TOURNAMENT RULES RIGA HOCKEY CUP 2023
A. All the games of the tournament are in accordance with the International Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) rules with following additions/exceptions:
A1. U-18 for players born in 2006 and younger.
A2. U-16 for players born in 2008 and younger.
A3. U-15 for players born in 2009 and younger.
A4. U-14 for players born in 2010 and younger.
A5. U-13 for players born in 2011 and younger.
A6. U-12 for players born in 2012 and younger.
A7. U-11 for players born in 2013 and younger.
A8. U-10 for players born in 2014 and younger.
A9. U-9 for players born in 2015 and younger.
No overage players are allowed in the tournament.
Exceptions:
Club teams (NO select teams) are entitled to have a maximum of 3 overage players in their team under the following conditions:
1. The player concerned received official dispensation from the National (or regional) Federation to participate in a lower age group during the regular season.
2. The player concerned has not played in his own age group during the regular season.
3. Dispensation should be requested at least 2 weeks before the tournament commences and the player is only entitled to participate as soon as the organizing committee grants approval. Official documentation should be sent to the organizers.
4. Girls are entitled to play 1 age group, based on 2 years of birth, lower.
B. 22 players can be applied per team (including 2 goalkeepers). Exceptions are allowed only by agreement with the organizers of the tournament. The maximum team staff of trainers, managers and other representatives is limited up till 3 persons. Exceptions are allowed only by agreement with the organizers of the tournament.
C. All the participants are required to have an ID or a copy of ID, which can be asked to be provided if necessary. If an ID cannot be provided, the organizers can decide on giving the team a technical loss.
D. The team must be ready to come on ice 5 minutes before the games starts. Otherwise, the organizers can decide on giving the team a technical loss, with the result of 0:5.
E. The team which is called out first is the home-team, and accordingly, the second called out team is the guest-team. The home-team plays in dark-colored forms, and consequently, the guest-team plays in the light-colored forms.
F. The home-team takes the seats on the right side.
G. If a club has two or several single-aged teams, under no circumstances are the players allowed to be shifted/replaced/applied from one team to another. Otherwise, the organizers can decide on giving the team a technical loss, with the result of 0:5, and can decide on disqualifying the team from the tournament.
H. Each team is responsible for any material loss made by its own players/representatives/supporters. In case of material loss, the team is obliged to fully cover the loss. The use of hockey sticks outside of the ice ring/the space of the arena is banned. In case of safety rule violation, the responsible player/players will be disqualified from the upcoming remaining games of the tournament.
I. Only the players and coaches belonging to the team may be present in the dressing rooms. The dressing rooms must be left clean after their usage.
J. The representatives of the tournament do not take responsibility for any team’s lost/damaged inventory or other personal belongings.
K. The duration of a game is 3 x 15 minutes (running time). The last two minutes of the third period – stop time. The maximum total duration of a single game is 60 minutes (including warm-up), if a referee of the particular game has not decided otherwise. Exception: the duration of the U-9 and U-10 tournament games is 2 x 15 minutes (running time) and the last two minutes of the game – stop time. The maximum total duration of a single game is 45 minutes (including warm-up), if a referee of the particular game has not decided otherwise.
There are 1min breaks between periods.
L. During the first section of a single sub-group, each of the teams play at least a single game against one another. For future procedure of the tournament please find the rules for each group separately.
M. A team is awarded with 3 points for a game they have won in the group tournament. In case of a draw result, each team earns 1 point.
N. During the group tournaments, the teams are divided in sub-groups according to the points they have accumulated. In case of draw results:
If two teams end up with equal results:
1.1. The result the teams had playing against one another is taken in consideration;
1.2. If the game between one another was also a draw, the total goal ratio during all the sub-group games is taken in consideration;
1.3. If the total goal ratio during all the sub-group games is also a draw, the total amount of goals the team has scored is taken in consideration;
1.4. If the total amount of goals the teams have scored is also a draw, the accumulated penalty minutes are taken in consideration. The higher place is taken by the team with less penalty minutes.
1.5. If the amount of the accumulated penalty minutes is also a draw, in order to determine a team’s place in the sub-group, the organizers of the tournament draw lots in front of the representatives of both teams.
If three or more teams end up with draw results, a new sub-group is made by considering the results of the games the teams had between one another. The process continues until a place in the sub-group is determined for the teams by considering the following sub – articles. (in case two teams remain with draw results, the first article of these rules is taken in to consideration.):
2.1. The teams are rounded up according by their accumulated points;
2.2. If three or more teams have the same amount of points, the goal ratio is taken in consideration only between teams whose places have not yet been determined;
2.3. If the goal ratio between three or more teams is a draw, the amount of goals is taken in consideration only between the teams whose places have not yet been determined;
2.4. If the amount of goals is the same between three or more teams, the goal ratio is taken in consideration between all the played against teams in the particular tournament;
2.5. If the total goal ratio for three or more teams is equal with all the other teams of the group, the total amount of accumulated goals is taken in consideration among all the played against teams of the group.
2.6. If the total amount of goals is equal for three or more teams, the organizers of the tournament draw lots in front of the representatives of both teams in order to determine the places in the sub-group.
O. If the result in the play-offs is a draw, a shoot-out series takes place to determine the winner, with the home-team taking the first hand. Each team delivers 3 shots. If a winner is still not determined, the teams continue to execute a single shot with the guest-team taking the first hand.
P. The first three shots are executed by different players. After that, the same player may execute several shots. The shoot-out cannot be executed by a player whose penalty time has not ended.
Q. In case of a draw result in the final game for 1st and 2nd place, an overtime of 5 minutes takes place until the first goal by a 3 against 3 player format. Overtime is 5 minutes stop time (not running time). If the winner is not determined by then, a series of after game shoot-out takes place regarding point O. of the set of rules.
R. Penalties:
1. Minor penalty – 2 minutes (raw time)
2. Major penalty – 5 minutes (raw time)
3. Game Misconduct penalty (5+20) – A player/team official, who has been given a Game Misconduct penalty is sent away from the field for the rest of the game. If the same player/team official is given a second Game Misconduct penalty in the tournament, he is suspended for the next game. In case the same player/team official received a third Game Misconduct Penalty he is disqualified for the tournament entirely.
4. A Match penalty (25 minutes) – a player/team official who receives a Match penalty is automatically suspended for the next game as well. If the same player/team official receives a second Match penalty, he is disqualified for the tournament entirely.
S. Body checking is prohibited in the U13, U12, U11, U10 and U9 age groups.
T. For U12, U11, U10 and U9 age groups games are being played not taking into consideration icing rule.
U. For U9 age group games are being played not taking into consideration offside rule. The U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16 or U-18 team that committed consideration offside rule is prohibited from substituting players (and the goalkeeper) as per IIHF standard.
V. U-9 and U-10 group teams do not switch sides after the break to make it easier for players to change.
Z. The organizers of the tournament keep the rights to make decisions over situations not mentioned in the set of rules.
