Pennsylvania Interscholastic Roller Hockey League

Playing Rules

(REVISED 8/27/2007)

1.       All rules published by PIRHL are in addition to those published by AAU Hockey.

2.       Banned substances

a.       Chewing tobacco, tobacco products, alcohol, and illegal drugs are prohibited at all league games.

3.       AAU Hockey Zero Tolerance Policy

a.       This policy will be enforced in all PIRHL league games.

b.       This policy applies to all players, coaches, parents/spectators, and officials.

c.       Policy included as last page of these rules.

4.       Games

a.       Teams must have four (4) skaters and one goalie to start the game.

b.       If a goalie is not available, a team CANNOT play with five (5) skaters and will have to forfeit the game.  The team will have a 15 minute cushion to wait for their goalie to arrive or dress a player from their roster to play goalie.  The team cannot play a goalie that is not on their roster.

c.       All teams must be dressed and ready to play 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start of their game.

5.       Equipment

a.       Jerseys:

                                             i.            All teams are to wear matching jerseys with numbers on the back.

                                           ii.            All teams are to have their jerseys prior to the start of the regular season games.

                                          iii.            All teams are to have a blood jersey.

                                         iv.            Any player who forgets his/her jersey will not be permitted to play without a matching jersey.

b.       All players must wear the following:

                                             i.            A HECC approved hockey helmet with a full-face mask and chin strap.  The chinstrap must be fastened at all times while on the rink.

                                           ii.            Elbow pads.  Jersey sleeves must cover elbow pads.

                                          iii.            Gloves designed for hockey or lacrosse

                                         iv.            Hockey shin guards.  Hockey pants must cover the shin guards.

                                           v.            Internal mouth guard (clear is not permitted)

                                         vi.            Inline skates.  Skates must have a full set of wheels.  If a player loses a wheel while on the rink, he/she must leave the rink immediately and is not permitted to return until the wheel is replaced.

c.       Goalies must wear in addition to the above

                                             i.            Upper body equipment

                                           ii.            Leg pads (in place of shin guards)

                                          iii.            Catching and blocking gloves designed for hockey

d.       No street hockey (Mylec) equipment is permitted.

e.       Players are not permitted to wear jewelry.

f.        Sticks:  Black tape is not allowed on the blade of the stick except for strips that run lengthwise across the blade and do not make contact with the rink surface.

g.       A league approved inline hockey puck is to be used for all league games.

6.       Score Clock

a.       Three (3) fifteen (15) minute running clock time periods shall be played.

b.       A stop clock shall be used in the final two (2) minutes of the third period with a two (2) goal or less score differential.

c.       A three (3) minute warm-up clock is used.

d.       If the required number of players is not on the court by the time the three (3) minute warm-up clock expires, five (5) minutes will be placed on the score clock.

e.       If the required number of players does not arrive within these five minutes, the game will be forfeited and recorded as a 1-0 forfeit.

f.   Each team is allowed 1 team time out per game.  1 team time out can carry over to overtime if not used during regulation.

7.       Overtime

a.       Regulation season games that end in a tie will have one (1) five (5) minute running clock “sudden death” overtime period.

b.       The overtime period in a regular season game is played with 3 skaters and a goalie per team.

c.       The team that wins in overtime earns two (2) points.

d.       The team that loses in overtime earns one (1) point.

e.       Each team earns one (1) point for a game that ends in a tie after the overtime period.

8.       Rosters

a.       All players who participate in a league game must have their name pre-printed on the score sheet and be properly registered with AAU Hockey.

b.       A maximum of 17 players may be rostered per team.

c.       Rosters should include a minimum of 8 frozen skaters per team and all possible “Call Up” (designated as “CU”) players.

d.       When having more than one team in a division, a minimum of eight (8) skaters and one (1) goalie must be rostered per team.  Any exceptions to this rule must be given variance by the board.

e.       Skaters may only be rostered on one team in each tier. (i.e. if a team has two varsity 2 teams, a player may not be listed on both varsity 2 teams.)

f.        Goalies can be rostered on two (2) teams in the same division.

g.       High School students (grades 9-12) must play for the team of the school that they are attending.  No exceptions.

h.       A player in 12^th grade cannot play in Junior Varsity unless approved by the board.

i.         Elementary School students (grades 1-5)/ Middle School students (grades 6-8) - if the student is attending a private Magnet, Alternative, Charter, Votech or parochial school that does not have a team, that student may play for a team in the school district which the family is paying taxes.

