League Rules

I. General League Rules

1. Player Eligibility & Rosters

• All participants must be 17 years of age or older.
• Each team must have a minimum of 10 skaters and 1 goaltender dressed per game.
• All substitute players (“fill-ins”) must be pre-approved and/or assigned by league officials.

2. Game Structure

• Standard games consist of three (3) 15-minute stop-time periods.
• Each team is permitted one (1) 30-second timeout per game.
• If the score is tied at the end of regulation:

• Regular Season: One 5-minute, 3-on-3 sudden death overtime with running clock and changes on the fly, followed by a shootout if necessary.
• Playoffs: One 5-minute, 3-on-3 sudden death overtime with stoppages and changes permitted at any time, followed by a shootout if necessary.

3. Equipment & Uniform Standards

• Players are expected to wear full protective equipment: helmet (minimal half shield), gloves, shin guards, elbow pads, hockey pants, and shoulder pads (optional).
• Teams must wear matching dark or white jerseys:

• Home Team: Dark/colored jerseys.
• Away Team: White jerseys only. No grey jerseys, unless it is the official team uniform.

Helmets must have at least one securely fastened strap at all times.

II. Gameplay Regulations

4. Offsides & Icing

• USA Hockey rules apply unless otherwise stated.
• The league uses no-touch icing (play is blown dead when the puck crosses the red goal line).

5. Physical Play & Contact

• Body checking is strictly prohibited.
• Incidental physical contact (e.g., rubbing along the boards, legal stick use) is permitted.
• Dangerous plays; including boarding, charging, blindside hits, or slew-footing, will result in an automatic game misconduct.
• Fighting results in immediate ejection and a minimum one-game suspension.
• Any non-hockey play with intent to injure another player or official.

6. Penalties & Discipline

• Minor penalty: 2 minutes (includes all standard infractions).
• Double minor: 4 minutes.
• Major penalty: 5 minutes + game misconduct.
• Game misconducts trigger an automatic suspension, duration to be determined by league review.
• Abuse of officials will result in immediate ejection and further disciplinary action. Referees must be treated with respect at all times.
• Delay of game penalty will be issued if a player shoots the puck directly over the glass in the defensive zone.

7. Slapshots & Stick Use

• Slapshots are allowed in all divisions.
• Players must keep sticks below shoulder height during play. Reckless or dangerous stick use will be penalized accordingly.
• High Sticking does not apply to shot follow through.

8. Goaltending & Crease Regulations

• Goaltenders may only freeze the puck within a reasonable distance of the goal crease.
• Players crashing the crease in a reckless manner will be penalized for goalie interference.
• If a goaltender loses their mask during play, the game will be stopped immediately for safety.

9. Bench Conduct & Sportsmanship

• A degree of competitive banter is expected, but unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated.
• Intentional delays of game (e.g., freezing the puck unnecessarily or shooting the puck out of play in the defensive zone) will be penalized.
• Captains are responsible for ensuring their team conducts itself with integrity and respect for opponents, officials, and the league.

10. Goalie Absence Protocol

• In the event a team’s goaltender is a last-minute scratch and a suitable emergency goalie cannot be secured in time, the team will be permitted to start and play the game with no more than six (6) skaters on the ice.
• Teams may not exceed six total players on the ice at any time, and no skater may act as a goaltender (e.g., wearing goalie equipment or intentionally freezing the puck in the crease).
• The opposing team must be notified prior to the game, and league officials will make the final determination on game eligibility and continuation.
• This exception is intended to prevent forfeits, maintain fairness, and ensure games are played when possible. It is not a strategic alternative and may not be abused.

III. Fill-In Policy & Clarification

How Fill-Ins Are Decided

Fill-ins are chosen based on captains’ player ratings from past seasons, which provide a baseline. From those numbers, we establish:

• Player grades
• Team averages
• Team needs for each game based on player absence

When a team is missing players, the replacement isn’t a 1-for-1 swap. For example, if a team is down five (5) players but only asks for two (2) fill-ins, we assign skaters based on the overall average need of the team, not just replacing the “top” missing players. This includes accounting for the impact of lower-end players, whose ice time also factors into balance.

Why This Matters

Our system, while not perfect, has consistently produced closer, more competitive games, including many that go into overtime, season after season. Weekend divisions are trickier due to a smaller player pool, so sometimes skill levels mix more than we’d like, but the averages still keep games competitive.

Imperfections & Reality

Yes, there will be blowouts. Sometimes players cancel last-minute, a player or goalie plays poorly, or someone just has an off night. That’s hockey. But the system works great, especially over the season as a whole, and we’re always fine-tuning it to make things better.

IV. Weeknight E Division — Temporary Rule Update

To keep weeknight E Division games safe and fair when teams are short, some D-level skaters may be permitted to fill in. These D skaters must follow all of the restrictions below:

• No crossing center ice with or without the puck (must stay behind the red line when attacking)
• No slap shots
• No pressure defense

Purpose

These D fill-ins are not intended to influence game outcomes; they are present only to ensure teams have enough skaters so games are not played dangerously short-handed. This protects player health and keeps games moving during roster shortages.

This is a temporary adjustment and will be revisited as roster availability improves.