7 & 8 League Rules (2008 – 2009)
Safety
- Players will wear all required equipment including mouth guard and neck guard.
- If play is stopped due to an injured player, he must be attended to immediately. The injured player must leave the ice until the next time the puck is dropped to resume play. He may return to the ice for the balance of his shift if deemed able by the coach. No substitute player will be allowed.
- The goal pegs will be removed during all House League Games. This will allow the goal to slide freely on the ice so that it will reduce injury should a player make contact.
- Each team will have a minimum of one player fully equipped with goalie equipment for each and every game.
Games
- 1. All Hockey Canada and WMHA rules are to be applied with the exception of special league rules contained on this form. Please familiarize yourself with the WMHA rulebook.
- Each team will play 14 games during the season lasting from November to February. No league games will be scheduled between Christmas Eve through to New Year's Day inclusively.
- A team must have a minimum of eight (8) skaters plus a goalie dressed in order to commence play of a league game, or the game shall be forfeited.
- In the event of a player shortage during the regular season, temporary players may be borrowed from any other team in the league or from a younger age group in the same community club. Should it reoccur, the same player cannot be borrowed a second consecutive time and any player can only be borrowed a maximum of three (3) times during league season. During the playoffs, WMHA temporary player rules will be followed.
- All games will be three (3) eighteen (18) minute running time periods.
- The whistle or buzzer will be sounded at the end of each two (2) minute shift. The face-off will be at the nearest face-off circle of where play was stopped.
- No player may be substituted for another player during any two (2) minute shift.
- During the regular season, if a team has fewer than 10 skaters present, double shifting will be allowed providing that every skater is rotated through the double shift. Please inform the opposing coach and the referees if you need to double shift. If you know before the game that you will be short, please try to get a guest player. NO DOUBLE SHIFTING IS PERMITTED IN PLAYOFF GAMES
- There will be no pulling the goalie.
- Each and every player, present and dressed for the game, must be given equal ice time with his teammates. It is not practical, under game conditions, to develop a set of guidelines and penalties that would permit referees, timekeepers, and coaches to strictly enforce this rule. For example, a team with 13 skaters is permitted to ice two sets of defence and three sets of forwards and comply with this rule. Therefore, the integrity of the coaching staff, the support of parents, and the diligence of Community Club and SVMHA Convenors must be evident to ensure that their Community Club and/or SVMHA discipline coaches who violate the spirit of this rule accordingly.
- All penalties will be called in accordance with Hockey Canada and WMHA rules and interpretations. All penalties must be served. Should the player's penalty not expire prior to his shift end, he will be required to stay in the penalty box until time served. At the next stoppage of play he may return to his players box. However, the on-coming shift will be allowed to ice the team at full strength.
- Should the game end in a tie after three periods of play, it will remain a tie during regular league games.
- In the event of sweater colour conflicts, the home team will be required to change or wear “pinnies”.
- League games will take precedence over tournament games or exhibition games. No league game is to be postponed or cancelled for a tournament or exhibition game at any time. League games may be rescheduled to accommodate Christmas concerts and other major school activities. However, a minimum of five (5) days notice must be given so that the game can be rescheduled. Violating teams will forfeit the game and the team will be responsible for the cost of the ice, referees and timekeepers, if applicable.
- Fair play, good sportsmanship and fun must be emphasized by the coaches. Remember that the house league hockey program is a development program. The emphasis is on developing the players and honing their skills. This can only be done if the child finds enjoyment in the game.
- Coaches are to encourage the parents to praise their hockey players and their peers, win or lose.
Playoffs
- All teams in the league will have a direct entry into the playoffs. The teams will be divided into three groups based on season standings and each group will play a double knockout tournament to determine the group champion.
- Playoffs will begin the weekend after the end of the season and will finish the third week of March.
- NO DOUBLE SHIFTING IS PERMITTED IN PLAYOFF GAMES. If double shifting occurs, the referees or timekeepers will stop the play and a penalty shot will be awarded to any player, as chosen by the coach, from the non-offending team on the ice for that shift. If a goal is scored by a team that was double shifting at the time the goal was scored, the goal is to be disallowed, regardless of the player that scored and the opposing team will be awarded a penalty shot as above. If a double shifting infraction is not detected and the penalty is not called before play begins on the next shift, then play continues as if there had been no infraction.
- In the event of a tie, the game will proceed into overtime and the first goal scored will determine the sudden victory. Overtime play will be six (6) overtime shifts for a total duration of twelve (12) minutes running time. Each shift will be two (2) minutes long and the clock will not be stopped between the shifts. Should the game remain tied, it will then be rescheduled and replayed.
- TIME-KEEPERS AND OFFICIALS
- The timekeepers will consist of parents from each team. However, at playoff time, the league will provide a timekeeper for each and every playoff game. In conjunction with that timekeeper, a parent from each team will be required to assist the timekeeper in recording the players on the ice.
- The timekeepers will be responsible for documenting the players on the ice throughout the game for each and every shift.
- The league convenor is to be notified as soon as possible of the results of each league game.
- Coaches should phone the Referee Assigner if one or both of the referees are not present 20 minutes before the scheduled start of a game. The League Convenor should ensure the Referee Assigner's name and phone number is shown on all schedules. If no referees show up, and if both coaches agree, then anyone present who in the judgement of the coaches has the ability to referee can do so and the game will count in the standings as an official game. The referee must wear a helmet.
Miscellaneous Information
All coaches in the SVMHA house league program must take the Initiation Level course or NCCP Coach Level course by December 1st of the present season. As this is a Hockey Canada rule, no deviations are allowed. Please see www.hockeymanitoba.mb.ca for more details on certification requirements and courses.