j.         All team rosters are due at the first game of the Jamboree.

k.       Players must be designated as permanent or Call Ups.  The Call Ups should have the letters “CU” after their name on the web site.

l.         When a player is injured, whether it is hockey related or not, the games he/she missed due to the injury count towards games played in relation to playoff eligibility.  The coach should sign the injured player in for the game and mark “Injured”.  The coach must be able to produce evidence of such injuries.

m.     Each head coach must check, confirm, and then sign off on the opposing team’s game roster at the time the game is played.

n.       Any team that plays a game with an illegal player automatically forfeits the game and the score is recorded as a 1-0 loss for the offending team.  The team is placed on probation.

o.       Any team that plays a second game with an illegal player is expelled from the league with all fees forfeited.

9.       Player movement within rosters.

When having more than one team, player movement is allowed between teams based on the following rules.

a.       All players must be rostered on a team’s roster to play in any Tier.

b.       Players, who are listed as a call-up, must be rostered on a team in the Tier directly below.

c.       No player can be called up from the Middle School division to play in the Junior Varsity or Varsity division.

d.       A Junior Varsity 1 player cannot be called up to a Varsity 3 team.

e.       A Junior Varsity 1 player can be called up to the next division (Varsity 1 or 2).

f.        A Junior Varsity 2 or 3 player may be called up to a Varsity 3 team.

g.       If a skater is called up for five (5) games or more he/she becomes a permanent player on that roster and can no longer play for the lower tier team.  Goalies are exempt from this rule.

h.       The total number of skaters listed on a team roster does not matter.  If a team has 8 skaters available for a game, it cannot use any call-ups.  If a team has only 7 skaters available it can call up 1 skater; 6 skaters it can call up 2 skaters; 5 skaters available it can call up 3 skaters.

i.         A team cannot have more than 3 call-ups in a game.

10.   Penalties

a.       There are no violations involving off sides or icing.

b.       Minor penalties are assessed two (2) minutes, major penalties are assessed five (5) minutes and misconduct penalties are assessed ten (10) minutes.

c.       All major penalties carry an automatic game misconduct penalty and an automatic one (1) game suspension.

d.       Any player who is assessed three (3) penalties in one game is to be immediately removed from that game only.

e.       Any time a team is assessed eight (8) penalties in a game; the head coach is given one (1) game misconduct penalty.  He/she must also immediately leave the bench and another coach or adult is to take his/her place.

f.        Any time a team is assessed ten (10) penalties in a game; the game is immediately stopped.  If the offending team is losing, the current score is recorded.  If the game is tied or the offending team is winning, the score is recorded as a 1-0 loss for the offending team.

g.       All penalties, minors, majors, misconducts and game misconducts count towards the eight and ten penalty rule.

h.       Game misconducts receive game suspensions as follows:

                                             i.            The first game misconduct penalty carries an automatic one game suspension.

                                           ii.            A second game misconduct penalty carries an automatic two (2) game suspension.

                                          iii.            A third game misconduct carries an automatic four (4) game suspension.

                                         iv.            A fourth game misconduct results in expulsion from the league. 

                                           v.            Game misconducts assessed in the Jamboree count towards this total.

i.         When assessing misconduct penalties, game officials follow this procedure:

                                             i.            Any player who challenges or disputes the rulings of any game official, endeavors to incite an opponent (including taunting), or creates a disturbance during a game is assessed a minor (2 minute) penalty for unsportsman like conduct.

                                           ii.            If the player persists in such challenge or dispute, he/she is assessed a misconduct (10 minute) penalty.

                                          iii.            If a player further persists, he/she is assessed a game misconduct penalty.

                                         iv.            If a player verbally abuses a game official using vulgarity, the game official may assess 10-minute misconduct.

j.         Any player or coach who physically abuses a game official is permanently expelled from the league.

11.   Fighting/Altercations

a.     All fighting majors carry a 3 game suspension.

b.     If an instigator can be determined in any fight/altercation, the instigator can be assessed additional games.

c.       Any player involved in a second fight/altercation is expelled from the league for the rest of the season.

d.       Fights/altercations in the Jamboree count towards this total.

e.       Any player who leaves his/her bench during a fight/altercation is assessed a three (3) game suspension.

f.       Any player who leaves his/her bench for a second fight/altercation in another game is expelled from the league for the rest of the season.

g.        Any team, which has a player leave its bench during a fight/altercation, is placed on probation.

h.       Any team, which has a second player leave its bench for a second altercation, is expelled from the league for the rest of the season with all fees forfeited.

i.    Any 3rd man who enters a fight/altercation is assessed a three (3) game suspension

12.   Suspensions

a.       If a player receives a suspension and is on two rosters, he/she cannot play for either team until the suspension is served. 

b.       If a player is suspended while he/she is skating as a call up (CU), the team he/she was called up to has to skate with one less call up while he/she is on suspension.

