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HBHL GAME RULES AND PROCEDURES

1) REGISTRATION
You may register a team or register as an individual and be placed on a team. 

If representing a team you act on behalf of the team.  
You are responsible for the collection of all funds, i.e. registration and fines; as well as the organization of your team within the HBHL rules and regulations.  

All players on your team must be registered individually through the league website in order to be eligible to play in the league.  Players not registered on the league website are not eligible to participate.

If you register as an individual player you will be placed on a team where positions may be available. The HBHL executive will monitor the ‘Individual’ team to make sure that you and your teammates are comfortable and understanding of the rules and regulations. 

HBHL Season consists of a 10 game regular season.

2) POINT SYSTEM

REGULATION WIN: 3 Points
SO WIN: 2 Points
SO LOSS: 1 Point
REGULATION LOSS: 0 Points

3) GAME DURATION

Regular season league games are three (3) periods.
First Period is ten (10) minutes stop time;
Second Period is ten (10) minutes stop time;
Third Period is twelve (12) minutes stop time.

Games that end tied after regulation will have a 3 player shootout during the regular season.  The shootout both teams will take shootout shots simultaneously.

4) TIMEOUTS

Each team is allowed two (2) timeouts per game and no more than one (1) per period. Timeouts are generally thirty (30) seconds in duration.  


5) MERCY RULE

If one (1) team falls behind by a total of five (5) goals, then the game becomes running time where the clock will not stop.
If the trailing team narrows the goal margin to less than five (5) goals, then the clock will return to stop time.
The mercy rule is not in effect in the first period or second period.

5) PLAYOFF ROUNDS

4 team division - everyone makes playoffs 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 format
6 team division - top four (4) make playoffs bottom 2 will not make the playoffs.

Playoffs will be best 2 of out 3 Game Series - In each game of the series a winner must be determined and the game can not end in a tie.  For Semi-Finals it will be 5 minutes of Overtime followed by a 5 player shootout for every game of the series including game 3.  For the Championship Finals, games 1 and 2 will have a 10 minute Overtime followed by a 5 player shootout. For game 3 of a Championship Final, there will be not be a shootout. Overtime periods will be 10 minutes.

6) SHOOTOUT (PLAYOFFS)

Teams choose five (5) players for the shootout. Each player is entitled to one (1) breakaway opportunity. The team that has the most goals after the 5 selected shooters wins the game.  
If there is a tie in goals once again, the shoot out rounds will continue with one shooter per team until the tie is broken.  Players may not shoot a second time until all players on one team or the other have participated.  

7) PLAYOFF QUALIFYING TIE-BREAKER ORDER

In the event that two (2) teams are tied in points upon closure of the regular season the following format will be applied to determine qualifying and seeding for the playoffs: 

1. Total Regulation Wins
2. Personal record between the tied teams
3. Team with higher plus (+ goals) rating
4. Team with higher goals for
5. Team with lowest goals against
6. Team with fewest combined penalty minutes

8) PLAYOFF QUALIFICATION

A player must participate in four (4) regular season games AND must be registered on the league website in order to qualify for playoff participation.
A goalie does not have a minimum number of games played but MUST be on your roster and registered on the league website before the final game of your season.
It is very important that the team representatives check all game sheets immediately after game play to make sure that there is a match between your records and the leagues. 
If a player is not registered and not on your roster during the season he is not eligible to play no exceptions.

If there is an error (i.e. player participated and wasn’t checked off on the game sheet) and it is not reported to the league office within 24 hours then the error proceeds unchanged. The League Executive will monitor player participation. 

9) PLAYERS IN UNIFORM

A team must have six (6) players in uniform by scheduled game time. If at the scheduled game time, a team does not have six (6) players in uniform then the team loses by default. It is the discretion of the official to grant a ten (10) minute grace period before calling a game default. A defaulted game results in a 3 - 0 loss and a fine.

If there are 6 players in uniform and no goalie dressed then a runner assumes the goalies position but may not cover up the ball in the goal crease or a penalty will be assessed.  
Teams are allowed to borrow goalies provided the borrowed goalie is not from the same division and the goalie plays in the same division level or lower division level that the team plays in. Goalie must be registered in the HBHL. You may not borrow goalies in the playoffs.

10) GOALTENDERS IN UNIFORM

It is required that teams have a goaltender dressed for each game. A back-up goaltender dressed and ready for play is allowed. If a team decides to ‘pull’ their goaltender and does not have a back-up goaltender ready then they are allowed only one (1) minute before the game continues. A runner must assume the goaltender position. If a goaltender is injured and has to be replaced then a team is allowed ten (10) minutes before the game commences.  

11) MANDATORY EQUIPMENT

Please refer to the Ontario Ball Hockey Federation (OBHF) website for equipment requirements   OBHF EQUIPMENT PAGE

12) DISORDERLY CONDUCT

Any team involved in questionable conduct on arena property (including parking lot) will be suspended from further league play for the balance of the season.  

13) ALCOHOL & SMOKING

ALCOHOL AND SMOKING ARE NOT PERMITTED. PLAYERS MUST BE AWARE THAT WE PARTICIPATE ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY AND THIS POLICY IS IN FULL EFFECT.  
PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO WARNINGS. IF A PLAYER IS CAUGHT SMOKING OR DRINKING ON CITY PROPERTY, THEY WILL BE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM FURTHER PARTICIPATION WITHIN THE HAMILTON BALL HOCKEY LEAGUE AND POSSIBLY FINED BY THE CITY.