Rules – Sioux Falls Adult Hockey

REQUIRED FORMS
1. All players must be registered with SFAHL prior to playing. Registration information is completed online at Siouxfallsadulthockey.com. ALL players are REQUIRED to sign a waiver before they are allowed to play.
TEAM CAPTAIN
1. The team captain should be designated by each team to conduct business with the league. Responsibilities include:
  1. Collect all required fees for the league to submit one payment.
  2. The Captain or designated fill in, is responsible for showing up to evaluation skates and participating in the Free Agent Draft.
  3. Team captains or designated fill ins are the ONLY players invited to participate in drafts or captains meetings. There will be only 1 representative per team.
CHECKING RULES
Both the “Open” and “Senior” Divisions are classified as “NON-CHECKING LEAGUES.”
USA HOCKEY RULES
1. All rules are in addition to those enforced by USA Hockey for general gameplay.
SLAP SHOTS
1. This is a “NO SLAP SHOT LEAGUE”. If the blade of the stick goes above the waist/hip on a shot, play shall be whistled dead for high-sticking. Face off will be conducted in the teams defensive zone that committed the high stick.
ZERO TOLERANCE
1. Zero tolerance policy will be in effect for all PLAYERS, OFFICIALS, FANS, ECT. All players must adhere to the Players Conduct policy. Failure to do so will result in temporary or permanent expulsion from league play.
ALCOHOL
1. ONLY Beer purchased through Scheels Ice Plex is permitted to be on the players bench.
2. There is NO BEER ALLOWED on the benches at Midco Arena!!!
3. Any player deemed to intoxicated to play, will be asked to leave.
SPECTATORS
1. Spectators are not permitted to be in the player’s bench area at any time.
2. The player’s bench is reserved for eligible, fully-dressed skaters only.
3. Ejected players in street clothes may not go back to the bench during gameplay.
EQUIPMENT & JERSEYS
1. All teams must wear matching jerseys of the same style and color. Subs should try to wear something as close as possible to the team they are playing for.
2. Jersey numbers must be unique.
3. Any new jersey colors must be League approved or teams must have 2 sets of jerseys so contrasting jerseys are used.
4. GOALIES are exempt from this rule; however, they are not permitted to wear the same color as the opposing team. Goalies are encouraged to wear the teams issued jerseys whenever possible.
CLOCK / GAME PROTOCOL
1. Players may not go onto the ice until the Zamboni is off the ice and the Zamboni door is closed.
2. Each game consists of (3) 17-minute run time periods, the last 5 minutes of the third period with a 3-goal differential will be stop time.
3. There will be a (1) one-minute rest between periods.
4. Over Time will consist of a (3) Three player shootout.
5. Teams are allowed to change after a whistle with less than 2:00 minutes remaining in the game. However, if all players are not ready before the (5) Five-second face-off rule takes effect; it is at the official’s discretion to drop the puck into play.
6. Teams must have a minimum of five skaters and a goaltender to start any game. If the required number of skaters for either team is not on the ice when the warm-up clock expires, the game clock shall & will run until the required number of players arrive. If the required number of players does not arrive before the end of the first period, the game will be recorded as a forfeit and a 3-0 loss. Referees are not obligated to officiate a forfeited game; however, they will be paid for the forfeited game.
7. (1) One time-out will be allowed per game.
OFF-SIDES / ICING
1. (2) Two-line passes are legal.
2. Tag up off-sides will be used.
3. Icing is called from the defensive blue line.
ROSTERS
1. Rosters are limited to 15 players and must be submitted prior to the start of each new season.
2. Senior Division players MUST be at least 33 years of age as of Sept 1st or they are ineligible for senior division.
3. All players on a roster must register online at Siouxfallsadulthockey.com
4. Any team caught with an ineligible player (not registered with SFAHL) on the ice will be subject to a forfeit loss.
5. Rosters must have the player’s first name, last name, and jerseys number listed. Any player that changes their roster number must notify the league director.
6. If teams need a sub goalie, you may use any goalie from another team in the SFAHL. All sub goalies MUST be registered with SFAHL to be eligible for league play.
7. All players must be 18 years of age or older to play in SFAHL.
8. Players may only be listed on (1) roster per division.
SUBSTITUTE PLAYERS
1. Substitute players may be used for teams who are short players.
2. The number of rostered players (league players + substitutes + goalie) may not exceed 11.
3. Substitute players in senior league must be 33 plus or already a senior league player. All registered players are eligible to sub in open league.
NEW PLAYER POLICY
1. New players will register as a FREE AGENT and go through a draft process.
2. An evaluation skate will occur prior to the season so captains can evaluate players for the draft.
3. A draft will take place before each season allowing teams who are interested in picking up players to select draft-eligible players.
4. The draft selection order will be based on the post-season standings from the prior season. The first selection will be made by the last-place team, the second selection will be made by the 2nd to the last-place team, and so forth.
5. A rostered player must play 50% of their games to be eligible to go back into the draft the following year.
6. Players returning to the league after hiatus must go through the Draft.
GOALIES
1. Goalies may only be listed on one roster.
2. (Open) Level goalies will be able to sub 8 games total for (Senior) division teams. The (Senior) Captains will need to notify the league director that they will be using a sub goalie from the A division.
