U9 and DS Tournament Rules

• The following rules apply to U11, U13, U15, and U18 DS, plus U9HL and U9B. .
• All teams will play four games (4).
• All teams and players participating in the tournament must be properly registered through the Ontario Women's Hockey Association or their appropriate provincial or national body affiliate..

Hockey Canada and OWHA rules shall apply:

1. Coaches/ managers must select their roster (players and team staff) for EACH game in RAMP at least 2 hours prior to each game. 
2. A maximum of 19 players, including 2 goaltenders, may be registered for each game with each team. Teams may have additional players on the roster (eg. DS or non-OWHA teams) but only 19 players may dress for each game.
3. To be eligible to participate in the tournament, the player's name must appear on the team’s approved OWHA roster.
4. A player may only participate with one designated team in a tournament and may only participate in one tournament on any date.
5. In accordance with OWHA rules a House League team may use up to 3 pick-up players to replace absent rostered players who were not suspended. An OWHA "Tournament Pick-up Consent" form properly completed shall be submitted with tournament officials prior to the pick-up player participating in a game. Pick-up players are NOT allowed for DS teams.
6. The coach or manager must check in at least 45 minutes before the start of their first game (at the arena of their first game) to pick up their information packages.
7. If the tournament is ahead of schedule, teams should be available to play up to 30 minutes prior to the start of their scheduled playing time. Tournament organizers will notify them if the referees are available for such to occur.
8. As per OWHA rules, teams may not take to the ice without referees present.
9. Each game will be preceded by a three (3) minute warm up, which begins as soon as the ice resurfacing has been completed. Players and teams must be ready for puck-drop as soon as the three-minute warm up ends, or risk being penalized for delay of game.
10. Ice resurfacing will be at the end of each game. The ice resurfacing schedule may be changed at the discretion of the organizers and in consultation with the on-ice officials. Teams will be notified of any changes to the ice resurfacing schedule.
11. If at any time during the third period there is a goal differential of five (5) or more, the clock will continue running time, if differential goes back to four, then game will return to stop time.
12. The OWHA minimum suspension guidelines will be enforced. All suspensions will be enforced according to the current OWHA Constitution, By-laws, and Regulations & Rules.
13. Players will shake hands after each game, with gloves on.
14. Flooding of the ice will occur at the end of each game and may be deferred at the discretion of a tournament official.
15. It is each team’s responsibility to ensure a clean dressing room is left upon completion of their game. All teams are requested to vacate the dressing room 20 minutes or less after their game is completed.
16. There will be no protests. All officiating decisions are final, whether made on-ice by the referees or off-ice by tournament officials.

DS Round Robin Play

17. Round robin games will consist of three stop time periods of 10-10-12 minutes. There will be no time-outs or overtime in the round robin.
1. Division of 4: Each team will play a 4-game round robin. The top 2 teams after the round robin will play in the Division Final.
2. Divis ions of 5: Each team will play a 4-game round robin. The top 2 teams after the round robin will play in the Division Final.
3. Divisions of 6: Each team will play a 4-game round robin. The top 3 teams after the round robin will advance to the playoffs. 1st overall will automatically advance to the Final. Teams in 2nd and 3rd place after the round robin will play a semi final. The winner will advance to the Division Final.
4. Divisions of 8: Teams will be randomly split into 2 pools (Pool A & B, 4 teams each). Each Pool will play a round robin of 3 games. At the end of the round robin, all teams will advance to the quarter finals, teams will be ranked within their pool based on points, 1st A vs 4th B, 2nd A vs 3rd B, 1st B vs 4th A, 2nd B vs 3rd A. QF winners advance to semi finals. SF winners advance to the Division Final.
18. The overall standings in round robin play will be determined by using the traditional 2-point system: 2 points for winning a game, 1 point for tying a game, and 0 points for a loss. Teams advance based on the total number of points accumulated after their round robin games. Scores posted on the website will reflect the 4-goal maximum differential used for tie breaking and correct standings. Scores in RAMP will reflect the actual score.
19. In the event of a tie in points between two or more teams at the end of round robin play, the following tie breaking criteria will be used to determine who advances, in descending order down the list until all ties are broken as follows:
1. Most wins;
2. Winner of the game between tied teams (applicable only in two-way ties).
3. Highest goal differential - total goals scored minus total goals against. For the purposes of calculating this sub rule, the maximum goal differential in any round robin game will be capped at four (4). (e.g. if Team A has 7 goals and Team B has 2, for the purposes of calculating the goal differential for this sub rule, Team A will be allotted 6 goals and Team B will be allotted 2 goals for that game).
4. Fewest goals against.
5. Fewest penalty minutes.
6. Earliest time of first goal was scored in any of the round robin games.
7. Flip of a coin.

