Official 2011 World Outdoor Hockey Championship Tournament Rules
1. The winner of a captain's puck toss will determine which team has first possession of puck. Losing team will choose goal to defend. Teams will switch after first half.
2. All players must wear hockey skates. Helmets are optional but recommended.
3. No goalie equipment or goalie sticks permitted.
4. There will be one off-ice pond official to monitor the play (scoring, time, puck reset, and arbiter of infractions).
5. Penalties will be called for rule infractions. Penalties called by the referees are final. A minor penalty will result in a goal awarded to opposing team.
6. Any major penalty, which includes any action that could possibly injure another player, will result in that player being ejected from the tournament. The team that received the ejection will play the remainder of the tournament short-handed (3 vs. 4). Off-ice pond official will determine major penalties.
7. Abuse of officials will be considered a major penalty. This includes yelling, swearing, or arguing about calls.
8. No checking is allowed. Such action will result in a minor penalty unless deemed serious enough to be a major (see off-ice pond official).
9. No slap shots allowed. Such action will result in a minor penalty (or a major penalty depending on severity).
10. Players cannot fall or lay on the ice in an effort to protect the goal area. Such action will result in a minor penalty.
11. Goaltending is not allowed. A player may not patrol, "camp out" or remain stationary in the crease area and act as a goaltender. A defender may deflect the puck in the crease area, but the defender must do so while continuing to move through the crease area. The crease area is defined as an imaginary box extending out four feet from the outside corners of the goal.
12. Contacting the puck with a stick above the waist will result in a loss of possession.
13. Raising the puck higher than 12 inches will result in a loss of possession.
14. If a puck goes out of bounds but remains “playable” play will continue. Otherwise, the last team to touch it loses possession. During restart, the defender must give his opponent 2-stick lengths of space.
15. There are no off-sides or icing calls.
16. Goals must be scored from the attacking side of center ice.
17. Hand passes are prohibited and will result in loss of possession.
18. Goals “kicked in” will be disallowed and will result in a change of possession.
19. Referees will call out the score after each goal. This includes goals scored by players or awarded from minor penalties.
20. Teams must give their opponents 1/2 ice after a goal is scored or an infraction takes place. Once a player on the offensive team crosses half; the defending team may cross half as well.
21. Games will be composed of two 15-minute halves with a 5-minute halftime.
22. In the event of a tie during qualifying games each team will be awarded 1 point. In championship games 5 minute overtimes will be played until a winner is determined.
23. All games are running-time and substitutions can be made during play ("on-the-fly") or while a puck is being retrieved. There is no stoppage of play after a goal is scored, or after a penalty is awarded. It is up to each team to ensure that there are only four players on the ice. A minor penalty will be called for too many players.
24. Players can only play on one team.
25. It is mandatory that all teams show up for their scheduled games. Teams who miss a game will not be invited to return to future World Outdoor Hockey Championships.
* THIS TOURNAMENT IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT OUR VOLUNTEERS – PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL *