by December 31st in the year of the Games.
Participants can only move up in skill level and can only move down in age category. Partners must play in the age category of the youngest team member. I.E. You and your partner would like to play doubles in badminton, your partner is 64 and you are 67; both of you would have to compete in the 60-64 age category.
A participant registered on a team with five or more participants can only play on one team. EXCEPTION – dragon boat racing – a woman can compete on a women’s team as well as a mixed team.
- Individuals or teams that withdraw for reasons other than illness or injuries, shall not be refunded any fees by the Society or Zone.
- No refunds will be issued after July 27, 2024.
- A sport(s) cancelled by the Host Society will result in a refund of participation registration fees and sport fees. Upon request, membership fees will be refunded for participants and supporters of a sport(s) cancelled by the Host Society. Registered Supporters of participants affected by a sport(s) being cancelled by the Host Society are also eligible for a refund of their supporter registration fees.
Cross-Zone Participants
A cross-zone participant is a registered member willing to participate on a team* for another zone, no cross-zone participants are allowed in singles events. Cross zone participants must register and pay fees in their resident zone.
Participant Pledge:
“I pledge to participate in the 55+ BC Games to the best of my ability, to uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship during competition, to enjoy the fun and fellowship of the Games and to appreciate the hospitality, volunteers and friendship of the Host Community.”
It is highly recommended that all participants in a physically active sport have a medical examination prior to competing in are or zone playdowns or at the Games. Participants with a health problem or concern should carry this information with them along with a list of mediations or treatment being taken.
Qualifying for the Games:
Playdowns are optional, however, some zones may decide to host playdowns to determine placement in a division. Medals are not awarded at playdowns. Anyone competing in zone or area playdowns must be a member of BC Seniors Games Society before competing in the playdown.
Membership with Provincial Sport Organization:
Membership with a PSO is not a requisite for participation in the Games, unless required as stated in the sport specific rules. Participants are encouraged to look into the PSO for their sport, if applicable, for membership benefits.
Registration Forms:
Registration opens March 1. Participants will need to register online.
Registering for more than one Sport:
Participants are allowed to compete in only one sport at the games, but they may compete in more than one event within that sport.
Confirmation of Registration:
Participants will receive an email confirming registration. Contact your zone if any information on the confirmation email is incorrect or if you have not received a confirmation email.
Participant information is collected under the authority of the BC Seniors Games Society (BCSGS) as collector and custodian of this information. The information provided will be used to determine the eligibility to participate in the annual 55+ BC Games and for other reasons as outlined in the Personal Information Protection Policy.
The name, age, home town and sport of the registered participant will be provided to media outlets and available able on the 55+ BC Games website. The name, address, sport, age and image of the registered participants may be used in non-commercial promotion and development of sport by BCSGS.
The names and addresses and images may be provided to the Premier and the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
For questions about the collection and use of this information, please contact BC Seniors Games Society at info@55plusbcgames.org.
As a condition of entry into the 55+ BC Games, it must be understood that the participants enter entirely at their own risk and will not hold the BC Seniors Games Society, the Host Society and the Province of BC, their staff, agents and volunteers responsible for injury, loss of property damage occurring during the annual 55+ BC Games.
Participants agree to release, discharge and not to undertake commencing any action against the Host Society, BC Seniors Games Society and the Province of BC from any and all claims and causes of action, or liability of any kind whatsoever for injuries, property damage or death, which in any way results from participating in the annual 55+ BC Games.
The Host Society, the BC Seniors Games Society and the Province of British Columbia do not assume responsibility for loss of wages, medical, dental or hospital care for participants, officials, or volunteers during the annual 55+ BC Games.
