Tournament Rules
OWHA Rules shall apply EXCEPT as listed below
Registration
Teams are to register at the Haldimand County Caledonia Centre. Team packages are to be picked up at the Tournament Office at Haldimand County Caledonia Centre .
A copy of your OWHA participant registration must be available on request (Roster)
Arena guidelines for each arena are posted on the homepage of our website https://rivercats.ca/ (City rules apply for all Haldimand Arena locations)
Playing Rules and Tournament regulations are those of Hockey Canada and the OWHA EXCEPT:
Teams must be available to play fifteen (15) minutes prior to their scheduled time.
Semi and Championship games can start 30 minutes early IF the ice and officials are ready.
For Representative Teams - Home team will wear LIGHT jerseys
For all teams: In the case of sweater conflict, the home team will change.
All teams must be ready to go on the ice as soon as the Zamboni is off and door is shut at which time the two-minute warm up will start.
Teams will shake hands AFTER the game at the referee’s discretion.
At the completion of each game both teams will line up on their respective blue lines for the presentation of the Player of the Game awards. Each team is responsible to designate to the referee a player of the game from his or her own team. Try to make the selection as objective as possible so the same player does not receive the award in multiple games.
The designated visiting team will leave the ice first upon direction of the referee and the home team will remain at their bench until the direction of the referee.
Only arena personnel, referees, conveners and timekeepers will be allowed behind the area of the timekeeper’s box.
Suspensions
Intent to injure or fighting penalties will result in the player being expelled from the game and the remainder of the tournament. OWHA penalties and suspensions also apply.
OWHA rules require suspensions to be served in the next scheduled game. Therefore, a player or coach receiving a suspendable penalty must serve it during the tournament regardless of their leagues additional requirements. It is the responsibility of the teams coaching staff to confirm player/coach eligibility after any suspendable penalty. Due to variations in league rules, any player or coach under suspension entering the tournament is ineligible to participate in the tournament unless first cleared by the Tournament Committee. Either of the above violations will cause the offending team to automatically lose the game in which either of the above occurred. If the offending team loses the game, the score will stand. If the non-offending team loses the game, the score of the game will be recorded as one goal greater for the non-offending team than the offending team’s score. Both the offending participant and the head coach of the offending team will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament.
Timeouts
NO timeouts are allowed in round-robin play.
One thirty-second timeout will be allowed in Semi-final and Championship games
Game Lengths
Each Team will play a minimum of four games.
All U11, U13, U15 (BB,B) division games will consist of three (3) periods of 10, 10, 12 stop time.
U15 A, U18 A, U18 BB games will consist of (3) periods consisting of 12 minutes - 12 minutes and 15 minutes.
All U13, U15 , U18 Final games will be 12-15-15 with a flood between the 2nd and 3rd period. U11 (A,BB,B) final games will be 10-10-12.
If the goal spread in the third (3rd) period reaches 5 goals, the clock will run until the spread is 3 or less. There is a 7-goal spread for all tournament games for standings.
Overtime
Regular tournament games will be allowed to end in a tie.
All championship, and semi-final games play to a winner. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, sudden victory 4 minute overtime will commence. Teams will play 4 on 4. If still tied, teams will play 3 mins of 3 on 3. If still tied, teams will play 2 mins of 2 on 2. If still tied, teams will play 1 min of 1 on 1. 1 on 1 will be played until a goal is scored. Players may be changed at any time. Goalies may be “pulled” at any time and a substitute player from the bench may be used. Teams do not change ends for Overtime.
Penalties will carry over from regulation and overtime periods. Non-offending team will add a skater.
Standings
Teams will be awarded 2 Points for win; 1 point for a Tie; 0 points for a loss. Forfeit loss will be registered as a 7-0 score.
Divisions that have an uneven number of teams registered (and only if a team has to play an extra game over the others in the division), game(s) will not count towards their point total, their first 3 games played will be the only points tallied in their total.
There is a 7-goal spread for standings for all tournament games.
BREAKING of a Tournament Tie:
Note: In case of more than two teams, tie-breakers will follow the numerical order until all ties are broken.
- Points (in round robin)
- Wins (in round robin)
iii. 2 Teams- Wins Between (in round robin) (not applicable for 3 way tie)
- Differential (in round robin)
- Least Goals Against (in round robin)
- Most Goals For (in round robin)
vii. Coin Toss
*Please note that the website tie-breaker calculation does not reflect the above rules and therefore a team MUST use the above tie breaker formulas to determine a team’s ranking, REGARDLESS OF THE WEBSITE RANKINGS. Please contact the tournament Chairman with any questions or clarification needed.
Protests
A Tournament Committee will hear protests. No protest will be heard regarding a referee’s decision. A $200 deposit, that will be returned if your protest is successful, must accompany all
protests. A protest may only be heard if it is brought to the attention of the tournament chairperson or their delegate within thirty (30) minutes of completion of the game in question. A
formal written submission can follow the initial notification. A hearing and ruling will be completed prior to the teams next scheduled game.
All decisions made by the Tournament Committee are final.
Miscellaneous
Awards will be presented to all Champions/Finalists in all championship games. Both teams
will line up on their own blue lines for the presentation of medals. However should games be behind schedule we may be forced to hand out awards in their respective dressing rooms.
Head Coach and Team Trainer must sign the game sheet prior to each game.
Flooding of the ice will occur at the end of each game and may be deferred at the tournament
committee’s discretion.
Please bring game sheet labels for ALL games as we cannot get them printed this year and electronic game sheets will not be used.
Referee’s decision is final and is not subject to appeal or grievance.
Tournament officials’ decision is Final and Binding.
Teams cannot cancel 30 days prior to tournament as per OWHA rule. Cancellations will be as per OWHA guidelines.
No helmets off while players are on the ice at any time including any pictures-insurance policy
Anyone on the ice for your team must be insured through Hockey Canada (ie no parents on ice to take pictures)
Play fair, Play hard and have FUN!
