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Youth Ball Hockey League Rules & Regulations

Faqs

Age Divisions

  • Beaver (Ages 10, 11, 12)
  • Cadet (Ages 13, 14, 15)
  • Freshmen (Ages 16, 17, 18)

Division Eligibility

A player’s age on January 1st determines his/her division eligibility for the entire calendar year. Players are allowed to “play up” a division, but never allowed to “play down” – no exceptions. A player who is “playing up” a division based on his/her eligibility age is only allowed to play in the highest skill level of his/her true division of eligibility.

Rosters

Each team must have a minimum of 12 players. Teams formed by the league will include no more than 14 players, although larger-sized rosters will be accepted should a team make such a request. The use of a non-rostered player is strictly prohibited.  Roster adjustments can be made leading up to the fifth game. If there are extenuating circumstances, a player may be added to a roster after the fifth game, but league approval is required.  

Forfeits

Teams are allowed to play with 3 players and a goalie to avoid a forfeit or for good sportsmanship purposes.  If a team does not have enough players, the team coach must email the league at info@thesportsarena.net.  Once the league receives the forfeit notification, the league will inform the opposing team.  If a team does not show up and does not notify the league in advance, the coach of the team will be suspended from playing in that team's next game.  Any team who forfeits 3 or more games, will not be eligible for playoffs. Forfeits are scored 8-0 for the non-forfeiting team.

Equipment

All players must wear the following equipment:

  • Matching jersey with a permanent number (no tape)
  • Street hockey helmet (with face cage/shield)
  • Shin guards
  • Elbow pads
  • Hockey gloves
  • Hockey stick
  • Protective cup (recommended for boys)

Goalies: leg pads, goalie glove & blocker (no baseball mitts), chest protector.

Game Length

Each game will consist of three (3) 10-minute stop periods.

  • Regular Season Games: If there is a tie at the end of the last period, a 3-minute stop sudden death overtime period will be played.  If after the overtime period a winner has not been determined, the game will end in a tie.  Overtime is played 3 players vs. 3 players and a goalie.
     
  • Playoff Games: If there is a tie at the end of the last period, a 3-minute stop sudden-death overtime period will be played.  If after the overtime period a winner has not been determined, a 3 player shootout will determine the winner of the game. Overtime is played 3 players vs. 3 players and a goalie.

Mercy Rule

After the start of the 3rd period, if there is an 8 goal differential, the game is ended.  At any time during the 3rd period, if there is a 6 goal differential, the clock will run without being stopped.  

Timeouts

Each team gets 2 (30 second) timeouts for the game (regular season and playoffs).  There are no additional timeouts in overtime.

Penalties

All penalties are the standard 1.5 minutes for a minor, 3 minutes for a double minor and 5 minutes for a major penalty. Any delay of game penalty or too many men penalty within the last minute of the 3rd period or last minute of overtime will result in a penalty shot for the team not guilty of the infraction. 

  • Offsides is enforced at the blue line where all players must wait for the ball to cross the blue line on a dump in or the player carrying the ball over the blue line to enter first. One foot must remain on the ground either on the blue line or behind it in the neutral zone in order for the play to be deemed onside by the official. In the event of a delayed offsides the official will raise his arm while yelling “off” in which all players must exit the attacking zone by crossing over the blue line and re-entering in an onsides position.
  • Floating Blue Line - Once the attacking team legally crosses the blue line and is deemed onsides, the blue line is now eliminated and the attacking zone is now extended to the redline. The defending team must carry or clear the ball over the redline in which all blue line offsides rules go back into effect. Essentially, once the attacking team gains the attacking zone they have from the redline in, to attack.

Player Changes

  • Players are not permitted to change when guilty of icing the ball or shooting the ball over the glass from inside their blue line. Players may change if the ball is shot into the benches or if the ball hits one of the flags hanging from the ceiling. Similar to the NHL rules.


Miscellaneous Rule Changes:

  • Hand pass - A player may use their hand to move the ball to another player providing the player receiving the ball is within their blue line. If the ball is received in the neutral zone the referee will blow the whistle and the face off will go back inside the offending teams zone.
  • Icing - will be enforced when a player shoots the ball from behind their blue line and the ball crosses the goal line without anyone touching it. The team guilty of icing may not change their players. After the icing, the play stops and a face-off is called in the end zone of the team that shot the ball. The team not guilty of the icing will select which side the face-off will start on.
  • Delay of Game - A player may catch and drop the ball provided the player drops the ball immediately.  A delay of game penalty will be called if the player carries the ball or throws the ball in any manner.
  • High Stick - A player may call for a ball with their stick above their shoulders. If no contact is made with the ball, play continues. If contact is made with the stick and the ball, play is stopped and a faceoff will take place where the pass originated.  There is not a penalty imposed.  NOTE: if a pass originates in the offensive zone and is touched with a high stick, the play will be stopped and the team will lose the offensive zone. The faceoff will be placed at the nearest offside dot. Any contact made with an opposing player with a high stick will result in a penalty.

Conduct

All coaches, players, and spectators are expected to exhibit good sportsmanship at all times. The league has a zero-tolerance rule for poor sportsmanship. Any player violating The Sports Arena’s Code of Conduct will be penalized appropriately up to and including game ejection, future game suspensions, and league expulsion. All Code of Conduct violations will be reviewed in detail and administered by the league. A player who receives 3 contact penalties will be ejected from the game or 4 total penalties.

Forfeits

Any team that forfeits 3 or more games in a season will NOT be eligible to play in the playoffs. Forfeits are scored 8-0 for the non-forfeiting team.