Rules

AAA World Cup Tournament Rules and Regulations

1. The tournament will be played under Hockey Canada rules unless specified by the tournament committee.
2. Full modified contact will be played at the 2011 divisions.  With an emphasis on safety and no north/south open ice checking.  All other divisions are non-contact.
3. Mouth guards are highly recommended by the tournament committee.
4. All players in the tournament must wear full protective equipment including, approved helmets, neck guards and full face mask.
5. Penalties:

• 5.1 Minor: 2 minutes
• 5.2 Major: 5 minutes
• 5.3 Misconduct: 10 minutes
• 5.4 All penalties are stop time to set the clock. See Mercy Rule.
• 5.5 All major penalties will be reviewed by the tournament committee and their decision is final. No protests will be heard.

6. The centre red line is in effect for all games.
7. A player can only play for one team and in only one division unless written permission is given by tournament committee.
8. Should a team only have ONE GOALIE on the team, if a goalie is injured, then the rules for goalie changing will apply. The team goaltender that was injured will have to put a player in net until the player going in goal has changed from his player gear, to the goalie gear. No extra time will be allotted.
9. COACHES AND MANAGEMENT

• 9.1 Coaches and managers are responsible for the conduct of their players, coaching staff and parents during the tournament. Any abuse or adverse conduct towards any players, referees, tournament officials or other fans will result in the people responsible being removed from the arena for the entirety of the tournament. Also a five minute major penalty will be assessed to the team with the abusive people or player responsible.
• 9.2 All dressing rooms will be left clean by the team after each game. Any room found to be left dirty will result in a five minute penalty being assessed at the start of the next game.
• 9.3 All teams are only allowed to register and dress 19 players. The roster that is entered on the first game sheet of the tournament is the official roster and once that first game has commenced, the roster is frozen and no other players may be added.
• 9.4 Each team is responsible for filling out the game sheet at least 1 hour prior to the Game. It is highly recommended that each team have their own stickers to use prior to the game. Game sheets are to be filled out at the Tournament table. Coaches can pick up their copies of the game sheets after the game at the Tournament table. All players, coaches, managers must fill out and sign tournament waiver form in order to be eligible to play.
• 9.5 Parents /guardians must fill out and sign waivers prior to the tournament. Managers will submit all forms.
• 9.6 Automatic icing will apply at all games.
• 9.7 No stick measurements will be permitted
• 9.8 No photography from the benches or ice will be permitted. Only coaches, players and authorized Tournament officials will be allowed on the benches.
• 9.9 One 30 second timeout per game will be allowed to each team.
• 9.10 All teams must carry a minimum of $2,000,000 of liability insurance and the committee must present a copy of the insurance before the start of the tournament.
• 9.11 All teams’ managers and or players much carry team players birth certificates with them at all games and be prepared to have them available if requested. If player identification is not available when requested, then team will have one hour to provide said identification or the game will be forfeited. Any use of illegal players or using players not registered on your first game sheet will result in a forfeited game.

10. GAME LENGHTH AND ILLEGAL PLAYERS

• 10.1 Any team using illegal players will forfeit all wins/ties using said player(s) and all points for said games will be reduced to (0). The losing or tying team (the legal team) will be awarded a win and 2 points.
• 10.2 Game Length 
• 10.2(a) All divisions will be 20-20-20 stop time periods (run time mercy rule in effect, see rule 11. Mercy Rule) flood after every 2 periods of gameplay (tournament committee reserves the right to skip floods and play 3 periods straight through to maintain game time slots)
• 10.3 Each team is allowed a 3 minute warm up for all games. Period breaks will be 1 minute. It is the teams responsibility to supply their own warm up pucks. If an accident, slow play or excessive penalties occur which delays the game then the tournament committee may decide to drop the clock To (2) minutes in the final 5 minutes of the ice slot. All decisions made by the tournament committee will be final. 
• 10.4 All teams will line up and shake hands at the end of each game, then line up on the prospective bluelines for the player of the game awards.
• 10.5 All home teams must wear light coloured jerseys. If the team does not have a light coloured jersey, the tournament committee must be notified one hour before the game time so other arrangements can be made. It is the home team's responsibility to notify the tournament committee in advance. If there is a delay in the starting of a game, the home team will be assessed a two minute penalty for delay of game.