DS Semi-final and Championship Games

20. Playoff games will consist of three stop time periods of 10-10-12 minutes.
21. Each team will be allowed one 30-second time-out in each play-off and championship game.
22. The team with the highest pool ranking (i.e., the team with the most points during round robin play) will be the Home team. In the event of a tie(s), the tie breaking criteria (Rule #21) will be applied to determine the Home team. The Home team must wear their light-coloured uniforms, and the Visiting team must wear their dark-coloured uniforms. If a team has only one set of uniforms then the team with two sets must switch to the non-conflicting colour. If both teams have only one set of uniforms each and they conflict, the Home team must change jerseys.

Quarter-Final and Semi-final

23. Games will be played until a winner is declared. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, sudden goal overtime (meaning overtime will end as soon as the deciding goal is scored) will be played as follows:
1. Five minutes of 5-on-5 (including the Goalie; that is, a goalie is not mandatory, and a skater may be substituted for a goalie if desired); a horn will sound to end the period; and then;
2. Five minutes of 4-on-4 (including the Goalie; that is, a goalie is not mandatory, and a skater may be substituted for a goalie if desired); a horn will sound to end the period; and then;
3. One Round of ‘best of three’ shootout in groups of three players for the first round and then round(s) of single players thereafter.
4. If still tied after the first round of three, then coaches must then choose one player each for the shootout, and if still tied after, another, and so on, until a winner is declared.
5. Every player dressed except goalies must be used before repeats are allowed. Referees will be asked to write jersey numbers down or send players to the penalty box to ensure there are no repeated shooters.

Championship Final

25. Games will be played until a winner is declared. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, sudden goal overtime (meaning overtime will end as soon as the deciding goal is scored) will be played as follows:
1. Five minutes of 5-on-5 (including the Goalie; that is, a goalie is not mandatory, and a skater may be substituted for a goalie if desired); a horn will sound to end the period; and then;
2. Five minutes of 4-on-4 (including the Goalie; that is, a goalie is not mandatory, and a skater may be substituted for a goalie if desired); a horn will sound to end the period; and then;
3. One Round of ‘best of three’ shootout in groups of three players for the first round and then round(s) of single players thereafter.
4. If still tied after the first round of three, then coaches must then choose one player each for the shootout, and if still tied after, another, and so on, until a winner is declared.
5. Every player dressed except goalies must be used before repeats are allowed. Referees will be asked to write jersey numbers down or send players to the penalty box to ensure there are no repeated shooters.


26. Penalties that have not expired by the end of regulation time carry over into the overtime periods; teams can never drop below four players in overtime: i.e., if there is a penalty during the 4-on-4 overtime period, the non-penalized team shall add a player. If a penalty is still being served at the end of the second (4-on-4) overtime, then the player serving the penalty may not be in the first group of three players in the shoot-out but may participate after that.

After Each Game
It is each team’s responsibility to ensure a clean dressing room is left upon completion of their game. All teams are requested to vacate the dressing room 20 minutes or less after their game is completed.

Photographs
Only team staff and fully dressed players may step on the ice for photos or other purposes, at any time; others may be taken from the players’ bench. Team Photos are only allowed after a Championship game and organizers reserve the right to limit photos due to time constraints or otherwise.

Player of the Game Awards
Coaches will select their own Player of the Game. These may be awarded after each game, or at the end of the tournament, and the award(s) should be given out off the ice (i.e., in the changeroom). Awards for round robin games will be given to teams when they register for their first game, and then for each playoff/ final game at check-in.