VACHL league rules are designed to ensure safety of players and enjoyment of the game. Without getting too technical, here is an overview of VACHL's rules and procedures (if you need clearification, please email )
OFFICIATING
***Aggressive play is STRICTLY enforced(ie contact, especially along the boards). Pinning and taking the body is allowed as it is part of the game, but throwing your weight, clutching and hooking aka "tuggling" is not.
*** slashing (hacking - no attempt at the puck)
***majors : fighting and attempt to injure including bodychecking will result in a game misconduct AND min 3 games suspension (depending on the severity) Two majors in a season constitutes banishment from the league without refund . VACHL has built a "clean" reputation and plans to maintain it. Players pay to have fun and not to get injured.
***unsportsmanlike conduct : trashing talking, arguing with refs and any unsportsmanlike conduct will result in a minor. (3mins)
*** 3 penalties in a game = game misconduct
MAJOR INFRACTIONS
Any of the following action(s) will constitute instant lifetime banishment from the league without refund:
a) 2 majors/suspensions in a season
b) Phyiscal abuse or serious verbal threat of a ref(s) or player(s) on or off the ice;
c) Third man in or jumping off the bench during an altercation;
d) Property damage of the rink facilities or other players' belongings;
e) Suspended player playing or player that is not on the team's roster.
* These rules are for the safety of the players.
SUSPENSIONS
-
NEW - Any player to receive a 10 minute Misconduct penalty in the last 10 minutes of the game will serve an automatic 1 game suspension.
-
During a game, if a referee calls a game misconduct, gross misconduct, match penalty or fighting penalty, the referee(s) will write up the incident with as much detail as possible and forward this to the League Coordinator. The referee is only responsible for calling the penalties. Referees do not hand out suspensions.
-
The League Coordinator will inform the League Management team, (consisting presently of the Britannia and Kerrisdale arena programmers)to discuss the incident and recommend that the normal course of suspension should follow OR explain if there are other circumstances that need to be taken into consideration that would warrant a suspension outside the realm of the "norm".
-
The League Management team will issue the suspension, to be given out by the League Coordinator. The League Coordinator will contact the appropriate captains separately, to inform them of the suspension as well as directly contacting the suspended player.
APPEALS TO SUSPENSIONS
If after a suspension has been imposed, a team wishes to appeal that suspension, the following procedures should be followed:
-
The team captain will send in writing the reason for the appeal. Included should be the details of the game, (i.e. date, time, reason for the appeal). It is imperative that as many details as possible are included, but that you are specific, factual and to the point.
-
The Suspension review team which consists of the League Management Team, in conjunction with the League Coordinator, Head Referee and Vancouver Park Board Stanley District Recreation Coordinator will review all information provided. At this point, the captain of the opposing team may be contacted for their account regarding this incident.
-
The Suspension review team will vote to make a decision on the appeal. Once a decision has been made, the League Coordinator will notify each of the Team Captain's separately of the decision that is made.
TEAM ROSTERS
Players must be on the team's roster or else that player is considered a Ringer. NO SUBS allowed, expect for goalies with a signed waiver and an OK from the league coordinator.
Having a player play that is NOT on the roster or an illegal sub will result in a forfeit of the game and 6 pts in the regular season standing or forfeit of the playoff series..
GAME FORMAT
***7-8 mins warmups
***3 X 20 mins running halves
***1 min break each period (teams switch ends after each period)
***if tied, OT - Running 5min (or less)
***final 2 mins of play is stoptime IF the score is within 2 goals. If a scorekeeper is unavailable, it is responsibility of the away team to work the clock.
GAME RULES
***Offsides in effect,
***Blue-line icing
***Quick faceoffs (make your line shifts betwn whistles quick), refs will drop the puck regardless if the centreman is ready.
***Timeouts: one 30 sec timeout once per game. Timeouts are stop time.
***Crease rule. The refs will stop the play if a player enters the crease without the puck.
***Slapshots: below waist. "Fake" slapshots will also be blown down. Infraction will result in a faceoff in offending team's zone.
PLAYOFF/TOURNAMENT FORMAT
All teams will play a total of 6 games (4 Round Robin and 2 playoff games)
1) Teams will be divided into 2 Pools (A and B) based on regular season standings.
Pool A will have #3,5,7,9
Pool B will have #4,6,8,10
#1 and #2 ranked will be placed into a Group by a coin toss for fairness purposes.
2) Teams will play 4 games (regular season rules) within their pool.
3) Teams are then ranked by points (2pt win, 1pt tie, 1pt OTL) within their group. Tie breakers in the final rankings are:
i) head to head
ii) wins
iii) goal differential
iv) regular season standings
4) The Medal Round: The 1st ranked teams from each pool will faceoff with the 2nd ranked team in the opposite group in the semi-finals.
GroupA #1 vs GroupB #2 (Semi-final 1)
GroupB #1 vs GroupA #2 (Semi-final 2)
The winners of the above two games will play for "Gold and Silver" while the losers will play for "Bronze and 4th".
5) Classification Games: The rest of the teams from each pool will faceoff with the team of the opposite group of the same ranking in a 2 game mini-series.
GroupA #3 vs GroupB #3 (for 5th, 6th)
GroupA #4 vs GroupB #4 (for 7th, 8th)
GroupA #5 vs GroupB #5 (for 9th, 10th)
** If a game ends in a tie during the playoff rounds, there will be a 3man-sudden death shootout. If the series is tied 1-1, we will have a shootout game 3 immediately following game 2. **
EQUIPMENT
Full gear is MANDATORY - no exceptions.
VACHL requires a minimun half shield with mouth piece or cage w/o mouthpiece . Again, safety is our #1 concern. Teeth can be replaced but eyes can't! Players WILL NOT be allowed to play if he/she does not comply
DISCLAIMER
Not all VACHL officials are certified. The majority of the games will have 2 refs each game. Our officials are competent and have good judgement, so please refrain from questioning their calls.
|