Official Tournament Rules

Please review the following rules carefully before participating in the tournament.
Last updated: August 2, 2026
  • All Tourneys and Divisions play 4 vs. 4. Games consist of two 15-minute running-time halves with a 2-minute halftime. Games start with center ice PHC stick tap face-off. Teams switch ends at halftime.
  • All players must wear hockey helmets with a properly fastened chin strap and hockey skates. Protective equipment is optional but strongly recommended. No goalie equipment or goalie sticks are permitted. All teams must have both light and dark jerseys.
  • Each game will have one Rink Monitor responsible for keeping score, resetting pucks, and enforcing tournament rules. For major penalties, the Rink Monitor may consult with a Zone Lead or Tournament Official before issuing an ejection.
  • Minor penalties result in possession being awarded to the opposing team. If a minor penalty is considered flagrant or a team is repeatedly playing in a reckless manner, the Rink Monitor may award a Penalty Shot. Penalty Shot Procedure: Shot is taken from center ice. Any player on the non-offending team may take the shot. The shot must be attempted within 30 seconds. Following the attempt, regardless of the outcome, possession is awarded to the non-offending team.
  • Any action that intentionally or recklessly endangers another player will result in immediate ejection from the tournament. Examples include: Fighting, Intent to injure, Dangerous body contact, Abuse of officials, Teams receiving an ejection must play the remainder of the tournament short-handed.
  • Yelling, swearing, threatening, or arguing with Rink Monitors or Tournament Officials will be considered a major penalty and will result in immediate ejection.
  • No body checking is permitted. Checking will result in a minor penalty unless deemed severe enough to warrant a major penalty.
  • Slap shots are prohibited. A slap shot results in a minor penalty.
  • Players may not intentionally fall or lay in front of the goal to prevent scoring. Violation results in a minor penalty.
  • Players may not patrol, camp, or remain stationary in the crease area while acting as a goaltender. The crease is defined as an imaginary box extending four feet from the outside corners of the goal. A defender may deflect a puck while continuing to move through the crease. This rule also applies to offensive players. First violation: Warning. Subsequent violations: Penalty Shot. If the violation prevents an imminent goal, the Rink Monitor may immediately award a goal.
  • Contacting the puck above waist height results in loss of possession.
  • Saucer passes below knee height are permitted.
  • When the puck leaves the playing surface: Possession is awarded to the team that did not last touch the puck. Defenders must provide two stick lengths of space during the restart.
  • There are no offside or icing violations.
  • Goals may be scored from anywhere on the rink.
  • Offensive picks and interference are not permitted. Defenders are entitled to maintain their position without being impeded.
  • The Rink Monitor announces each goal and maintains the official score.
  • Following every goal or infraction, teams must retreat to their defensive half of the ice before play resumes.
  • Pool Play: Games may end in a tie. Playoffs: Sudden-death overtime will be played until a winner is determined. Teams stop play at the horn and resume with a stick-tap faceoff.
  • Games are continuous running time. Players may substitute: On the fly, While a puck is being retrieved. Substitutions must occur in the vicinity of the team's bench. Teams are responsible for ensuring only four players are on the ice.
  • Players may only compete on one team during a tournament weekend. Any player found participating on multiple teams will be removed from the tournament. All teams that player participated on will forfeit their remaining games.
  • Rosters become final at 8:00 a.m. on the first day of tournament play. No substitutions are permitted after this deadline. Only players listed on the official roster may compete.
  • All players must visibly display their tournament credentials while participating. Players without credentials may not play.
  • Teams should arrive at their assigned rink at least 10 minutes prior to their scheduled game time. Teams are responsible for: Shoveling their half of the rink (when required) Attending any pre-game meeting For every minute a game is delayed due to one team, one goal will be awarded to the opposing team. After a 10-minute delay, the game will be declared a forfeit.
  • If a team forfeits a pool play game, the opposing team will receive a win. For tie-breaking purposes, Goals For and Goals Against will be assigned using the average from the non-forfeiting team's remaining pool play games. (ie if a team had a 15+ goal differential across their other games they would be awarded a 5-0 victory in the forfeited game.)
  • The team captain is responsible for verifying the final score. By signing the scorecard, the captain confirms the result. Scores cannot be protested after the scorecard has been signed. Any scoring challenge must be presented by the registered team captain to Tournament Operations within 60 minutes of the game's conclusion