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ONTARIO STATUTE GUIDE · S.O. 2018, C. 1

Rowan’s Law: What Every Ontario Youth Sports Club Must Do

Canada’s first concussion-safety law applies to every Ontario amateur sports organization serving anyone under 26. Here is exactly what it requires.

BACKGROUND

What Is Rowan’s Law?

Rowan’s Law (Concussion Safety), 2018 (S.O. 2018, c. 1) is Ontario’s landmark concussion-safety statute, named after Rowan Stringer, a 17-year-old Ottawa high school student and rugby player who died in May 2013 after sustaining multiple concussions in the span of one week while playing for her school team. A coroner’s inquest into her death issued 49 recommendations for preventing similar tragedies, which served as the foundation for the legislation.

The law came into force on July 1, 2019 and was the first legislation of its kind in Canada. It establishes a mandatory framework for concussion prevention, identification, and management in amateur sport, and covers every Ontario amateur sports organization where athletes under the age of 26 participate, regardless of sport or skill level.

  • Applies to amateur sports organizations at all levels, not just competitive leagues
  • Covers any sport where athletes under 26 participate, contact and non-contact
  • Obligations extend to the organization, its coaches, officials, and athletes
  • Administered by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport

SCOPE OF APPLICATION

Who Must Comply?

Rowan’s Law applies to any Ontario amateur sports organization, defined broadly to include any organization or club that operates, sanctions, or facilitates amateur sport in Ontario. This includes:

  • Tennis clubs and academies
  • Badminton clubs
  • Figure skating clubs
  • Dance academies (where sport-like competitive activities occur)
  • Golf clubs with youth programs
  • Soccer clubs, hockey clubs, basketball associations
  • Any multi-sport or recreational facility serving youth athletes

Within each covered organization, the following individuals have specific obligations:

  • Athletes under 26: must acknowledge Concussion Awareness Resources annually
  • Parents and guardians of minor athletes: must acknowledge on behalf of their child annually
  • Coaches: must acknowledge and complete concussion awareness training
  • Officials and team administrators: must acknowledge and follow removal-from-sport protocols

STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS

What Rowan’s Law Requires

The statute imposes five distinct compliance obligations on Ontario amateur sports organizations. All five must be in place before athletes participate in any on-sport activity. Section references below are provided for navigation; verify against the current consolidated statute at ontario.ca/laws.

Annual Concussion Acknowledgment

Before each season of play, athletes under 26, parents or guardians of minor athletes, coaches, and officials must each acknowledge the provincial Concussion Awareness Resources. This is not a one-time registration event. The acknowledgment must be renewed for every season. A missing or expired acknowledgment constitutes non-compliance with Rowan’s Law’s annual acknowledgment requirement.

Rowan’s Law, 2018, s. 2(1)

Concussion Code of Conduct

Each covered organization must adopt a club-specific Concussion Code of Conduct. The Code must be reviewed annually and must identify the Designated Person, reference the provincial resources, and set out removal-from-sport and return-to-sport procedures. The Ministry provides a template, but clubs are responsible for adopting it.

Rowan’s Law, 2018, s. 3

Removal-from-Sport Protocol

The organization must designate a Designated Person with explicit authority to immediately remove from sport any athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion. The Designated Person need not be a medical professional, but must be named, trained, and empowered to act without override by coaches, parents, or the athlete themselves.

Rowan’s Law, 2018, s. 4

Mandatory Parent/Guardian Notification

When a minor athlete is removed from sport for suspected concussion, the organization must notify the athlete’s parent or guardian immediately. The notification obligation arises at the moment of removal, not after a medical assessment is completed.

Rowan’s Law, 2018, s. 4(3)

Return-to-Sport Protocol with Medical Clearance

No athlete who has been removed for suspected concussion may return to full-contact practice or competition without written clearance from a physician or nurse practitioner. The clearance must be accompanied by completion of the six-stage stepwise return-to-sport protocol. Progression through stages must be documented.

Rowan’s Law, 2018, s. 5

PROTOCOL DETAIL

The 6-Stage Return-to-Sport Protocol

Athletes must complete each stage successfully, at least 24 hours per stage with no symptom recurrence, before advancing to the next. An athlete must not skip stages. Written physician or nurse practitioner clearance is mandatory before Stage 5.

  1. Stage 1

    Symptom-Limited Activity

    Daily activities that do not provoke symptoms (e.g., light reading, screen time within tolerance). Goal: gradual reintroduction of cognitive and physical activity.

