Tournament Rules

GAME SET UP

·         Group Play games consist of two (2) 10-minute running periods.  Stop time occurs only in the last 30 seconds of the second period of a game within 2 goals. 

o        Referee reserves the right to add time on at the end of a game should the ball get played away or out of the rink intentionally or unintentionally

·         Regulation play is 3-on-3 skaters & 1 goalie per team.

·         Players must check in with timekeeper to record numbers prior to every contest

·         Two points for regulation win, one point for regulation tie. 

·         Tiebreakers are as follows in order of application.  Goal differential, head to head, goals against, penalty shootout best of 3 then sudden death.

·         Each team will play every team in its pool one time. Top two (2) teams in each pool advance to Championship Round play. 

·         Protective Equipment Required – Gloves, Shin Pads, Elbow Pads, Helmet with secured Chin Strap

GAME PLAY

·         The Scorekeeper is an official, and may discuss a play with the on ice officials.

·         Kicking the ball/puck in with your skate or knocking in a pass/shot with your hand is ILLEGAL and not a goal. Referee will determine if ball/puck is deliberately knocked in or deflected unintentionally into the net.

·         Lifting your stick over your shoulder to play the ball or to call for a pass from another player will result in a warning at the first offense and 2-minute penalty thereafter. The face-off will occur in the offending player's deepest zone & will take place once the ball is touched by any member of the offending team. (Note: you do not have to make contact with the ball for the high stick violation to take place.)

·         Minor penalties are served at the penalty box on your team's side, to start when the ball drops at the ensuing face-off. Game referee or official game scorer will give penalty time to penalized player.

·         There are no offsides. There is no icing.

·         All netting around the rink including the wall up until the pipe under the scoreboard is in play as long as ball lands in play without leaving the rink. All hanging banners are out of play.  The roof and wall above the pipe is out of play. If the ball lands and rests on the top of the boards and goal nets, the referee may stop play at their discretion.  Ensuing face-off will occur in the offending team’s deepest zone if ball/puck is shot into or hits netting.

·         You can legally grab the ball/puck if you put it right down & only to yourself.

·         The goalie is given one warning for shooting the ball/puck out of play. All other infractions will constitute a minor penalty (2 minutes) for delay of game.  This is called at the referee’s discretion. (The penalty boxes and player benches are not considered out of play for this rule.)

·         Hand passes are illegal to any teammate in the offensive & defensive zones, with exception to yourself & to your goaltender.

·         A player may not enter the crease before the shot is taken or makes contact with the goaltender. Once the shot has entered the goal crease, an opposing player may be in the crease when a goal is scored. Any goal will be disallowed if referee deems player is in direct interference with the goaltender's ability to make a save. A crease violation will result in a face-off outside your opponent's zone.

·         The game will continue if the goal is slightly displaced. If the goal has been displaced by more than a few inches, the referee can either stop play, or fix the net if play continues away from the displaced goal.

·         A goal will be counted if the game official deems the goaltender or other defensive player dislodged the net unintentionally. In this case, a dislodging of the net cannot take away a goal from the opposing team.

·         Face-offs – the players are required to place sticks on the court at each side outside of the face-off area.  The official can drop the ball if a player is deliberately stalling to enter the face off.

OVERTIME

·         There is no overtime in group or wildcard play

·         Overtime penalties are of same duration as regular game time penalties.

·         Overtime is played 3-on-3; Ten(10) minutes running time sudden death.

PENALTIES & INFRACTIONS

·         The Team Captain will be the only player allowed to speak to a game official.

·         Teams may never go down below two (2) men at any time.  Overlapping penalties will be delayed until first penalty expires.

·         VERBAL ABUSE OF GAME OFFICIAL(S) BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE GAME WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL RESULT IN A 2-MINUTE MINOR PENALTY. IF PLAYER PERSISTS IN VERBAL ABUSE OF GAME OFFICIAL(S), A PLAYER MAY BE EJECTED & SUSPENDED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE TOURNAMENT. THIS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED!

·         Fighting between players will not be tolerated and will result in A 5-MINUTE MAJOR PENALTY, 10-MINUTE GAME MISCONDUCT PENALTY, AUTOMATIC EJECTION FROM THE GAME & SUSPENSION OF THE PLAYER FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE TOURNAMENT. 3^rd Man in fight & Leaving the bench during an altercation will also carry these penalties & THE TEAM WILL BE EJECTED FROM THE TOURNAMENT. THIS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED!

·         If any player accumulates three (3) minor penalties or any combination of penalties over six (6) minutes in total time, that player is automatically disqualified from the remainder of the contest.

SUMMARY OF PENALTIES/PENALTY TIMES

Penalty Penalty Time Goal Crease Violation Face-off in opponent's zone. Illegal Hand Pass Face-off in opponent's zone. Too Many Men on Court 2:00 Bench Minor Tripping / Hooking / Holding or Holding the Stick / Delay of Game / Interference 2:00 Minor Unsportsmanlike - Diving 2:00 Minor Slew-footing 4:00 Double Minor High-Stick (Unintentional/Intentional) 2:00 Minor/5:00 Major + Game Disqualification* Slashing / Roughing / Boarding / Checking / Charging / Elbowing 2:00 Minor/4:00 Double Minor + Game Disqualification* Unsportsmanlike - Intent to Injure 2:00 Minor/4:00 Double Minor + Game Disqualification* Spearing 5:00 Major + Game Disqualification* Fighting/3rd Man In/Leaving the Bench 5:00 Major + 10:00 Game Misconduct + Game Disqualification.

*Game disqualification enforced at referee's discretion. FightING RELATED penaltIES haVE automatic game & TOURNAMENT disqualification.