Tournament Rules

1-2 referees will be assigned to enforce the rules in every game. 

Also note that at any given time, the individual in charge of the division can step in to make a call or to enforce one of the following rules.

General Rules

Eligibility to play: a player must have his name on a team's roster at the time of official registration; the roster must have been given approval by the Organizing Committee (O.C.) beforehand. 

Minimum games for playoff eligibility: barring injuries and/or suspensions and/or prior permission, a player must play a minimum of 3 round-robin games to qualify for the playoffs.

Starting roster: barring any unusual occurrence, a team must have at least 2 players and a goalie ready to play when the referee blows the whistle marking the beginning of the game.  Failure to do so results in a 1-minute delay-of-game penalty.  If after 2-minutes the team still does not have enough players, the penalty is increased to 2-minutes + 1 goal against.  If after 3-minutes the team still does not have sufficient players, the match is forfeited with an automatic 6-0 score.

Timeout: a team may choose to use a 20-second timeout in the playoffs only.  A timeout can only be called when your own team has possession of the ball.  Following the timeout, the team will have possession of the ball on the sidelines near the center zone.

Mercy Rule: 6-goal differential (note: the teams may choose to continue playing for the remainder of the time allotted for the game however statistics do not count).

Abuse of league official (includes O.C. member, referees, scorekeepers, goal judges): ranges from 1-minute misconduct penalty to game misconduct to tournament misconduct.  Repeated offence can result in a tournament misconduct.

Fighting or excessive rough play or general misdemeanour (includes instigating and/or unsportsmanlike behaviour): up to an immediate ejection from the tournament and possible suspensions and/or fines for future tournaments for all individuals involved, as per the decision of the O.C.  Additionally, as the captain and his team bear some responsibility in ensuring that their players conduct themselves in respect of Islamic conduct, the O.C. reserve the right to eject the entire team and to ban them for life in the case of fighting or excessively rough play.

NOTE: The ultimate objective is to maintain the tradition of providing a fun, competitive, safe, wholesome and entertaining tournament in an atmosphere that promotes Islamic values of good sportsmanship and camaraderie.  The O.C. reserves the right to take action against anything that can have an averse effect towards this aim.

Cleanliness: captains are responsible for their teams to abide by the host gymnasium rules and to ensure their respective benches are clean after the game.

Audience: spectators who are not playing and are not tournament officials or commissioned by the tournament for specific tasks are expected to watch from the balcony above to prevent crowding and obstacles in the playing area.

Penalized Infractions

Standard hockey aggressiveness is acceptable (minimal body contact, protecting the ball with body, etc.)  Just remember that we are playing for fun and we do not want to hurt anyone.  Please maintain Islamic conduct as much as possible.

On a powerplay, the team on the powerplay gets first possession at about the center zone, on the side lines.

Standard penalty (high sticking, cross-checking, tripping, interference, hooking, elbowing, etc.): 1-minute penalty

Slashing: 1-minute penalty (2-minute for blatant; possibly more for intentional...referee discretion)

High-sticking: If any contact is made with an opposing player, a 2-minute penalty will be given.

Purposely shooting ball out of play: 1-minute delay of game

Penalty Shots (same rules as shootouts apply - see below)

Swearing/cursing (on or off the playing surface): penalty shot + warning. If the shooter does not score on the penalty shot, then 1-minute penalty. 2nd offence during the same game = penalty shot + 2-minute penalty + game misconduct.

Tripping on clear breakaway (judgment call of referee): penalty shot

Closing your hand on the ball in the crease/goalie area: penalty shot

Purposely throwing your stick to interfere (judgment call of referee): penalty shot

Shootout

In the playoffs, games that are tied at the end of regulation time and the overtime period go into a shootout. 

Shoots first: the team that scored the tying goal shoots first. 

Number of shooters: each team chooses 3 shooters - the captain must inform the referees of the order of the shooters. 

Goalie movement: until the player touches the ball, goalies must stay by the net.  After he has touched the ball, they are allowed to come out to challenge the shooter as much as they want, if they so wish.

Sudden death: if it is still a tie after all 3 shooters from each team have shot, there is a sudden death shootout - captains must choose players who haven't shot in this scenario.

Motion of shooter: a player must stay in motion.  He cannot come to a complete stop or move back.  He can move sideways.  His stick can move back.  Violation of any of these descriptions results in play being called dead.

Other Infractions

Hand pass: other team's possession at the center zone

Closing your hand on the ball (catching the ball as opposed to batting it down): other team's possession at the center zone

Out-of-bounds: if the ball goes out-of-bounds, the opposing team of the player who last touched the ball gets the ball.  A player cannot directly take a shot on net when he is about to start the play after it has gone out-of-bounds.  If a player does, it results in a change of possession.

Freezing the ball: A goaltender can freeze the ball anywhere except for behind the net.  If it is done behind the net, it is a change of possession at center gym.

When a goaltender freezes the ball, the player that has possession immediately after can ONLY take a shot at the opposing net if he is in the area behind his own net. Any shots taken in front of the net without first making a pass will be assessed with a change of possession with the opposing team starting at center.

As well, when a goaltender freezes the ball, his player has up to 3 seconds to move the ball.  During this time, the opposing player must give adequate space and cannot forecheck until the ball is touched.  If he goes over the 3-second time limit, there is a change of possession.  The opposing team starts with the ball at about the center zone, on the side lines. 

Foreign material on goaltender equipment or crease: No foreign material is allowed to be applied to goaltender equipment or the crease, including baby powder, oils, boric acid, or any other material that can cause a dangerous slippery area for players.  Infraction of this rule will result in a change of goaltending equipment and a 2-min penalty.  Repeat offence (including beyond one tournament) can lead to forfeit of at least one match.

Standings tie-breaker: In case of a tie in the standings, the following will be used to determine the higher seed: (1) head-to-head (if applicable); (2) schedule strength. (3) goal differential.

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