  2. Stage 2

    Light Aerobic Exercise

    Walking, swimming, or stationary cycling at low intensity. No resistance training. Goal: increase heart rate.

  3. Stage 3

    Sport-Specific Exercise

    Running drills, skating drills, hitting strokes on court without opposition. No head-impact activities. Goal: add movement.

  4. Stage 4

    Non-Contact Training Drills

    More complex drills (e.g., passing, footwork patterns). May involve teammates. Goal: exercise, coordination, and cognitive load.

  5. Stage 5 Medical Clearance Required

    Full-Contact Practice

    Written clearance from a physician or nurse practitioner is mandatory before this stage. Athlete participates in normal training contact with full physical effort. Goal: restore confidence and assess functional skills.

  6. Stage 6 Medical Clearance Required

    Return to Competition

    Full return to competitive play. Medical clearance from Stage 5 must remain current. Documentation of all stages must be retained by the club.

NON-COMPLIANCE CONSEQUENCES

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with Rowan’s Law exposes Ontario sports clubs to consequences on two tracks simultaneously:

Regulatory Track

  • The Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport can issue compliance orders against any covered organization found to be in breach of the statute.
  • Non-compliant organizations may lose access to provincial sport funding, facility grants, or sanctioned competition status.

Civil Liability Track

  • In any personal injury claim arising from a concussion-related incident, a plaintiff can point to the club’s failure to follow Rowan’s Law as direct evidence of breach of the duty of care, significantly strengthening negligence claims.
  • Parent-signed liability waivers offer weakened protection where statutory protocols were not followed, because courts may view non-compliance as evidence of systemic negligence beyond the scope of ordinary waiver language.
  • Many sport-specific insurance policies now include concussion protocol compliance as an express coverage condition. A lapsed acknowledgment or missing Designated Person may void coverage for the relevant incident.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Informational only, not legal advice. Consult qualified Ontario counsel for your club’s specific situation.

Does Rowan’s Law apply to tennis and badminton clubs in Ontario?
Yes, for most organized amateur sports. Rowan’s Law applies to every Ontario amateur sports organization where athletes under the age of 26 participate, including tennis, badminton, figure skating, golf, soccer, and hockey clubs. There is no exemption based on sport type or contact level. Whether a particular program (such as recreational dance or yoga) constitutes “amateur sport” under the statute depends on its structure and affiliations; competitive programs affiliated with provincial sport organizations are generally considered within scope. When uncertain, consult qualified Ontario counsel.
How often must athletes sign the concussion acknowledgment?
Rowan’s Law requires an annual acknowledgment of the provincial Concussion Awareness Resources. Athletes under 26, parents or guardians of minor athletes, coaches, and officials must complete the acknowledgment before each season of play, not just once at registration. If a new season begins and the acknowledgment is not renewed, the club is in breach.
What must be in a Rowan’s Law Concussion Code of Conduct?
A Concussion Code of Conduct under Rowan’s Law must: (1) identify the organization’s removal-from-sport protocol and the Designated Person authorized to enforce it; (2) reference the provincial Concussion Awareness Resources; (3) set out the return-to-sport progression stages; and (4) be reviewed and acknowledged annually by all covered parties. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport provides a template that clubs can adopt or adapt.
Who is the “Designated Person” under Rowan’s Law?
The Designated Person is an individual identified by the sports organization who has the authority and responsibility to immediately remove from sport any athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion. The Designated Person does not need to be a medical professional (they may be a coach, administrator, or other club official) but they must be identified in writing in the Concussion Code of Conduct and must understand the removal-from-sport protocol.
What is the return-to-sport protocol under Rowan’s Law?
The return-to-sport protocol is a six-stage progressive exercise protocol: (1) Symptom-limited daily activities; (2) Light aerobic exercise; (3) Sport-specific exercise; (4) Non-contact training drills; (5) Full-contact practice: requires written clearance from a physician or nurse practitioner; (6) Return to competition. An athlete may not advance to Stage 5 or 6 without written medical clearance.
What happens if a club doesn’t follow Rowan’s Law?
Non-compliance can result in: (1) Regulatory orders from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport; (2) Increased civil negligence liability: failure to follow the statute’s protocols is evidence of breach of the duty of care owed to athletes; and (3) Insurance complications, as many sport-specific liability policies now require statutory concussion protocol compliance as a coverage condition.

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