Rink Rats Rules/Policies

Clarifications and Deviations from USA Hockey Rules

Simple Icing

Icing will be called when a player of a team shoots, bats with the hand or stick, or deflects the puck from their own half of the ice completely beyond the goal line of the opposing team without touching any part of an opposing player. There will be no "race for the puck".

Faceoffs Positioning

Players facing off are required to have their sticks on the ice with the blade of their stick touching the white on their side of the faceoff circle. All players on the ice must not be moving at the time of faceoff.

Penalty Shots

During our regular season play, penalty shots will be taken with a single 1 on 1 attempt. The ref will place the puck at center ice, confirm that the goalie is ready, and blow their whistle to start the play. The player will get one attempt at a goal and after the attempt play will continue with either a center ice face off if a goal was scored, or a face off in the zone where the penalty shot was taken if the shot was not successful. We will not line up on one end and chase after the puck like we do during Contest of Chaos penalties.

Modified Gretsky Rule (Rostered Players)

Every rostered player is only allowed to score a single hat trick per season. After a player has scored their hat trick for the season, they are only eligible to score, at most, two goals in any single game. Players who have scored their hat trick, are highlighted on the score sheet and if a player scores a disallowed goal (e.g. a 4th+ goal in their hat-trick game, or extra goals beyond 2 after they have their HT) the goal itself is not marked on the scoresheet and does not count towards the game, but assists are still recorded. If an upper level player chooses to ignore this rule and blatantly continues to "score" goals after they have reached their limit, there will be a 3 strike type progression before that player is no longer eligible to continue with the Rink Rats. (1. Player will be notified via email that since their hat trick was already achieved in a prior game that their goals beyond 2 were not recorded. 2. Player will be warned via email that another occurrence will result in ineligibility to continue with the Rink Rats. 3. Player will be notified via email that they are no longer eligible to continue with the Rink Rats.

Modified Gretsky Rule (Subs)

Subs are now only allowed a single goal per game. Additionally, pending sub skill level, captains have the ability to restrict subs, at any time before or during a game, to zero goals (this is all to help with the issue of high level players who view subbing with the Rink Rats simply as "free ice time").

Subs who opt to not follow the Modified Gretzky Rule, under the direction of their captain, may be permanently removed from the sub list.

Substitue Players

Players join the Rink Rats sub list via a Benchapp link found in most Rink Rats emails and are required to fill out the Benchapp waiver before being allowed to sub.

Game times are posted for the entire day, not the individual games. Subs will not sign up for a specific team, based on availability they will be assigned to a team that has a vacancy.

Sub Requirements:

If you want to sub, you must check in for the day.

If you are not available for any portion of the day you must add a note to your check in indicating when you are not available.

If you are checking in as a goalie sub please add a note to your check in (e.g. "goalie" or "goalie or skater")

If you are not available, do not check in, and if your availability changes, please change your check in.

Subs may receive a warning and/or be bumped from the group if they are not available for games they have checked in for.

Aggressive Behavior, Fighting, and Derogatory Remarks Policy

Aggressive Behavior -

This league is not a "no contact" league, but we do not allow checking or fighting. A little bit of pushing and bumping during play for the puck is 100% acceptable and expected, but when it turns excessively aggressive, the following progression will apply:

• 1st occurrence: Player will be issued a penalty for roughing and a warning.

• 2nd occurrence in a single game: Player will be ejected from the game and receive a one game suspension (their team will have to sit someone for the resulting roughing penalty).

• It will be at the referees discretion, based on severity, to skip straight to the ejection.

• Fighting will result in an immediate ejection and a one-game suspension for both players.

Derogatory Remarks -

As stated on the Rink Rats' website's Expectations of Players, "everyone needs to acknowledge that we are all out to have a good time and aside from routine chirping, we all need to be respectful of each other." That being said, we have also seen an increase in derogatory and/or demeaning remarks towards both players and referees. Moving forward, Referees and either of the game's Team Captains can respond to derogatory or demeaning remarks from any player towards any other player, referee, participant, spectator, etc. with the following progression:

• 1st occurrence: Player will be issued a warning.

• 2nd occurrence in a single game: Player will be ejected from the game (initially without suspension).

• It will also be at the referees discretion, based on severity of the remarks, to skip straight to the ejection.

Following an Ejection -

• If a player is ejected from a game they are to leave the ice immediately (their team can bring them their bench gear after the game).

• Ejected players are allowed to watch the reminder of the game from the stands so long as they do not cause any further problems (including but not limited to yelling at or making obscene gestures towards the players/refs), but are not allowed to rejoin the bench.

• If an ejected player refuses to immediately leave the ice, or continues to cause problems after leaving the ice, they are no longer welcome to remain for the game. If their ejection was for derogatory remarks, they will now also be issued a suspension for 1 game. If their ejection was for aggressive behavior, their suspension will now extend to 2 games, with review for a potential ban from future Rink Rats activity.

• Any player to receive two ejections within a single season for derogatory remarks will receive a suspension for the reminder of the season and a review for permanent ban from participating in all future Rink Rats activities in any capacity.

• Any player to receive two ejections within a single season for agressive behavior will immediately receive a permanent ban from participating in all future Rink Rats activities in any capacity.

• Any aggressive behavior from one player directed towards another player, referee, participant, spectator, etc. with clear intent to inflict severe harm, will be reviewed and may result in an immediate, permanent ban from participating in all future Rink Rats activities in any capacity.

All game ejections and suspensions will be reviewed, and if further action is deemed necessary further action may be implemented. No refunds will be issued to players who are ejected, suspended, or banned for aggressive behavior or derogatory remarks.