Richmond Industrial Hockey League Rules and Regulations

Last amended February 13, 2011

a. Players must be 35 years of age or older on or before December 31st of the current playing season, expect as follows:

i. No player under the age of 24 (as of December 31st) may play in the RIHL.

ii. All players 26 years and older as of December 31st, 2006, currently registered and playing in the RIHL will be permitted to continue playing.

iii. Any new player entering the RIHL must be a minimum of 30 years old by December 31st of the playing season.

iv. Teams will only be permitted to enter new "under age" players age 30 to 34 (under 35 years old on December 31st) if they have less than 4 players under the age of 35 as of December 31st of the playing season.

Note: Underage players will be scrutinized throughout the season and subject to special disciplinary action if deemed necessary.

b. Teams will not be allowed to carry a player who:

i. In the last three (3) years, has played professional hockey, or has been carded with the C.H.A.

ii. In the last one (1) year, has played commercial hockey where the spectators have charged admission to watch the play, unless that player previously played in the R.I.H.L.

c. Any team playing ineligible players, including players not on their roster following the final deadline, will forfeit that game. If both teams play ineligible players, no points will be awarded.

d. The referee does not have the authority, except under order of the League President, to forfeit a game.

i. If a team protests to the officials, the officials must advise the other team of the complaint and (if it seems prudent) offer the option of voluntarily removing the player(s) from the game.

ii Teams must play the game even under protest. Refusal to play will result in forfeit. Protest must be lodged with the League President to decide if the protest is valid and if any action should be taken.

e. To be eligible for the RIHL Top Goaltender Award, a goaltender must play a minimum of 45% of the regular season games (11 games in 25 game season).

a. Each team will be allowed a maximum of 25 players plus goalies on their roster.

b. Roster of up to 25 players plus goalies, complete with birth dates, to be submitted after the 5th league game for approval by Team Representatives.

    i. Any new players appearing on the score sheet after a team's 5^th game will automatically be added to their roster. Players may only be removed from the roster by notifying the League Statistician.

c. The final roster deadline is January 31^st or when a team has no less than 7 games remaining in the regular season. No new players may be added.

d. All RIHL players must be registered and on the roster to play. Registration must included the player's name, address, phone number(s), date of birth, and email address (optional). Players not properly registered after the team's 5th league game of the season will not receive credit for the game(s) played while unregistered. New players after the 5th game will be allowed a 1 game grace period to get registered.

e. A new player to the RIHL will only be permitted to play a total of 3 games on 3 different RIHL teams before registering with one team.

a. Each team will pay the approved per game cost to the League Treasurer. Cheques are to be made payable to Richmond Industrial Hockey League .

b. League fees are due in two equal payments October 15th and November 30th. Failure to pay 50% of the league fees by October 30th will result in a $50 per month fine thereafter. Failure to pay 100% of the league fees by December 31st will result in a $100 per month fine thereafter. Any team not fully paid by January 31 may be subject to immediate suspension.

a. All games shall consist of three (3), twenty (20) minute periods, with an brief intermission between periods. Teams will change ends at the intermission.

b. Managers and Coaches are responsible for having their teams ready to go on the ice fifteen (15) minutes prior to start of game. There will be a five (5) minute warm up, prior to the start of the game.

c. A RIHL score sheet must be supplied by the home team to be filled out by each team and presented to the scorekeeper prior to commencement of the game. Or, arrangements can be made with the scorekeeper to fill out scoresheet. (Note: While the process of having the scorekeeper fill out the sheet may be acceptable, teams must assume responsibility for an errors made by the scorekeeper)

d. Regular season games will be played at straight time, except for the last one (1) minute (first & second period) and the last three (3) minutes (third period), which will be played at stop time. During straight time play, the clock will continue to run during stoppage in play. Each time will be allowed a 30 second Time-Out during each game. In the event that a game is foreseen to run late, past our allotted time slot, the third period will be shortened, but the last three (3) minutes will still be played stop time.

e. Scoring of goals: Relay information to nearest official, as to who scored and who assisted. Maximum 2 assist(s) will be credited per goal.

f. In the event of a forfeiture, all players on the current roster of the team awarded the win will be credited with 1 game played.

a. All 6 teams will make the play-offs.

i. Elimination Round - Bottom 3 teams play single game round robin with top team advance to play the 1st place regular season finisher.

ii. Semi Finals - First place plays 4th place. Second place plays 3^rd place

iii. Final - Winners of Semi-Final

b. Method of breaking tie at end of season:

i. FIRST - Most wins in the LEAGUE FINAL STANDING

ii. SECOND - Head to head wins

iii. THIRD - Head to head goals for.

