Sports
Note that all venues are subject to change based on final registration numbers and operational requirements. For sports hosted at multiple venues, category-specific locations will be confirmed and communicated after registration closes. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to ensure the best experience for all participants!
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Rules
Official, up-to-date rules for each sport can be accessed on the OSGA website. Final sport structure may differ from each sport description.
Please note Lawn bowling will not be offered as an event at the 2025 Ontario 55+ Summer Games. Carpet bowling has been cancelled due to lack of registration.
Five pin bowling was invented in 1909 by Thomas F. Ryan in Toronto, Ontario, who responded to complaints that 10-pin bowling was too strenuous. Ryan cut five 10-pins down by 75 per cent of their size, used hand-sized rubber balls, and thus invented the original Five Pin Bowling. Five pins are arranged in a “V” shape at the end of a lane with the object of knocking them over with a small ball. Each pin is worth different scoring point values depending on their location within the “V”. There are 15 total points in each frame and players get three attempts to knock all five pins down.
Venue:
- Plaza Bowl
1799 Garden St., Sudbury, P3A 5E7
Categories:
- Teams
- Teams of 5 – Open
- Singles
- Women 55+, 65+, 75+
- Men 55+, 65+, 75+
Rules:
Bid Euchre is a variation on the classic card game. Two standard Euchre decks, nines through to aces are used. Teams of two sit across from each other receiving six cards each. Players will determine from their hand how many “tricks” they think they can win and bid accordingly. Hands are then played out and points are determined based on winning the tricks that were bid on by each team.
Venue:
- Holiday Inn
1696 Regent St., Sudbury, P3E 3Z8
Categories:
- Open
Rules:
Evolving from a yard game similar to croquet sometime in the 15th century, billiards was moved indoors onto a wooden table with green felt to simulate grass. Many varieties of pocket billiards, or pool, are possible. The most popular version among recreational players is eight ball, in which one player attempts to sink all the striped balls followed by the 8 ball, while the other player attempts to sink all the solid balls and then the 8. The first to do so wins. Nine ball is often played in professional pool tournaments. In this game, the object is to pocket the 9-ball after the cue ball first makes contact with the lowest-numbered ball on the table.
Venue:
- Rhythm’N’Cues
1855 Lasalle Blvd., Sudbury, P3A 2A3
Categories:
- 8-Ball
- Singles – Women 55+
- Singles – Men 55+
- 9-Ball
- Singles – Women 55+
- Singles – Men 55+
Rules:
Bocce is the plural of the Italian word “Boccia” which means “bowl”. Bocce is a lawn or yard game that’s played with eight weighted balls aimed at a smaller target ball, or pallino. The side that first attempted to place the jack is given the opportunity to bowl first. Once the first bowl has taken place, the other side has the opportunity to bowl. From then on, the side which does not have the ball closest to the jack has a chance to bowl, up until one side or the other has used their four balls. At that point, the other side bowls its remaining balls. The object of the game is for a team to get as many of its balls as possible closer to the pallino than the opposing team. The team with the closest ball to the jack is the only team that can score points in any frame. The scoring team receives one point for each of their balls that is closer to the jack than the closest ball of the other team.
Venue:
- Delki Dozzi Sports Complex
3 Mary St., Sudbury, P3C 3J3
Categories:
- Open
Rules:
Cribbage is a distinctive card game where players try to form various counting combinations of cards to gain points on a uniquely designed board. Scoring is achieved during card play and after the “show”. A “crib” or “kitty” is also a scoring opportunity for the dealer. Invented in the 17th century by English poet John Suckling, the rules somewhat involved where simple enough to make the game a popular pastime. These simple rules allow for endless subtleties during play which accounts for its ongoing appeal.
Venue:
- Holiday Inn
1696 Regent St., Sudbury, P3E 3Z8
Categories:
- Open
Rules:
In cycling, participants use a bicycle to navigate a predetermined distance either in a time trail race or predictive event. Time trials use a measured course for riders to complete in the fastest time and the winners are determined by completion time. Predictive events are more strategic, making riders “predict” the time it will take them to complete the course and then comparing their actual time. The winners are determined by a differential of who is closest to their predicted time.
Venue:
- Delki Dozzi Sports Complex
3 Mary St., Sudbury, P3C 3J3
Categories:
- Prediction – 5km:
- Women 55+
- Men 55+
- Time Trial – 10 km
- Women 55+, 65+
- Men 55+, 65+
Rules:
The game of darts is about 700 years old, first being developed as a military pastime. Players toss darts at a round shaped dart board containing specifically marked scoring areas. Scoring is based on a “rounds” system and players alternate throwing. There are several game methods that can be played from tournament style to informal pub style.
Venue:
- Lockerby Legion – Branch 564
2200 Long Lake Rd., Sudbury, P3E 5H1
Categories:
- Teams of 2
- Women 55+
- Men 55+
- Mixed 55+
Rules:
Euchre has its origin in the 19th century from an Alsatian game Juckerspiel. “Jucker” meaning jack, reflects the use of the Jacks as the “best bower” or highest trump in the game. This game is based on multiple rounds of individual cards played from competitors’ hands to take that particular round. Winning the trick is decided by the player who played the highest card to win the round. Taking the majority of tricks during a round will determine the points that are awarded based on who has declared trump.
Venue:
- Holiday Inn
1696 Regent St., Sudbury, P3E 3Z8
Categories:
- Open
Rules:
Introduced in 1913 at Dayton Beach, Florida, shuffleboard became very popular within retirement communities and the modern game was quickly defined with rules in 1924. Shuffleboard is a game in which players use cues to push weighted discs, sending them gliding down a narrow court, with the purpose of having them come to rest within a marked scoring area. Match play is used to determine the winner of each game.