3. (Senior) level goalies will be able to sub unlimited games.
4. During playoffs, teams may get a sub goalie from the same division that the team plays in.
RINGER RULE
1. The ringer rule applies to all players. Players are only allowed 3 goals per game. A fourth goal from the same player will be disallowed and the faceoff will be in the players team’s defensive zone.
PENALTIES/OFFICIALS
1. Players serving a penalty must sit in the penalty box. No player serving a minor or a major penalty may be on the player’s bench.
2. All minor penalties will be a (2) two minutes in duration and will begin when the puck drops. If a penalty should expire while play is stopped, the player may not leave the penalty box until the puck is dropped to re-start play.
3. Any player who received (4) four penalties in one game will be given a balance of game penalty & will be asked to leave. (If the same player receives (4) four penalties in a game (3) three time in a season, they will be suspended for the remainder of the season).
4. Any player who is ejected from a game and refuses to immediately leave the ice surface or player’s bench area will be given an additional game misconduct penalty. Play will not resume until the offending player has left the ice and or all viewing areas.
5. Any player who receives a major penalty will be ejected from the game and will serve an additional (1) one game suspension.
6. Any player that illegally plays while under suspension will be removed from the team’s roster. The offending team will be assessed a forfeit loss for any game with an illegal / suspended player on the ice. The team captain will also be suspended for (1) one game for playing an illegal player.
7. When assessing misconduct penalties, officials may follow USA Hockey rule 601(a). Any player who challenges or disputes the ruling of any official, or endeavors to incite an opponent an opponent (including taunting) or create disturbance during a game shall be assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct (2) two minutes). Any further disputes by the same player will result in either (10) ten-minute misconduct or a game misconduct penalty being assessed.
8. If a player receives 3 game misconducts in a season, he or she will be suspended for the year.
9. Any player using racial or ethnic slurs will be expelled for the duration of any season in which he / she is participating or a minimum of (3) three games.
10. Any player who is given a gross misconduct / match penalty will be suspended for a minimum of (3) three games.
11. League suspensions and / or expulsions will be given to any player who intentionally tries to injure an opponent.
12. INSTIGATOR: Any player that is an instigator during an altercation will be suspended for (2) two games.
13. Officials may eject any player under the influence of drugs or alcohol or due to conduct detrimental to the league.
24 HOUR RULE
1. For a period of 24 hours following a game, no player may discuss with or ask questions of a referee who worked the game in which the player participated. After the 24-hour period, any game-related issues or concerns should be raised with the league director. Violations of this rule will carry an automatic 3-game suspension for the player(s).
2. For enforcement, any referee who is approached within this window and is uncomfortable with the situation should provide a verbal warning such as “please observe the 24-hour rule”. If the conversation continues, the referee will report the infraction to the league director for follow up.
FIGHTING RULE
1. Any player in a fight will be suspended for (3) three games.
2. Second offense will result in a board review and possible suspension for the remainder of the season.
FOUL LANGUAGE AND PROFANITY
1. This is a family facility. Officials may eject a player or spectator for threatening abusive, or vulgar language at any point during a game.
2. Absolutely no use of profanity towards opponents of officials will be tolerated! Officials may give any player an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for using profanity or obscene language / gestures.
3. If any player threatens or verbally abuses ANY official, the official may immediately assess a game misconduct.
4. Any physical abuse of an official will result in a permanent expulsion from participating in the SFAHL.
5. Re-entering the ice surface following an ejection will result in a suspension. This is for the safety of both players and officials.
6. All spectators must adhere to good sportsmanship guidelines. Any spectator using foul language towards the opposing team’s players, other fans, or officials will be asked to leave the facility. Refusal to leave the facility will result in a penalty towards the team with whom they are associated. Game play will not resume until the offending spectator(s) has left the facility.
7. Absolutely no refunds will be given to players who are suspended or expelled from league play.
PLAYOFFS
1. Any teams that forfeit more than (4) four regular season games may be disqualified from post-season competition.
2. Any team caught with an illegal / non-roster player skating during the playoffs shall forfeit that game & be eliminated from further playoff contention. Any player not listed on the team’s roster is considered ineligible/illegal. Round one will consist of teams 1-4 in both Open and 33+ division playing a 3-game series to advance in the playoffs. 1v4 and 2v3 first round. Winners will move on to a 3 game series for the League Championship. The losing teams of the first playoff round will play a 1 game series to determine 3rd and 4th place. Teams 5 and 6 in both Open and 33+ division will play a 1 game series. The winner of the 5 and 6 series will get the number one overall draft pick in the following season.
3. If any playoff games should end in a tie, we will have a (10) ten-minute sudden death until a winner is decided by a winning goal.
4. Any team that wins a regular season and league championship in (2) two consecutive seasons will be reviewed by the league board for consideration of moving them up a level.
5. Playoff seeding will be posted as soon as they are available.
6. If Two teams are tied in points, the following criteria will be used to determine seeding:
  1. Head-to-Head record
  2. Total goal differential
  3. Goals against