Port Dover Ball Hockey
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The Game

 

Length of Game - Regular Season & Playoffs

  1. Games are 44 minutes in length (subject to the discretion of the league commissioner). Games will consist of two (2) periods of 22 minutes each. 

Time-outs - Regular Season & Playoffs

  1. Each team has one (1), 30-second timeout, that they may use at any point throughout a game.

Overtime - Regular Season

  1. Overtime will consist of one (1), 5-minute, sudden-death overtime period, wherein each team will have three (3) out players on the court and one (1) goalie
  2. If the teams remain tied after the overtime period, a shootout will then take place.

 

Overtime - Playoffs

  1. Overtime will consist of a 22-minute, sudden-death overtime period, wherein each team will have four (4) out players on the court and one (1) goalie. If the teams are tied at the end of the first 22-minute period, there will be a regular intermission, followed by another 22-minute, sudden-death overtime period. This process will continue until a team scores, i.e., wins the game.
  2. If an overtime game goes beyond two (2) overtime periods, and if there are additional games to be played, the Commissioner shall have the discretion to decide if the additional games shall be postponed to a later date.

Shootout

  1. In the event of a shootout, each team will initially have five (5) shots. Each of these five (5) shots must be taken by five (5) different shooters. Whoever scores the most goals in the shootout, wins.
  2. If the teams are tied after the first five (5) shooters, then the shootout will continue in a sudden-death format, with any shooters being allowed to shoot, as many times as they like. A team wins if they score and the other team fails to score in that round of shooting.

Tie-Break Procedure

  1. Points
  2. Total Wins
  3. Goal Differential (Goal for minus Goals against)
  4. Goals for (Most)
  5. Goals against (Least
  6. Win percentage
  7. One (1) additional game between the tied teams, to be scheduled by the league commissioner

Stoppages

There will be a stoppage in play after the following situations:

  1. Goal;
  2. Penalty;
  3. Ball out of play; and/or
  4. The goalie held the ball for more than a few seconds. 

In addition, with two (2) minutes or less remaining in regulation, time will also be stopped following any of the foregoing stoppages.

 

In further addition, where the goalie has held and/or covered the ball and the referee has stopped play as a result, the opposing team must provide the goalie and/or the player who retrieves the ball from their goalie following a stoppage, at least a metre of space and three (3) seconds to play the ball.


Face-offs 

  1. Face-offs at centre-court will be used at the start of each period of play and after goals
  2. In addition, a face-off will happen after any stoppage that occurs with two minutes or less remaining in regulation. The face-off position will be determined by the referee.

Drop-balls

  1. The ball will be dropped in front of the player. Any opposing player must give the player with the ball at least one (1) second.
  2. Drop-balls will be used following penalties and/or when the ball leaves the playing area.

Scoring Goals

  1. To score a legal goal, it cannot be kicked in, struck with a stick above the shoulders and/or pushed in using the hand.

Penalties

  1. Penalties are called when a player commits a foul. The offending player is then removed from playing for a period of time, depending on the severity of the infraction and the team continues to play one player short until the penalty has elapsed or the other team scores.
  2. Penalties include, but are not limited to:
  3. Delay of Game (wherein a player shoots the ball out of the court from behind their side of half-court, this rule is up to the referee's decision and may be revoked if seen to be an unfit call in the circumstances ) - 2 minutes
  4. Fighting (subject to the ref's discretion, the instigator will automatically be ejected from the game, and any secondary party and/or tertiary party involved will also be ejected; additional suspensions may be given to any party involved, subject to the opinion of the referee and the discretion of the league commissioner) 
  5. Harassment of Officials (wherein a player physically and/or verbally abuses a league official) - subject to the discretion of the referee and/or league commissioner (minimum 2-minute penalty)
  6. ​High-sticking (wherein a player touches the ball and/or an opposing player with their stick while their stick is above the offending player's shoulder) - 2 minutes
  7. Holding (wherein a player holds an opposing player with their hands, stick or in any other manner) - 2 minutes
  8. Roughing (wherein a player is guilty of unnecessary rough play) - 2 minutes
  9. Throwing Stick (wherein a player intentionally throws their stick at another player and/or the ball) - 2 minutes (subject to referee's discretion and/or the severity of the incident; if the stick is thrown by an opposing player while a player is on a breakaway and the opposing goalie is pulled, this will result in an automatic goal)
  10. Too Many Players on the Court (wherein a team or both teams have more players than they are allowed to on the court) - 2 minutes
  11. Tripping (wherein a player trips an opposing player with their stick and/or a part of their body) - 2 minutes

Additional penalties may be called by the referee as they see fit. In addition, the length of a penalty that results in a player being injured is subject to the discretion of the referee.

 

​Team Rules & Substitutes

  1. Each team shall consist of ten (10) players, including nine (9) out/non-goalie players and one (1) goalie, as selected in the pre-season draft
  2. Additions and/or subtractions to the roster following the draft must be approved by the league commissioner. In case of an injury to a player, and prior to Commissioner review, the non-interested captains shall vote to approve or deny the substituted player.  The guiding principal is that substituted player should be equal to the skill level of the injured player. If the injured player returns during the regular season, the substituted player is no longer eligible to play in place of the injured player. For clarification, the substituted player does not pay the league fee if the injured player returns during the regular season. If the injured player has a season ending injury, i.e., will not play for the remainder of the regular season, the subsitituted player will pay the league fee. As soon as either the injured player or the substituted player plays in a playoff game, the other is ineligible to play.
  3. Subject to approval by the league commissioner, substituted players may be eligible to play at any game prior to the trade deadline where a team has fewer than six (6) non-goalie players and/or if their goalie is not available and/or fails to attend the game, up to the point that the team substituting the player has a total of seven (7) players - (Six (6) non-goalie and one (1) goalie player). If within half an hour of the scheduled game time, the opposing captain has the option to decide whether to allow the substituted player to play or not.
  4. During gameplay, teams will each play with four (4) out players and one (1) goalie on the court, unless they have a penalty.
  5. Trades - All trades are subject to approval by the non-interested captains, i.e., captains not directly involved in the trade, the Commissioner and the Assisstant Commissioner, who can veto a trade by a vote of "no" from all of the aforementioned parties. The captains directly involved in the trade do not get a vote.

​Rain/Inclement Weather Policy

  1. If a game commences but is stopped by the referee due to inclement weather, with eleven (11) minutes or more remaining in the second period, the entire game will be void and will have to be replayed at a later date.
  2. If a game commences and is stopped by the referee due to inclement weather, with less than eleven (11) minutes remaining in the game, the game will be considered complete.