11. MERCY RULE

• 11.1 If a team is losing my a difference of SIX goals at the start of or at any time during the second or third period then straight running time will apply and all penalties will be two minutes for a minor penalty, five minutes for a major penalty. The clock stops at the penalty call, and these penalties start at the drop of the puck and continue as straight time.
• 11.2 If a trailing team gets within four goals, stop time will resume until a differential of six goals is reached again resuming straight time. 

12. FIGHTING

• 12.1 Any players who instigate a fight will be ejected for the rest of the game and further disciplinary action may be imposed by the tournament committee.
• 12.2 If a fight occurs, all players must go to their bench. Goaltenders must stay in their crease. Any player leaving the bench will be suspended for the tournament. All fighting penalties will be reviewed by the tournament committee and their decision will be final.

13. CHECKING FROM BEHIND

• 13.1 There will be zero tolerance for players hitting from behind. A player may receive a two minute minor or a five minute major penalty depending on the severity of the hit from behind. The player will also sit out the remainder of the game. If a second hit from behind occurs from the same player during the tournament, that player will be suspended for the rest of the tournament.

14. Skate sharpening equipment is not allowed in any dressing rooms.
15. Three individual stick infractions in one game will result in game ejection.
16. All games will be decided with a winner. Overtime for round robin is a 3 minute stop time sudden death period (A Final games only a 5 minute period) with both teams playing at 3vs3 (penalties in regulation time will carry over into overtime by adding a player to the non penalized team. If the game is still tied after overtime, a 3 player/team NHL style sudden death shootout will determine the winner. Home team shoots first in shootout. No player will be allowed to shoot twice until all eligible players on the team have taken a shot.
17. POINT SYSTEM

- 2 points for a win

- 1 point for an overtime/shootout loss

- 0 points for a regulation loss

18. TIE BREAKER SYSTEM

• First tie breaker is head to head. Does not apply unless all tied teams have played each other, except that if one team has played, and has defeated all of the other tied teams, then that team will then advance.
• Second tie breaker seven goal differential will apply (actual scores will be recorded at arena's). Highest goals for and against differential, based on a maximum of seven goals per game differential (i.e. if you beat an opponent 10 to 0, it will count as a 7-0 win). All goals against are added.
• Third tie breaker is best decimal in goals percentage calculated as GF divided by (GF+GA). The maximum number of goals for differential counted is once again +7. The team with the highest decimal number is the winner  (i.e. After 4 games Team A has a total of 20 goals for and 17 goals against. 20 divided by (20+17) = 0.541. Team B has a total of 22 goals for and 18 goals against. 22 divided by (22+18) = 0.550. Team B would be the higher seed. 
• Fourth tie breaker is fewest goals against.
• Fifth tie breaker is most goals for.
• Sixth tie breaker is to flip a coin. (A 3 way coin flip will see the odd man out as the winner, if a second position needs to be accounted for, a head to head coin flip will occur) 

19. It is the Sole responsibility of the teams coaches and managers to determine where and when they play on Sunday after round robin play is complete.
20. Teams must be ready to start at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled game time so we can keep on schedule. Games will be expected to start as soon as the ice is ready, up to 15 minutes before scheduled game time. Failure to start the game will result in a 2 minute penalty to be assessed at the start of the first period.
21. Officials are to complete all write-ups on the back of the first game sheet as required by the rules. All suspensions will be dealt with by the tournament committee.
22. Coaches are to pick the MVP for their team at the conclusion of the game and be marked onto the game sheets.
23. TIMEKEEPERS ARE PROVIDED BY THE TOURNAMENT. In the event timekeepers are absent they are to be volunteered by one representative each of the home and away team. 
24. Floods will be done every 2nd periods.
25. The Tournament Committee reserves the right tochange, modify and adapt any of the rules and procedures at any time if deemed fit and fair for the betterment of the tournament. All decisions made by the tournament committee are final and not available for appeal.