GREATER FORT ERIE MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION
TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES
THIS IS AN OMHA SCANTIONED TOURNAMENT
REGISTRATION
1. Teams must carry with them at all times their official approved roster which must include any Affiliated Players (AP) who may participate. Please double check your roster to ensure that all players and coaches are listed!
2. If you are using other coaches in your association who are not on your team’s official approved roster, you must also bring a copy of the other coaches’ team’s official approved roster and/or At-Large roster.
3. One member of the coaching staff must report to the tournament office at the arena where their first game is scheduled at least one (1) hour prior to the start of the first game in order to check-in. Teams must present a hard copy of approved official Team Roster(s) & Travel Permit, whether or not sent previously by email.
RULES
Playing Rules and tournament regulations are those of the OMHA, the OHF and Hockey Canada, along with the following additions:
1. All members of bench staff must report to the Tournament Office prior to every game to sign the game sheet.
Any coach listed on the game sheet without a signature may be suspended for the next game in the tournament.
No-one is permitted to remove the game sheet from the tournament office.
2. Only team officials are permitted in tournament offices. Absolutely no team official who has been ejected from a game and/or receiving a GM or GRM penalty shall be permitted to enter the Tournament Office until the GM or GRM penalty and/or any suspensions incurred as a result of the infraction have been served in their entirety.
Failure to follow this rule will lead to an automatic suspension for the remainder of the Tournament.
3. No player is allowed to play more than 3 games in one day during the tournament.
4. Teams will be responsible for any damage to the dressing rooms and other arena facilities. Report any damage to Tournament Officials before using assigned dressing rooms. It is an individual team’s responsibility for loss or theft in the dressing rooms. Dressing room keys at the Leisureplex will be available from the Tournament Office (must leave a set of car keys).
5. Teams must bring two sets of jerseys. The home team will wear light coloured jerseys.
6. All players must use approved equipment only as set out by your Governing Body (OMHA; Alliance; GTHL; etc). This includes mouth guards which are recommended but are only mandatory for teams whose sanctioning body requires that they be worn (e.g. mandatory for OMHA teams).
7. Scheduled game times are approximate. In exceptional circumstances, game lengths may be adjusted or the ice may not be resurfaced if games are running behind schedule.
8. Teams must be ready to play fifteen (15) minutes prior to the scheduled game time, without exception, as games may start early at the tournament organizers discretion.
9. Teams are not permitted to enter the ice surface prior to at least one of the on-ice officials being on the ice. The only exception to this would be when an official from the tournament committee permits the teams to warm up in advance of the imminent arrival of the on-ice officials.
10. Game lengths:
Novice, Atom and Peewee – All Games 10-10-15
Bantam- Round Robin 10-10-15, Elimination Games 10-15-15
Midget – All Games 10-15-15.
11. Mercy Rule: When any team is ahead by five or more goals in the third period, the game will proceed under straight (running) time unless the gap is reduced to three (3) goals, at which point the clock will revert back to stop time. The only time the clock would be stopped during straight (running) time is if an on-ice injury should occur which requires the trainer to attend to the player. All penalties called when mercy rule is in effect are time and a half (Example: 2 minutes is 3; 4 minutes is 6; 5 minutes is 7:30). (OMHA Regulation 19.1m)
12. Time-outs: NO time-outs during round robin play or in elimination games (see TIME-OUTS).
13. Overtime: There will be no overtime during round robin play. Overtime will be played in elimination games, quarter-finals, semi-finals and championships only (see OVERTIME FORMAT).
14. The referees are sole judges of all games. The Tournament Convenors will not discuss referee decisions.
STANDINGS / ADVANCING
Group standings will be determined by two (2) points per win and one (1) point per tie game.
Team advancing format will be posted on the webpage for each tournament.
TIEBREAKERS
In the case of a tie between two or more teams after round robin play, the higher position will be determined by the following rules, applied in order, moving on to the next rule only once a rule does not apply. In the case of a tie between 3 or more teams, and determining the ranking of the 3 first place teams & 3 second place teams in 3-group divisions, Rule 1 cannot be used initially; therefore Goal Average will be the first tie breaker. The only exception to this rule is in the event of a three-way tie where one of the tied teams has defeated both the teams they are tied with in points after preliminary round play. For example: team “A”, team “B” and team “C” are tied in points. Team “A” has defeated team “B” and team “C” in preliminary round play. In this case, team “A” would advance because during preliminary round play they defeated both of the teams that they are tied with in points.
1. Head to Head Competition: The winner of the round robin game between the teams would assume the higher position.
2. Goal Average: The goal average is determined by dividing the total number of goals for and against into the number of goals for, with the team having the highest percentage (closest to 1) assuming the higher position. (In case of a 3-way tie and 2 teams are still tied after goal average is calculated go back to Rule 1 – head to head)
Example of calculation for rule # 2 – GF / (GF+GA)
Team A – Goals for = 16 and goals against = 4 à 16 / (16 + 4) = 16 / 20 = .800
Team B – Goals for = 12 and goals against = 2 à 12 / (12+2) = 12 / 14 = .857 (HIGHER POSITION)
3. Fewest Goals Against: If the teams are still tied, the team with the fewest goals against totaled from all of their round-robin games will assume the higher position.
4. Least Penalties: If the teams are still tied, the team with the least penalty minutes totaled from all of their round-robin games (not including 10-minute misconducts) will assume the higher position.
5. First Goal: If the teams are still tied, the team to assume the higher position will be the team that scored the first goal in the game between the two teams.
6. Coin Toss:
If the teams are still tied, the higher position will be determined by a coin toss. The team from farthest away calls the toss.
TIME-OUTS –
Round Robin & Elimination Games: NO Time-outs in Round Robin and Elimination Games.
Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals & Championships:
Each team may call ONE (1) 30-second time-out in “regulation time” only. NO TIME-OUTS IN OVERTIME.
OVERTIME FORMAT – ELIMINATION GAMES, QUARTER-FINALS, SEMI-FINALS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS –
OVERTIME: If, at the end of regulation time the game is a tie, there will be a five (5) minute sudden victory FOUR ON FOUR overtime period.
SHOOT-OUT FORMAT: If a tie still exists after the sudden victory 4-on-4 overtime period, a shootout will decide the winner (NHL Format). At the conclusion of the Overtime period, each team will name three shooters - the home team has the option of shooting first or second. If the game remains tied after the first three shooters, the teams will participate in a sudden victory shootout (both teams shoot in each round) using a new player from the game sheet each time. Players may not repeat until all players have had an opportunity to shoot.
Any player who has been ejected from the game is not permitted to participate in the shoot-out; however players who were in the penalty box at the end of the overtime period are eligible to participate.
The tournament committee reserves the right to make all decisions regarding the interpretation of the rules and regulations and all decisions are final. No appeals are allowed. We will not under any circumstances speak to anyone other than the Manager or Head Coach.
Please communicate this rule with other members of coaching staff and team parents as abuse of this rule may result in your team’s expulsion from the tournament.