13.   Seeding of teams

a.       Varsity Tiers 1, 2, and 3.

b.       Junior Varsity Tiers 1, 2, and 3.

c.       Middle School Tiers 1, 2, and 3.

d.       Elementary Tiers 1 and 2.

e.       All participating high schools can place their first team in either the Junior Varsity or Varsity division.

f.        Participating schools will apply for the Tier that their team(s) intends to play.  This will be approved at a league meeting.  After the Jamboree, the teams will again apply for a Tier, and the level directors will vote on the seeding of all the teams.

14.   Playoffs

a.       All teams in each division will be eligible for the playoffs, unless otherwise noted.

b.       Any team that has three (3) forfeits is not eligible for the playoffs.

c.       The first round is single elimination.

d.       All other rounds are the best of 3 games.

e.       A player must play 10 regular season games (not just sign in) to qualify for the playoffs.

f.        Games missed due to suspension DO NOT count towards playoff eligibility.

g.       To be a call-up in the playoffs, the player must be qualified in his/her rostered Tier.

15.   Awards

a.       The first place team in each division will receive a PIRHL Cup.  The cup is theirs for keeping.

b.       The first place team in each Varsity division will receive and keep the Penguins Chalice for one season.

c.       The first and second place teams in each division will receive individual PIRHL medals.

d.       The first and second place teams in Junior Varsity 1 and Varsity 1 will be eligible to compete in the Pennsylvania State Championships.  Final eligibility is based upon the number of teams entered from the Pennsylvania Eastern Region

16.   Coaches

a.       No game is to be played without a coach or an adult present on the bench.

b.       A team is to have no more than 3 coaches and/or adults on the bench.

c.       All coaches and/or adults on the bench must have AAU Insurance.

AAU Hockey Zero Tolerance Policy

Players

A minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct (Zero Tolerance) shall be assessed whenever a player:

1.   Openly disputes or argues any decision by an official.

2.   Uses obscene or vulgar language at any time, including any swearing, even if it is not directed at a particular person.

3.       Visually demonstrates any sign of dissatisfaction with an official’s decision.  Any time that a player persists in any of these actions, they shall be assessed a misconduct penalty.  A game misconduct shall result if the player continues such action.

Coaches

A minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct (Zero Tolerance) shall be assessed whenever a coach:

1.   Openly disputes or argues any decision by an official.

2.   Uses obscene or vulgar language at any time, including any swearing, even if it is not directed at a particular person.

4.       Visually demonstrates any sign of dissatisfaction with an official’s decision including standing on the boards or standing in the bench doorway with the intent of inciting the officials, players or spectators.

5.       Any time that a coach persists in any of these actions, they shall be assessed a game misconduct penalty.

6.       If a coach wishes to question an official’s call, he may only do so when it is related to a rules interpretation, not a judgment call.  The coach should send his captain or assistant captain to ask the official the pertinent question.

Officials

Officials are required to conduct themselves in a businesslike, sportsmanlike, impartial and constructive manner at all times.  The actions of an official must be above reproach.  Actions such as “Baiting” or inciting players or coaches are strictly prohibited.

Officials are ambassadors of the game and must always conduct themselves with this responsibility in mind.

Parents/Spectators

Game officials will stop the game when the parents/spectators displaying inappropriate and disruptive behavior interfere with other spectators of the game.  The game officials will identify violators to the coaches for the purpose of removing parents/spectators from the spectator’s viewing and game area.  Once removed, play will resume.  Lost time will not be replaced and violators may be subject to further disciplinary action by the local governing body.  This inappropriate and disruptive behavior shall include.

1.                   Use if obscene or vulgar language in a boisterous manner to anyone at any time.

2.                   Taunting of players, coaches, officials or other spectators by means of baiting, ridiculing, physical violence or threat of physical violence.

3.                   Throwing of any object in the spectators’ viewing area, players’ bench, penalty box or on the playing surface, directed in any manner as to create a safety hazard.