| US Outdoors Rules Addendum |
- Anything not appearing on this list will default to the USA Ball Hockey Rule Book.
Tournament Rules:
- Tournament Rules:
- The roster limit is 22. Any player on a roster can play in any games regardless of playing time previously. Team leaders can make roster adjustments up until their first game.
- It is the Team Leaders’ responsibility in lower divisions to make sure they fit within the restriction rules of their division. All our restricted lists are available for review on our website and team leaders must check off stating their roster is within our division rules when submitting rosters. If any team uses a restricted player or they are over the amount of the restricted players in a game, that game will result in a 1-0 forfeit. It is not the Tournament Directors’ responsibility to review rosters. Tournament Directors reserve the right to add and subtract players from the list. If you have an issue with a player on one of our lists you must contact us prior to deposit deadline. We will not make changes past the deposit deadline.
- Games may start up to 15 minutes before scheduled time, please be prepared. It is team’s responsibility to know what rink and location they are playing. We won’t hold games for teams making schedule mistakes. If teams aren’t ready to play a minor penalty will be assessed for delay of game. If the team still isn’t ready after penalty is assessed and recorded, then the game will result in a forfeit.
- Any team that doesn’t show up for a playoff game will get a lifetime ban and every player on the roster will get a 1 tourney suspension.
- 10 min periods. All three periods will be stopped for all divisions. All OT periods will be a running clock. The running clock in OT will be stopped on penalties and the last minute.
- There will be no ties in round robin instead there will be a 5 min, 3v3 running time period followed by 3 player shoot-out to determine the winner. Goalies will not switch sides and will remain in their net for all round robin OT.
- OT Rules will be posted at scorekeeper box for playoffs. Goalies will not switch sides for OT.
- No timeouts until semifinals. Teams will get 30 second Timeout in the semis and finals.
- The tournament will use a 3-2-1 scoring system. 3 points for regulation win, 2 points for an OT/SO win, and 1 point for an OT/SO loss. The tiebreaker system will be:
- ROW (Regulation and OT wins)
- Head to Head
- Goal Differential
- Goals Against
- Goals For
- Coin Flip
- During the A Semis and Finals a 3rd ref will be in the penalty box. This ref can’t make any live calls but will be responsible for holding players on rink on icings and can eject a player for an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play is stopped (misconduct only, no minor or major penalty and power play will be awarded). They may also be consulted on all calls, rules, and goals before the on-rink refs make final decision.
- If all goalies on the roster are injured, a team may replace the goalie(s) permanently with a goalie of lesser value, but it must be approved by the Tournament Division Director. Once this switch is approved and made, the original rostered goalie will not be able to return at any point in the tournament in any division.
- If any player is currently suspended by our partners at USA Ball Hockey, Leominster Dek Hockey, or Fitchburg Street Hockey, we will honor those suspensions and you will not be allowed to participate.
Game Rules:
- We will be using a Floating Blue Line.
- Ice Hockey Blue Line Icing (near defensive line).
- No line changes on icing or on a ball shot directly out below the icing line. If a player attempts to leave the rink or refuses to come back after a ref tells them to, a delay of game may be issued. The defensive team may change if a ball hits a player or the boards/fence and deflects out. Balls must be shot clear out below the icing line if a no change is issued.
- On Icing, offensive team may choose side for face-off.
- You may grab the ball and put down in one motion. If you make a move there will be a whistle and a face-off at nearest dot outside the zone. No penalty will be assessed. This includes when the ball is in the air above the crease. No penalty shot will be awarded if they put the ball down in one motion. A player may not cover the ball in the crease when it is on the ground or a penalty shot will be awarded.
- You may call for ball with high stick. If you swing at ball and hit the ball it is a whistle at the nearest dot outside the zone. If you don’t make contact, there is no whistle. If you hit someone it is a penalty. Ref discretion for minor, major, or misconduct. Blood does not dictate if it is a major. Intent and recklessness do. An accidental high stick, regardless of blood is a single minor penalty. A reckless stick will result in a double minor and an intent to injure will result in a major misconduct.
- Incidental Contact: Players are entitled to straight line paths on 50/50 balls. Any contact made while going directly to these balls is deemed incidental and not a penalty for roughing or interference. If a player diverts from the path to make, contact a penalty will be assessed.
- On off-sides, the face-off goes to where the ball was last touched. If it was last touched on a pass from the defensive zone, it goes all the way back to defensive zone for the ensuing face-off.
- Hand passes are allowed if they start and end before near defensive line (ice hockey blue line).
- You may use your feet on face-offs.
- On a double tap there will be a whistle and face-off at the nearest dot outside the zone. There is no penalty for a double tap.
- 1 min minors. 2.5 min majors. Face-off goes all the way down on penalty except for a whistle for an icing by the team going on the power play. In that instance the face-off would go to the defensive zone of the team on the power play due to the icing.
- There is no 3-penalty rule. A ref may issue a misconduct for any penalty after 3 penalties for a player they deem as a danger to themselves and or others if their repeated penalties are reckless and/or put others in danger.
- Shin pads (covering shins only), gloves, and helmets are mandatory. If a player’s helmet falls off during play, the player may finish his shift without the helmet, but must put it back on before the next shift. If a player enters the rink during play without a helmet it is a minor penalty for delay of game. There is no rule regarding chin straps. A delay of game may be issued for any player who intentionally takes their helmet off during play.
- Beams holding up the team benches and scorekeeper’s box are out of play. The fence attached to the rink boards is in play.