c. Method of breaking tie for Round Robin:

i. First Tie-Breaker: Game between two teams (not used for three team ties)
ii. Second Tie-Breaker: Best Goal Difference
iii. Third Tie Breaker: Least Goals allowed
iv. Fourth Tie-Breaker: Most Goals Scored
v. Fifth Tie-Breaker: Team Finishing Highest in the Regular Season Standings
vi. Sixth Tie-Breaker: Fewest Penalty Minutes

c. To be eligible for the play-off games, each player must have played a minimum of seven (7) regular season games by the end of the regular season.

d. If a game(s) cannot be decided with sudden death overtime, the following method of deciding a series will apply:

i. A best of three series will be won when a team wins two games or gains 4 points (2 pts for a win, 1 point for a tie).

ii. In the event a game cannot be decided with overtime, the game will end in a tie and each team is awarded 1 point.

iii. If the series is tied and cannot be decided after a third game, an additional game(s) will be scheduled.

iv. Tie games will stand as a last resort, only when all means of overtime have been exhausted.

v. There will be no shoot-outs.

e. Except in deciding games, overtime will be fixed at 10 minutes, after which there will be no shoot-out and a tie will stand. Should a 3rd game end in a tie with one team entering the game with a point lead (eg 1 win and 1 tie), then the series will be decided without overtime. (Team wins with 1 win and 2 ties)

f. The team finishing in 2nd place will play in the first play-off game against the 3rd place team.

a. C.H.A. (Hockey Canada) rules will apply to all the play, with the addition of the following:

i. The puck must be played at all times - playing the man is prohibited;

ii. Board-checking and body checking of any kind will not be allowed;

iii. Slap shots will be allowed.

b. Managers - Coaches - Trainers shall be responsible for their conduct, and that of their players at all times, before, during and after the game.

a. A minor penalty shall be two (2) minutes stop time from resumption of play.

b. High sticking will carry an automatic double minor (4) minute penalty.

c. A major penalty shall be five (5) minutes stop time from resumption of play.

d. A misconduct penalty shall be ten (10) minutes elapsed time from resumption of play.

e. Teams will play at full strength, six (6) players, during coincident minor or major penalties with only offending players being penalized.

f. Only appointed, and properly identified, captain (C) or Assistant (A) may enter into any discussion with the league official.

a. The following equipment is mandatory for all players:

i. Hockey shin pads

ii. Elbow pads

iii. Hockey gloves

iv. Athletic support

v. Hockey pants and socks

vi. CSA approved hockey helmets

vii. Regular approved hockey skates

a. A player who receives four (4) minor penalties in one (1) game will receive an automatic game suspension from the current game being played. (Double minors count as 2 penalties.)

b. All fighting, butt ending, spearing, cross checking majors, slashing majors and intentional high sticking are five (5) minute Major Penalties. (In some cases discretionary major penalties may not warrant the automatic suspension incurred by a major penalty. In these cases, and only if both involved teams agree, the suspension can be waived by the president without hearing)

c. All (5 minute) Major Penalties or game misconduct penalties will assess the player(s) a suspension which would include that game and for the next game that the player(s) are scheduled to play in.

d. All (5 minute) Major penalties involving secondary fights and/or third man in, started after play has been whistled to stop, will assess the player(s) a suspension which would include that game and the next three (3) games that the player are schedules to play in.

e. All match penalties (for intent to injure) will automatically suspend the player(s) from the next five (5) games that the player(s) are schedules to play in.

f. All (10 minute) misconduct penalties during the last 10 minutes of a game will automatically suspend the player(s) for the next game that the player(s) is (are) scheduled to play in.

g. Teams playing ineligible players or players not on the roster after the deadline will forfeit the game in which these players played.

h. Further suspensions, subject to Discipline Committees (one representative from each team) ruling may result from the following infractions:

i. Repeated penalties for fighting, unnecessary use of the stick.

ii. Intent to injure.

iii. Molesting, or any abuse to officials.

i. Any player accumulating excessive penalty minutes will result in the following:

i.Over thirty minutes in penalties automatically assesses a one (1) game suspension.

ii.Over fifty (50) minutes of penalties automatically assesses a two (2) game suspension.

iii.Over sixty (60) minutes in penalties will automatically result in a three (3) games suspension, plus a hearing of the Discipline Committee to determine if additional suspension is necessary.

j. Any player may be dismissed from the league by a majority of five (5) out of 6 Team League, (four (4) for 5 Team League) team votes cast by team representatives, providing there is minimum of five (5) team votes cast. No team will have more than one(1) vote for each team present at the meeting.

k. A "Game Ejection" call to remove problem players from the game will be considered different than a "Game Misconduct" that carries a suspension. "Game Ejection" penalties carry no additional suspension beyond the game the penalty was issued.

l. The Discipline Committees is to have the final say in any matters of suspensions.

a. Rule changes are only allowed once a year at the first meeting of the team representatives, except under extraordinary circumstances, whereas rule changes or amendments can only take place with 100% approval of all Team Representatives.