Riverside Minor Hockey Association
Families First Weekend Hockey Tournament
Rules and Regulations Governing Tournament Play
1. Play will be governed by the rules of Hockey Canada, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (O.M.H.A.), and O.M.H.A. Tournament Regulations, with the additional provisions that follow.
2. Divisions: U9 HL/LL, U11 HL/LL, U13 HL/LL, U15 HL/LL (tier one teams are not permitted).
3. Divisional play will be made up of the following:
a. U9 will consist of 8 teams divided into 2 pools of 4 teams. Each team will play 3 round-robin games within their own pool. All teams will move to the Quarter-Finals. Quarter-Final matchups will be based on standings across both pools: 1st in Pool A vs. 4th in Pool B, 1st in Pool B vs. 4th in Pool A, 2nd in Pool A vs. 3rd in Pool B, and 2nd in Pool B vs. 3rd in Pool A. Winners of the Quarter-Finals will move to the Semi-Finals, where teams will be reseeded based on round-robin performance. Semi-Finals matchups: 1st seed vs. 4th seed and 2nd seed vs. 3rd seed. Winners of the Semi-Finals will advance to the Championship Game.
b. U11 will consist of 10 teams divided into 2 pools of 5 teams. Each team will play 3 round-robin games within their own pool. The top 4 teams from each pool will move to the Quarter-Finals. Quarter-Final matchups will be based on standings across both pools: 1st in Pool A vs. 4th in Pool B, 1st in Pool B vs. 4th in Pool A, 2nd in Pool A vs. 3rd in Pool B, and 2nd in Pool B vs. 3rd in Pool A. Winners of the Quarter-Finals will move to the Semi-Finals, where teams will be reseeded based on round-robin performance. Semi-Finals matchups: 1st seed vs. 4th seed and 2nd seed vs. 3rd seed. Winners of the Semi-Finals will advance to the Championship Game.
c. The U13 division will feature 18 teams divided into 6 pools. Each team will play three round-robin games against opponents from other pools. The top team from each pool will advance to the Quarter-Finals, joined by two wild-card teams—determined as the next two highest-ranked teams overall. For the Quarter-Finals, the teams will be re-seeded, with the six pool winners assigned the top six seeds, and the wild-card teams placed in the seventh and eighth spots. The winners of the Quarter-Finals will advance to the Semi-Finals, and the Semi-Final winners will compete in the Championship Game.
d. U15 will consist of 16 teams divided into 4 pools. Each pool will have 4 teams. Each team will play 3 round-robin games within their own pool. The top 2 teams from each pool will advance to the Quarter-Finals. Quarter-Finals matchups will be determined as follows: Pool A 1st vs. Pool B 2nd, Pool B 1st vs. Pool A 2nd, Pool C 1st vs. Pool D 2nd, Pool D 1st vs. Pool C 2nd. Winners of the Quarter-Finals will move to the Semi-Finals, where teams will be reseeded. Semi-Finals matchups: 1st seed vs. 4th seed and 2nd seed vs. 3rd seed. Winners of the Semi-Finals will advance to the Championship Game.
e. In all Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, and Championship games, the higher seeded teams will be the home teams.
4. The winners of the Semi-Final games will advance to their respective Championship Game and the losers of the semi-final games will be eliminated. The home team for the Championship Game will be the team that finished with the highest point total during the Round-Robin portion of the tournament. If the competing teams had the same point total, the tie breaking formula will be used to determine the home team (see below).
5. The tournament will use a 6-point system to determine standings during the round-robin games. Points will be awarded as follows:
6. All games in all divisions will consist of three, ten-minute stop-time periods. Curfews are in effect in all Round-Robin games.
