Rules
GENERAL RULES
USRC is committed to providing a safe and hospitable environment for our youth players to mature. We will not tolerate the abuse (physical, verbal, or otherwise) of our youth players by adults, coaches and spectators alike. If it has been determined by USRC staff that you are abusing a youth player(s), then you will be asked to leave the facility and issued a 1-year ban from all USRC events. If you do not leave the premises, we will call the police to escort you out. Further escalation will be handled by the local police department.
- Every player must sign a waiver before playing
- Rosters must be in a week before the event
- You can only add emergency players if your team drops down to 4 skaters and 1 goalie. In that event, you are allowed to add 1 additional skater.
- In the event a goalie is late due to circumstances out of their control or injured, a team may use an EBUG. Teams must use an EBUG at their ability level, before trying to get an EBUG from a higher division. An EBUG from a higher division may only be from one division higher in skill. We will not hold games for late goalies.
- USRC follows the same age cutoffs for youth as USA Hockey. For adult divisions (30+, etc) you are eligible as long as you turn the minimum age in the same calendar year as the event
- 8 goal mercy rule
- Games can start 30 minutes early
- Teams must be ready to play (4 skaters 1 goalie ready to take a faceoff) by the end of the 3 minute warm up, regardless if the tournament is running ahead, on time, or behind. If a team is not ready to play, then they will forfeit. If both teams are not ready to play, then the game will result in a tie/double forfeit. Teams can use their timeout (60s) to delay the start of the game.
- Club players may only play Club. This is to ensure that the club division is truly for club level players.
- Each team may have a maximum of two players playing down one division, for adult divisions only.
- Your player level is the highest level you are playing at for that tournament. Meaning that we are no longer going to allow players to "play up a division". For example, if you are playing in Silver and Bronze, then you are a Silver level player for that event. That is regardless of whether or not you more regularly play Bronze.
- Players can only play down one division. Gold players shouldn't want to play bronze anyway. Most importantly, the bronze players don't enjoy when that happens.
- 30+ and 40+ do not count towards roster restrictions.
- 3 penalties in one game results in an automatic ejection of that player for the remainder of just that game.
- Two 12 minute stop time periods
- Jailbreak goals (shorthanded goals end the offending penalty)
- 90 second minors, 180 second double minors, 5 minute majors
- Powerplay team can decide face-off dot in the offensive zone
- Round Robin games that end in ties will go to a 3 round shootout, then to a tie
- A player may be used multiple times in a shootout (Oshie Rule)
- Playoff games that end in ties will go 4v4 continuous, sudden death overtime
- Teams are given 1 timeout per game
- Delayed call half-rink violations are in effect
- USRC uses video to enforce suspensions
- If a team has clinched a playoff spot prior to playing their last round robin game and they no show their remaining round robin game(s), then the will lose their playoff spot to the next available team
- Players must play in round robin in order to play in playoffs
- For youth games that end in a mercy, the coach of the losing team gets to decide if they finish the clock (as long as the tournament is not running more than 15 minutes behind). The remaining time will be played as run-clock. Adult games will end at 8.
- Girls are allowed to play one birthyear down
- Warm ups are for warming up. Take your pictures and do your ceremonies off the rink. You are stealing time from other teams when you do not respect the warm ups.
TIE BREAKERS
- Wins are worth 3 points, OT wins are worth 2 points, OT loss is worth 1 point, regulation loss is worth 0 points
- Points > Head to Head > Wins > Regulation Wins > Goal Differential > Goals Against > Goals For
