NSSLL Draft Information

The Drafts

The Nova Scotia Senior Lacrosse League Draft is a mechanism which disperses junior level (age 20) lacrosse players who are entering the senior level as well as players who are already senior age level (ages 21+) but are not affiliated with the Nova Scotia Senior Lacrosse League. The purpose of the draft system is intened to equitibly distribute players amongst the teams in the league as well as to provide teams with assets with which to manage the perpetuity of their respective lacrosse clubs. The draft system with which the Nova Scotia Senior Lacrosse League operates with is known as an "open draft" which means that each team has no specific geographical affiliations to junior level clubs, and all players who intend on entering the league must partake in the draft process. Late entrants will be processed on a case-by-case basis decided on by the league General Managers. The draft is a standard format draft (1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on) based on the reverse standings from the previous regular season. The championship team from the previous season will always be designated the last position in the draft order, while the team which finishes last in the regular season selects first in the order. Traditionally, the NSSLL Junior Draft will preceed the NSSLL Senior Draft on draft day.


History

The Nova Scotia Senior Lacrosse League was reestablished in 2011 when the league create four small groups of protected players who would then draft from a large pool of players to fill out their respective rosters. Since then, the draft has been a vital tool in keeping the four teams competitive. In 2012, the General Managers agreed to award teams with bonus picks to help teams which faced perilous numbers. While this was a one time occurance, the league was capable of resolving a problem and creating stability through compomise.


Future

The league General Managers have proposed and discussed changes in the draft to support future league expansion. The Nova Scotia Senior Lacrosse League has expressed interest in adding teams to the 4-team league by 2020. The draft is expected to change for the 2019 season to include players from ages 18-20 who will be able to play as affiliates (5-game max) until their final year of eligiblity, and to allow undrafted players to enter the league through a free agency system. The details to these changes are still in development.