7. All teams must be prepared to start their games up to 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time.
8. One, thirty second time-out per team, per game, is allowed in Semi-Final and Championship Games only.
9. Mercy Rule: A mercy rule will be in effect for all games. In accordance with the OMHA Manual of Operations, if the difference in score becomes FIVE GOALS OR MORE at any time in the third period, the game clock will revert to a continuously running clock. The clock will not become a stop-time clock again until the trailing team brings the difference in score BACK TO WITHIN THREE GOALS OR LESS and it will not become a running clock again after that until the difference is again five goals or more. During a running clock, minor penalties will be three minutes (3:00) in length, major penalties will be seven-and-a-half minutes (7:30) in length and Misconduct Penalties will be fifteen minutes (15:00) in length. The only time the clock would stop during running time is for an on-ice injury and it would re-start immediately upon the injured player and training staff vacating the ice.
10. In the event a team forfeits a game, it shall be recorded as a 1-0 loss in the standings.
11. For all divisions, ties in the Round Robin standings (or to determine the home team in a Championship Game, if necessary) will be broken using the formula below, IN SEQUENCE, FROM THE BEGINNING and EACH TIME, until all ties have been broken. In the event more than two teams are tied, once the highest place in the standings is determined, the remaining tied teams will start the tiebreaker again, in sequence, from the beginning. This will occur each time until all ties have been broken:
a. Head-to-head between all tied teams (all the tied teams MUST have played each other during the Round Robin to use this each step of the tiebreaker process. If one or more did not, proceed directly to (b))
b. Most Wins
c. Least Goals Against
d. Least penalty minutes (for the purposes of this rule, Game Misconduct and Gross Misconduct penalties count as ten minutes penalty time and Match penalties count as five minutes penalty time. Penalties called against Team Officials count for the purposes of this rule)
f. Coin Flip
12. If at the end of regulation time in a Quarter-Final, Semi-Final or Championship Game the score is tied, overtime will take place as follows:
a. The teams will not change ends and there will be no flood.
b. The teams will play one, five-minute, run-time, sudden death overtime period with a goalie and THREE skaters. If the score is still tied after the overtime period, a three-player shootout will take place with the team scoring the most goals during the shootout being declared the winner. If the score is still tied at the end of the three-player shootout, a sudden death shootout will take place until a winner is declared. See shootout rules below.
13. All players must use and properly wear the required protective equipment as prescribed by their own governing body’s rules and regulations.
14. Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) minimum suspensions apply to all tournament games. Automatic suspension lists are available online in the OMHA Manual of Operations or from the Tournament Chair. A player or team official who incurs a Match Penalty during the tournament shall be suspended for the balance of the tournament. ALL suspension reports are reported back to each region/district upon completion of the tournament.
15. Shootout rules shall be as follows:
a. Three players (quarter-final (where applicable), semi-final (where applicable) or Championship Game) from each team shall participate in the shootout and they shall proceed in such order as the head coach selects. Players serving THEIR OWN penalty at the end of playing time (regulation time and overtime in a quarter-final, semi-final or Championship Game) ARE NOT eligible to participate in the shootout. Players serving penalties on behalf of other players or team officials ARE eligible to participate.
b. The teams will not change ends. The visiting team shall shoot first. Teams shall take alternating shots, one at a time.
c. Once the shootout begins, the goalkeeper cannot be replaced in the shootout unless he/she is injured. No warm-up shall be permitted for a substitute goalkeeper.
d. Each team will be given three shots unless the outcome is determined earlier in the shootout. After each team has taken three shots, if the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a sudden death format. Players may not participate again during a shootout until all eligible players have participated, which includes the players from the original shootout. If, however, one team has fewer players eligible for the shootout than its opponent, both teams may select from among the players who have already shot. This procedure would continue until the team with fewer players has again used all eligible shooters.
e. Shootouts shall be governed by the Hockey Canada rules regarding the taking of Penalty Shots.
f. The Head Coach or Team Official in charge shall select their shooters as the shootout progresses. The Official Scorer shall keep track of shooters.
16. The Tournament Rules Committee reserves the right to make any and all decisions in the interpretation of Tournament rules, objections and protests. All decisions by the Tournament Rules Committee will be final.
17. The Riverside Minor Hockey Association, its sponsors or the Tournament Committee will not be held liable for any injuries, damages or thefts that take place before, during or after the Tournament.
18. All participants in Championship Games will receive medallions. As well, each of these teams will receive a take home team trophy.