2016 TOURNAMENT RULES OF PLAY

Except as noted in the Tournament Rules of Play, all games are subject to USA Hockey Official Rules and Regulations. (For a copy of these rules, visit www.usahockey.com.).

The Olde Crabs Hockey Club retains the right to make any changes and to allow any exceptions it deems necessary to promote and facilitate a well run tournament.

Games:

·         Games will consist of 3 periods / 12-minute stop-time / 2 minute break between periods / 3 minute warm-up.

·         Each Team shall be granted one 30-second timeout per Game and one 30-second timeout in overtime.

·         Timeouts do not carry over from regulation.

·         If one team has a 5 goal lead at any point during the 3rd period in pool play, the clock will run continuously until the losing team scores and reduces the deficit to 4, which will result once again to stop-time.

·         In calculating goal differential, a team is limited to a +5. The scoreboard should not reflect more than a  5 goal differential, but all goals will be recorded and counted.

·         Ice will be resurfaced before each game.

Tie Breakers to determine Championship Games (and Semi Final Crossover for 50’s Competition Division if such exists) (in order of application):

·         Most Wins

·         Most Points in Round-Robin (**Buffalo System)

·         Head-to-Head Results

·         Fewest  Goals Against  

·         Net Goal Differential  (using 5 per game max in games with 5 goal differential)

·         Most  Goals Scored

·         Fewest Penalty Minutes

·         Coin Toss

**Buffalo System: Overall Game Points

Each game will be worth a total of 5 points

Winning the Game = 2 points

Tying a Game = 1 point each Team

Winning a Period = 1 point

Tying a Period = 0.5 points each

·         Championship Game: In case of a tie, there will be a five minute running time 4-on-4 sudden-death overtime. If the game is still tied, there will be a 3x3 shootout. A coin toss will determine who shoots first. If the score is still tied after that, the shootout will go

to sudden death, with each Team alternating shots, until a winner is declared when one team scores and the other does not.

Teams do not have to provide the order.  If the team with the fewer players needs to have a player shoot a second time, both teams can do so.  The order for the second round does not have to be the same as the first round, but a player cannot shoot a third time until all players from the team with the fewer players have shot twice.  The scorekeeper will keep track of the numbers of the players shooting.  Any player still in the penalty box at the end of the overtime cannot participate in the shootout unless that player is serving a non-player specific penalty (e.g., a penalty for the goaltender, a bench minor penalty, etc…) in which case he/she can participate in the shootout.

 (This Rule also applies to the Round-Robin Cross-over Pool Play (i.e. #1 v #2) in the 50’s Competition Division if such exists)

Player Eligibility: pay attention here, there are important changes to previous years

·         Age Requirement: Before playing in their first Game, each Player will be required to sign a release form and show proof of age with a photo I.D. To play in the Championship Game, a Player must have played in one of the round robin games. All Players (except for Goalies) must be of the designated Division Age or older by the end of this calendar year.

·         Goalie Exceptions: Goalies must be at least 45 years old for the 50+ Division, 50 for the 60+ and 70+ Division by the end of this calendar year, unless prior approval has been given by the Olde Crabs Organizing Committee.

·         70+ Team Exceptions: Teams will be allowed two 68+ Players. Additionally, the 70+ Division Teams will be allowed 65+ players who have had surgically implanted medical devices (e.g., hip or knee replacements qualify; but, pins for broken bones, torn ligaments, dentures, or contact lenses do not qualify)

·         Tournament Rosters will be limited to 15 players plus goaler-Game rosters will need to be drawn from the originally submitted 15 maximum. If he’s not on the Tournament Roster he doesn’t play. Rosters must be submitted by October 14 with last minute substitutions submitted no later than October 20, 2016. 

15 skaters plus goalie maximum. No game-day substitutions. No exceptions.

·         Women’s 40+ Exception: The former exception for grandfathered players has been retired. All skaters must be 40+ except goalies who may be 35.  

·         Players may play in more than one division as long as the second team is a younger division

Other Rules and Regulations:

            Note: The Olde Crabs allow full slap shots at all age levels. Helmet shields or masks are not required, but highly recommended..

·         Red Line Icing will be used. Automatic icing will be blown when puck crosses the goal line.

·         Penalties will be assessed as follows: Minor - 1.5 minutes; Major - 3 minutes; Misconduct - 6 minutes.

·         Any Player receiving a total of 3 penalties in one Game will be ejected from that Game.

·         Fighting will result in automatic disqualification from the Tournament.

·         In the event of coincidental Major penalties, Teams will play at full strength.

·         Professional Players must be 25 years removed from their last professional Game before they are allowed to play in the Tournament.

·         Team jerseys must be of like design and color with numbers. Teams are encouraged to have one dark and one white jersey. Uniforms shall be free of inappropriate symbols or wording.