OWHL RULES & REGULATIONS

The Only Women Hockey League is governed by the rules and regulations that are outlined in the Hockey Canada Rulebook unless noted otherwise below. The OWHL would like to place emphasis on the following rules:

TEAM ROSTERS AND PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

  1. All plyers must complete and sign the Player Registration and Liability Waiver prior to any game play (this link is team specific and available from your GM).
  2. All players must be a minimum of 18 years of age to qualify for league registration.
  3. Any player is permitted to play for multiple teams and multiple divisions.
  4. Each player must play 1/3 of their originally scheduled regular season games for their team in order to qualify to play for that team in the playoffs.

Players

  1. Any Player that has the minimum amount of games played (1/3 of their originally scheduled regular season games) for a team on their roster is eligible to play in net
  2. There will be absolutely NO exceptions made to the number of qualified games required for players in playoffs

Goalies

  1. All goalies must play a minimum of 1/3 of their originally scheduled regular season games to be qualified for playoffs.
  2. Barring Injury or a goalie(s) being unavailable for playoffs the GM of a team will consult with their Account Manager for a spare goalie for playoffs that is to be approved by the League. This goalie will be a current goalie in the OWHL from the same division or lower.
  3. Any Player who has only played goalie -And not out-Must have a minimum number of games played to qualify for playoffs or will need to be approved by the league – Minimum 24hrs or more ahead of scheduled game time
  4. Any Goalie listed as a qualified goalie on the team roster will not be permitted to play out if an approved spare goalie is brought in to play playoffs.
  5. All Goalies that a team wants to use for a season must be on the team roster prior to playoffs.
  6. Players must be prepared to produce picture ID upon the request of league officials at any league sanctioned game (regular season or playoffs). Any player failing to produce valid ID upon request shall be considered an illegal player and asked to leave the ice surface. If the player refuses to leave the ice surface it will result in an immediate forfeit for their team.
  7. Any number of players can be added to the roster before the start of a regular season game providing they have previously filled out the Player Registration and Liability Waiver.

DIVISION REALIGNMENT AND SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT

  1. The league administration reserves the right to change the division of any team at any time during the season to ensure divisional parity.
  2. Any team that is moved to a different division due to realignment will keep their schedule wherever possible.
  3. Realignment will happen whenever needed throughout the season.

• Realignment candidates will be primarily identified (but not exclusively) based on the following criteria:

o Win%of.800/.200
o Goal Differential +/- 4 per game

  1. All scheduled games are subject to arena ice availability. In some cases, due to mechanical difficulties or administrative error, facilities are forced to cancel bookings with the OWHL. The League reserves the right to reschedule any effected games to the best available alternate booking at the time of cancellation. Following any schedule change, team GM’s will be notified as soon as possible and are responsible for ensuring the new game information is distributed amongst their teammates.
  2. Due to the ongoing necessity of divisional realignment, seeding of teams prior to the playoff season will be determined in order of the following:
  1. Divisional win percentage (only games played against teams that are in the current division will be included in the divisional win percentage)
  2. Fewer penalty minutes
  3. Goal differential
  4. Coin toss

EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS

  1. All participating members of the league are required to wear full equipment (i.e. CSA approved helmet, shin pads, elbow pads, etc.) while on the ice.
  2. Shoulder pads, neck guards and facial protection (i.e. cage and/or visor) are highly recommended but not required.
  3. All teams are required to have both matching Dark (Home) and Light (Away) team jerseys (Goalies are exempt)
  4. A plain jersey consistent in color with the base color of their team’s jerseys will be accepted as a team jersey. Jersey must have the team logo, team name, OWHL logo, or a plain front.
  5. Any jersey with another team logo, or dissimilar in color will not be acceptable c. All players must be wearing team jerseys before the 4th week of the season.
  6. Any players not wearing team jerseys after the 4th week of the season will have a jersey violation marked on the game sheet for that team. At 3 violations the last game played will be a forfeit.
  7. Team representative will be notified by email for every infraction after game sheets are received.
  8. All jerseys must have distinct contrasting 8”-12” numbers clearly marked (sewn, screened, sublimated, or heat sync) on the back

-Taped numbers are not permitted.
-No number is not permitted (Goalies are exempt)
-Cannot have the same number as another player except if the other player is a Goalie

  1. Team representatives must ensure that all players’ names and numbers are clearly recorded on the game sheet.
  2. Special arrangements may be made between team representatives and league administration to allow their team to play with one uniform set while their second set is in production.
  3. Teams with only one set of uniforms are responsible for checking for uniform conflicts.
  4. Visiting teams that wear a similar color to their opponents’ home jersey must contact the home teams GM to ask if they would be able to wear their white jerseys for that game.
  5. If the Home team is also in possession of only one set of jerseys (same or close in colour) the visiting team will be responsible for acquiring a temporary set of white jerseys.

CONTACT

  1. Body Checking is prohibited.
  2. Incidental contact may or may not result in a penalty based upon the discretion of the on-ice officials

FIGHTING AND/OR THE ABUSE OF OFFICIALS

  1. Fighting IS prohibited.
  2. Receiving a Fighting Major will result in an indefinite suspension from the league.
  3. Fighting Majors will be called based on the discretion of the on-ice officials. The OWHL Director of Player Safety will review all Fighting Majors.
  4. Any Player who leaves the players’ bench in the midst of an on-ice altercation will be suspended for the next game and will be placed on probation for the remainder of the current season.
  5. Verbal abuse of any official will result in the assessment of a 10-minute misconduct penalty based upon the discretion of the on-ice officials.
  6. Any Physical abuse or threat of Physical abuse to any league officials will result in immediate expulsion from the League.

TEAM PENALTY ACCUMULATION

  1. Teams shall not accumulate greater than 5 penalties per game (Infractions i.e. double-minor counts as 2). For any team’s 6th, 7th and 8th penalty, excluding Tier 1 (**see 3-Tiered Rules Section):
  2. A penalty shot will be awarded to the opposing team
  3. Penalized players shall not be permitted to take a penalty shot; In addition, the offending player will serve the duration of their penalty in the penalty box and their team will play shorthanded.
  4. If off-setting/coincidental penalties are called, NO penalty shot will be awarded, and the penalties will still count in the overall penalty accumulation.
  5. A 9th penalty by any team in any given game will result in immediate forfeiture of the game, unless it comes as a coincidental penalty
  6. Penalty shots are to be taken by the player that the infraction occurred against unless that is not possible due to injury
  7. Teams shall not accumulate greater than 30 minutes in penalty minutes per game. Any penalty beyond the 30-minute accumulation limit will result in immediate forfeiture of the game by the offending team.
  8. By forfeiting, the offending team relinquishes all individual player points recorded in the game resulting in a win for the opposing team. All penalties will remain intact.
  9. All team and individual player points scored by the opposing team will remain intact and be recorded.
  10. If both teams exceed the accumulation limit simultaneously the score will be recorded as 0-0 and points will not be recorded for either team. All penalties will remain
  11. Teams shall not accumulate greater than 300 penalty minutes during the winter season and 150 penalty minutes during the summer season. Exceeding the limit will result in forfeiture of the remainder of the OWHL season including playoffs.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER PENALTY ACCUMULATION

  1. Individual players may not accumulate greater than 2 penalties (infractions) per game. A 3rd penalty will result in ejection from the game.
  2. A 4th individual player penalty will result in ejection from the game, and a 10 min league assessed penalty, after which the offending player may be suspended for a minimum of 1 game. This additional 10 min from the league will not occur if the 4th individual penalty is already a 10 min penalty.
  3. All players who receive 3 penalties in 1 game will be sent home after the 3rd penalty with no extra penalty assessed unless;
  • The 3rd penalty is a double minor, major or match, then the player will end up will with 4 or more penalties. That player will be assessed a 10 min Game Misconduct from the league for receiving 4 or more penalties in 1 game.
  • The number of 3 penalty ejections for each player will be documented and may result in discipline from the league for players with multiple 3 penalty incidents
  1. Winter Season (Playoffs included)
    a. Any player who accumulates a total equal or greater than 30 penalty minutes during the winter season will be suspended for the next game.
  2. Any player who accumulates a total equal or greater than 40 penalty minutes during the winter season will be suspended for the next two games.
  3. Any player who accumulates a total equal or greater than 50 penalty minutes during the winter season will be suspended indefinitely from the OWHL.
  4. Summer Season (Playoffs included)
    a. Any player who accumulates a total equal or greater than 30 penalty minutes during the summer season will be suspended for the next two games.
  5. Any player who accumulates a total equal or greater than 40 penalty minutes during the summer season will be suspended indefinitely from the OWHL.
  6. All penalty minutes assessed during the regular season will carry over to the Playoffs of that season.

MAJOR & MATCH PENALTIES AND EJECTIONS

  1. Any player who incurs a single 5-minute major penalty will automatically receive a 10-minute misconduct penalty, will be ejected from the game and will be suspended for a minimum of 2 games in the Summer Season and 4 games in the Winter Season.
  2. Any player who incurs a single 5-minute match penalty will receive a 10-minute misconduct assessed when the game sheet is entered online. The 10-minute misconduct will not be added on the game sheet during game play and will not be added to a team’s penalty total accumulation during the game.
  3. Any player who incurs a 10-minute Gross Misconduct penalty, will be ejected from the game and will be suspended a minimum of 2 games in the Summer season and 4 games in the Winter Season.
  4. Any player who has been ejected from a game must leave the ice and/or bench/penalty box immediately, after which any remaining penalty time for the offending player is to be served by another teammate that was on the ice at the time of the offence.
  5. Any player who has been ejected from the game could accumulate 10 minutes towards their total individual player penalty minutes, which will count toward the accumulation of the individual player penalty minute threshold/maximum as well as the team accumulation for that game.
  6. Any player who has been ejected from a game may be suspended for a minimum of 1 game.
  7. Any player assessed 4 penalties will also receive a 10-minute misconduct penalty (Unless the 4th penalty is a 10-minute penalty). This misconduct will be added after the game and will not count against the team for that game.
  8. Any player who is ejected from a game for whatever the reason must leave the ice surface immediately and without further incident. The player is not permitted back on the ice, the bench or any adjacent area where he will have contact with the team or the officials.

SUSPENSIONS AND PROBATION

  1. Any player who has been ejected from a game and/or suspended will remain on probation for 1 year from the date of the offence.
  2. Any player who is currently on probation as a result of a suspension and/or any other violation of the league rules may be:
  • Suspended for any number of games at the discretion of the Director of Player Safety during the regular season including playoffs and/or
  • Permanently expelled from the league
  1. Any individual player suspensions incurred will carry over into the playoffs and/or the next consecutive season.
  2. Any player who receives an indefinite suspension for any reason will remain suspended indefinitely pending a disciplinary reinstatement hearing.
  • Anyone suspended indefinitely from the OWHL must wait a minimum 1 calendar year prior to asking for a review from the Director of Player Safety
  • Reinstatement hearings are granted at the discretion of the Director of Player Safety
  1. It is the personal responsibility of each suspended player to make arrangements with the Director of Player Safety for a disciplinary reinstatement hearing.
  2. A player suspended for any reason as a result of his/her actions during a game will not be permitted to play for any team in the OWHL including OWHL tournaments until the suspension has been served in full.
  3. A player suspended for any reason will not be permitted to be present on the bench during any OWHL game.
  4. Any suspension assessed will carry through subsequent seasons, unless it is a penalty minute accumulation suspension.
  5. Any player attempting to play while suspended will be suspended indefinitely from the league. ID may be requested at any time from a player to verify identification during the Regular season, Playoffs, and Tournaments.

INCIDENT REVIEW PROCESS

Review Committee:

The review committee is comprised of no less than three members of the OWHL administration including the Director of Player Safety

Non-Reviewable Suspensions:

Any suspension resulting from individual player penalty accumulation will be automatic and will not require a review. These suspensions will be sent out by the OWHL to the team GM and be posted on the OWHL website.

Reviewable Suspension:

Any other suspensions will follow a review procedure. These will be any major, match penalties or gross misconducts. The procedure will be as follows:

  1. Game sheets and official write ups will be received
  2. Write ups from both team GMs from the game will be requested and be required within 48hrs
  3. Discussions with both officials and GMs will be done if clarification of write ups is needed.
  4. Decisions will be made by the Director of Player Safety at this point and the team GM will be notified and the website updated.
  5. At this point the decisions made are FINAL

Any suspensions that are indefinite will require a disciplinary meeting before the player can play in the OWHL again.

FORFEITS

  1. Any team who forfeits before the start of a game will also forfeit another game from their schedule. This will not apply to games that are forfeited due to team penalty accumulation, or any other reason, during a game.
  2. If a team forfeits their last game of the regular season that team will have the option of:
  3. Forfeit their playoff game and be finished for the season. The other team will get credited for 1 game player for every player on his or her roster.
  4. Have the option to pay $300 that will go directly towards the team who was forfeited against for their loss of game. This will enable the offending team to be eligible for playoffs.
  5. If a team forfeits their first game in the Playoff Division Finals best of three series they will forfeit the remainder of their playoffs and the next place team in their respective division will take that teams place.

GOALTENDERS

  1. All teams are required to have a goaltender present and on the ice at the beginning of each game. Game play will not commence until both designated goaltenders, wearing regulation certified goaltender equipment have been dressed
  2. In the event that a goaltender does not come onto the ice until after the allotted 3-minute warm up has expired no further warm up will be permitted.
  3. If the goalie does not come on the ice after the 3-minute warm up the game will start with 6 skaters on the ice. This will continue until the goalie is fully dressed. If a goalie is not on the ice before the end of the 1st period, the game will be forfeited.
  4. If a game ends in a forfeit the said team will forfeit their next game to their opponent to play.
  5. Goaltenders shall be permitted to wear ‘Cat-Eye’ type goaltender masks. By doing so, they assume all risk inherent therein and agree to take full responsibility for any injury or harm caused to themselves while wearing such equipment. In addition, they must agree to waive any liability whatsoever from the OWHL, league administrators or the league governing body. 6.
  6. Goaltenders are encouraged, but nor required, to wear a team jersey consistent with that of their teammates; it is recommended that goalies NOT wear the same color of their opponents.

4 TIERED RULES

Tier 1

All the same OWHL rules except that there will be no penalty shots awarded on a team’s 6th, 7th and 8th team penalty. A forfeit still occurs at the 9th team penalty. (**See Team Penalty Accumulation Section)

Tier 2

All the same OWHL rules apply.

Tier 3

All the same OWHL rules apply except no one player can score more than 3 goals in a single game, excluding any shoot out goals. If a player with 3 goals is awarded a penalty shot, any other player that is on the ice at the time of the infraction will be selected from that players team to take the shot. If a 4th goal is scored by one player, the goal will be disallowed and the face off will be at Centre ice

Tier 4

All the same OWHL rules apply except no one player can score more than 3 goals in a single game, excluding any shoot out goals. If a player with 3 goals is awarded a penalty shot, any other player that is on the ice at the time of the infraction will be selected from that player’s team to take the shot. If a 4th goal is scored by one player, the goal will be disallowed and the face off will be at centre ice.

GAME PLAY (EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULES)

  1. All games will be comprised of three 15-minute ‘stop-time’ periods
  2. All teams must have a minimum of 6 skaters and a Goalie before a game will start. If no Goalie is on the ice a team must have a minimum of 7 skaters to start a game. Referees are encouraged to allow teams a 10 minutes grace period to allow a team to meet the minimum requirement. If after 10 minutes a team cannot field enough players, they forfeit the game.
  3. In instances where the permit time for the ice has 5 minutes or less remaining and there is more than 2 minutes of playing time on the clock, the next whistle will result in the game clock being dropped to 2 minutes.
  4. The centre red line will not be regarded in any instances of icing or offside calls. Should any player of a team, shoot, bat or deflect the puck from behind their own blue line beyond the goal line of the opposing team, the call of icing will be made by the officials and a face off will take place in the defensive end the offending team, unless on the play, the puck entered the net of the opposing team, in which case the goal will be allowed.
  5. Automatic icing may be called or waived off based upon the discretion of the on-ice officials.
  6. Any player ejected from an OWHL game may or may not receive a 10-minute misconduct based on the discretion of the on-ice officials.
  7. Each team will be permitted to take one-30 second time out during the course of any game, regular season or playoffs. This time out must be taken during a normal stoppage of play.
  8. If at the end of regulation time, the score is tied, each team will be awarded one point in the league standings. Each team will each designate 3 shooters for a shootout. The team scoring more goals in the shootout will be declared the winner, and the winning goal will be recorded as an OT goal. If at the end of the shootout the teams are still tied the game will be recorded as a tie.
  9. No player in the penalty box at the end of regulation time will be permitted to participate in the shootout.
  10. If the game clock is dropped with only 5 minutes remaining in the ice slot and the game ends early as a tied game, no Shootout will commence.
  11. Game statistics will not be changed after a period of 14 days once the game sheet has been entered
  12. In the instance a goalie is struck in the head by a puck, the play will Not be called dead unless;
    1. The referee feels an injury occurred
    2. An injury is visibly present

* this call is strictly discretionary by the on-ice referee

The OWHL reserves the right to add to and/or amend the official league rules at any time as deemed necessary or appropriate by league administration.

Playoff Rules – Double Elimination

All players are required to bring photo identification to all playoff games. If you do not have photo ID, you will not be permitted to play. NO EXCEPTIONS

Time:

3 – 15 Minute stop-time periods.
If the score is tied with 7:00 remaining in permit (ice time), the clock will be reset to 2:00.
If the score remains tied at the end of regulation time, the winner will be decided by a shoot- out.
If the score becomes tied with less than 5:00 remaining in permit (ice time), shoot-out will take place immediately.
Shoot-outs:
Each team will designate 5 players for shoot-out. These 5 players will have to be submitted to the time keeper, and must shoot in the order submitted.
The designated players from each team will alternate until all 10 players have shot.
If the score remains tied after the initial 10 players have shot, the winner will be decided by a ‘sudden-death’ shoot-out.
No player serving a penalty at the end of regulation time will be permitted to participate in the shoot-out.
The original 5 designated players from each team will alternate until a winner has been decided.

Teams will no longer be reseeded as they win, teams will advance through playoff rounds as per the schedule posted online.

Seeding order:

  1. Divisional Win % (only games played between teams that are currently in the same division are applied towards divisional win percentage seeding’s)
    2. Fewer penalty minutes
    3. Goal differential
  2. Coin toss
    If your team is unable to proceed in the playoffs please advise the time keeper at the start of the game.
    In this situation the game will be played, but your opponent will continue on to the next round of the playoffs.

Player Eligibility

Players must play a minimum of 1/3 of a team’s games to be eligible for playoffs and provincials.

If any player is determined to be ineligible (not approved for playoffs or playing while suspended), that game will be deemed an immediate forfeit loss and your opponent will continue on to the next round of the playoffs.

Substitute goalies must be approved by league administration. If they are not approved and on the game sheet they will not be able to play, and you will forfeit the game.

This season players will be required to wear “team jerseys” to play in all playoff
games. Accepted forms of “team jerseys” are, your team jersey complete with logo, a solid jersey with a number but no logo, or an OWHL practice jersey with a number on the back. All jerseys must be the same in color and have distinct numbers. Any jerseys with matching numbers will not be allowed, with the exception of the goaltender.