Venue:
- Naughton Community Centre
1955 Regional Rd. 55, Naughton, P0M 2M0
Categories:
- Open – 55+
- Open – 70+
Rules:
The word “golf” evolved from the Dutch word “kolf”, which means “club”. Scottish dialect changed the term to “goff” and only later in the 16th century to golf. The game of golf officially became a sport in 1744 when the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith formed the first club. In golf, players strike a small ball with various clubs from a series of 18 tee blocks leading along a fairway to a hole, in series on a course. The player who completes all holes in the series with the fewest strokes wins.
Venue:
- Timberwolf Golf Club
1930 Maley Dr., Garson, P3L 1M5
Categories:
- Singles
- Women 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+
- Men 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+
Rules:
Pickleball is the fastest growing game in North America and originated in the summer of 1965 in Joel Pritchard’s back yard using an old badminton court, ping pong paddles and a wiffle ball. Its popularity is due to the simplicity of the rules and easy nature for beginners. The nature of the racket sport attracts those who have enjoyed tennis, squash, racquetball and badminton but have found those sports to now be too strenuous. According to the Pritchard family, the name “Pickle Ball” was settled on as it reminded them of a “Pickle Boat” where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boat crews.
Venues:
Categories:
- Teams of 2 – Skill Level 3.5:
- Women – 55+, 65+, 75+
- Men – 55+, 65+, 75+
- Mixed – 55+, 65+, 75+
- Teams of 2 – Skill Level 4.0:
- Women – 55+, 65+, 75+
- Men – 55+, 65+, 75+
- Mixed – 55+, 65+, 75+
Rules:
Very similar to running, walking is different in that one foot must be in contact with the ground at all times. Because of this, many adaptations of the rules have been made settling on the “heel-to-toe rule” in which a participant’s toe cannot leave the ground until the heel of the next foot is on the ground. Predictive walking, like the other predictive events, makes the participant “predict” the time it will take them to complete the course and then comparing their actual time. Winners are determined by a differential of who is closest to their predicted time.
Venue:
- Laurentian University Track
935 Ramsey Lake Rd., Sudbury, P3E 2C6
Categories:
- Prediction Walking: Singles – 1km and/or 3km
- Women 55+, 70+
- Men 55+, 70+
- Nordic Prediction Walking: Singles – 1km and/or 3km
- Women 55+, 70+
- Men 55+, 70+
Rules:
Slo-pitch is a variety of softball. Softball saw its beginnings in Chicago after a group of Yale and Harvard alumni anxiously awaited the results of the two schools rival 1887 football game. A boxing glove was tied tightly and swung at with a stick to allow for a hybrid baseball game to pass the time. Over many years, softball evolved into offshoots including Slo-Pitch where a pitcher must lob a softball on an arc a minimum of 3 ft. high from their shoulder. This Slo-Pitch style does not allow for the stealing of a base and play can only originate from contact with the bat.
Venue:
- Terry Fox Sports Complex
21 Lasalle Blvd., Sudbury, P3A 6B1
Categories:
- Competitive: Mixed 55+
- Recreational: Mixed 55+
Rules:
Swimming emerged as a competitive activity in the 1830s after the first indoor pool was opened to the public. Since then, many distinct styles, events, distances and relays have been adopted by the World Swimming Association (FINA). Swimming is noted as one of the healthiest activities that can be done by most individuals. It is low impact and has numerous mental and physical health benefits. Predictive swimming makes the participant “predict” the time it will take them to complete the set number of lengths and then comparing their actual time. Winners are determined by a differential of who is closest to their predicted time.
Venue:
- Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre
4040 Elmview Dr., Hanmer, P3P 1R9
Options:
Option A: 55+ Swimmers may select max. of 2 prediction lengths, 3 sprint lengths, and one Individual Medley Event
Option B: 55+ and 65+ and 75+ Swimmers may select max. of 1 prediction, 4 sprint lengths, and one Individual Medley Event
Option C: 55+ and 65+ and 75+ Swimmers may select max. of 5 sprints and one Individual Medley Event
Categories:
- Prediction – Any Stroke – 100m and/or 200m
- Women 55+, 65+
- Men 55+, 65+
- Open Sprint – Front Crawl – 50m and/or 100m
- Women 55+, 65+ 75+
- Men 55+, 65+, 75+
- Open Sprint – Back Stroke – 50m
- Women 55+, 65+ 75+
- Men 55+, 65+, 75+
- Open Sprint – Breaststroke – 50m and/or 100m
- Women 55+, 65+ 75+
- Men 55+, 65+, 75+
- Open Sprint – Butterfly – 50m
- Women 55+, 65+ 75+
- Men 55+, 65+, 75+
- Four Sprint (Individual Medley)
- Swimmers in each age group 55+, 65+ and 70+ must swim in sequential order: 25M Butterfly – 25M Backstroke – 25M Breaststroke – 25M Front Crawl for a total of 100M
Rules:
The word tennis comes from the Anglo-Norman “tenetz” which can be translated into “hold, take or receive” which was a call made by the server to his opponent before serving. This racket sport is played either individually or in doubles. Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into their opponent’s court. The object of the game is to manoeuvre the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. The player who is unable to return the ball validly will not gain a point, while the opposite player will.
Venues:
-
Category: Men and WomenJames Jerome Sports Complex1201 Paris St, Sudbury, P3E 5J1
-
Category: MixedSudbury Indoor Tennis Dome30 Cypress St, Sudbury, P3V 4B8
Categories:
- Teams of 2
- Women 55+, 65+, 70+
- Men 55+, 65+, 70+
- Mixed 55+, 65+, 70+
