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2022 Jr. TBirds Fall Invitational Rules

By Jr. T-Birds Staff, 09/12/22, 3:15PM EDT

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The Springfield JR Thunderbirds Fall Invitational is governed by the rules of USA Hockey, and it is the responsibility of each player, coach, and team manager to be familiar with these rules and ensure all participating players and coaches are registered with USA hockey. The Tournament Director shall be responsible for resolving all inquiries or disputes regarding off-ice rule application or interpretation, player eligibility, disciplinary action and any other procedural dispute. He will not overturn any dispute concerning rules and/or the judgment applied by on-ice officials.
All decisions of the Tournament Director are final.

General Tournament Regulations

  1.  All team representatives (manager and/or coach) must check in at the tournament facility at least one (1) hour before his/her team’s first scheduled game.
  2. All teams must use the locker room assigned to them during check-in.
  3. All team representatives are responsible for checking for any schedule changes, suspensions and other important information.
  4. All teams must be ready to begin play fifteen (15) minutes prior to the scheduled start time of each game. The scorekeeper will begin a warm-up period when the Zamboni doors are closed for three (3) minutes.
  5. It is the responsibility of each team to provide roster stickers for their team.
  6. Any person causing damage to the tournament facility will be fined commensurate with the damage and will be removed from the premises.
  7. The Springfield JR Thunderbirds Fall Invitational supports the USA Hockey zero tolerance initiatives for verbal abuse of any player, official, parent or spectator. The Tournament Director or rink staff reserves the right to remove any violator from the premises.
  8. All on-ice officials are currently and completely registered and in good standing with USA Hockey and their respective State Association or the International Ice Hockey Federation, (IIHF).
  9. To insure the quickest response time, anyone may contact the EMT Services (911) in the event of an emergency. Any trips to the hospital using the transportation of an ambulance service or any other means that requires payment of service fee is the responsibility of the transported.


Team and Player Qualification

  1.  Players must be USA Hockey registered
  2. The tournament fee must be paid


Rules Regarding Tournament Play and Standing

  1. The official game schedule shall be provided to the coach or team manager before the start of the first game.  All preliminary game schedules are invalid.  Team managers and coaches are responsible for ensuring the team is at the rink at the correct time.  Failure to do so results in the game being forfeited (scored 1 to 0).
  2. Teams must be ready to play fifteen (15) minutes before the starting time on the official game schedule.  Delays in the first face-off shall be subtracted from the time of the first period and Delay of Game Penalty may be assessed to the team causing the delay.
  3. Game timing commences with a 3:00 minute warm-up, which shall begin at the designated starting time of the official game schedule.  The timekeeper shall determine the warm-up by sounding the buzzer.  Teams not ready will forfeit their warm up time.
  4. All rules established and published by USA Hockey shall apply except when modified by the Tournament Committee
  5. All teams shall have three games with 22.5-minute stop time halves. All Sunday Semi & Final games shall be one (1) 30-minute stop-time period. Exception: The 09 Final game will be two 22.5-minute halves.
  6. Each team will receive (1) one minute timeout in playoff and final games only. There are no timeouts during preliminary games.
  7. Mercy Rules:  A “Mercy Rule” shall apply as follows:  if 6 goals separate the teams at any time during the second half of the game, running time shall commence and shall revert to stop time if the difference at any time becomes less that 6 goals. 
  8. An injured or apparently injured player resulting in a stoppage in play must return to the bench and may return to the ice only after the next stoppage of play.
  9. All Suspended coaching staff/players are NOT ALLOWED in the dressing room, on the bench or otherwise involved in the game.

Game Points - All Preliminary games shall be scored as follows:  2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss.

Penalties:  Minor Penalties 2 minutes, Major Penalties 5 minutes, Misconducts 10 minutes
 
Fighting Penalties: require a review by the Tournament Director to determine if the player will be suspended for the entire tournament.

Team Ranking:  To qualify for the Semi-Finals teams shall be ranked based on total points acquired in the preliminary rounds of their division.  If a tie occurs, then the following shall determine the ranking:

  1.  Most wins overall
  2. Head-to-head competition (only applies if all teams involved have played each other)
  3. Goal differential
  4. Fewest goals allowed
  5. Coin toss


Semi-Final & Finals - Tie Break Procedures: If the game remains tied after one (1) 5-minute overtime period of 3 on 3 play, there will be a 3-man shootout.
 
Shootout Each team will select three (3) players to participate in the shootout. Coaches must designate players and goalie on playoff score sheet. 

  1. Any player serving a penalty is ineligible to participate in the shootout
  2.  Once a player shoots, he/she is no longer eligible to participate until every player on the bench (excluding goaltenders, players serving penalties and/or players that are injured) has shot at least once.
  3. The home team shoots last in each round

Only coaches and /or managers may talk to the Tournament Director. All decisions of the Tournament Director are final