Twelve Team Format
Each team will play a game against each member of the other division (3 teams each) within its conference (6 teams each, resulting in 3 pool play games each team). The top four teams, in both conferences, accumulating the most game points will advance to the second round.
During the youth and girls’/women’s preliminary rounds, each team will be awarded three points for a win in regulation, two points for a win in overtime or shootout, one point for a loss in overtime or shootout and zero points for a loss in regulation.
District Playoffs and National Championships
Youth and Girls’/Women’s
Win Regulation 3 Points
Win Following Tie 2 Points
Loss Following Tie 1 Points
Loss Regulation 0 Points
After the preliminary round games have been played, the teams in each conference will be ranked based on points accumulated in the first round. The top four teams, in both conferences, will advance to the quarter-final round with the following pairings:
American 1 vs National 4
National 1 vs American 4
American 2 vs National 3
National 2 vs American 3
The first- and second-place teams in the American and National conferences will be the home team for all quarter-final games.
The semi-final round will consist of the following pairings:
Winner A1/N4 vs Winner N2/A3
Winner N1/A4 vs Winner A2/N3
The home team for each semi-final game shall be the team that was seeded the highest prior to the quarter-final games (i.e., A3 would be the home team if A3 vs. N4).
The winners will play for the national championship. The tournament director will determine the home team by the toss of a coin.
Tie Breaking Rules to Determine Standings Position
If two or more teams have an equal number of points, their position in the standings shall be determined by the following tiebreaking format. If one tie-breaker establishes a position for one or more teams, each team is placed in the applicable position. Once a team is placed, the remaining tied teams shall start the tiebreaking process over again at step 1a. The tie-breaker formulas are as follows:
1. The results of the head-to-head games played between the tied teams in the following order:
a. Standings — Most points.
b. Most wins.
c. Differential — Subtracting goals scored against from goals scored in these games, the positions being determined in order of the greatest surplus.
d.Quotient — Dividing the goals scored in these games by the goals scored against, the positions being determined in order of the greatest quotient. A quotient involving dividing by zero (0) has higher standing than a quotient from dividing by any number other than zero. Where two or more teams have no goals against and the quotient tiebreaker is required, the teams shall be ranked high to low in descending order of “goals for.”
e.Most periods won — In the games played by each tied team, points will be awarded for each regulation period won (2 points) and for each regulation period tied (1 point). Positions shall be in the order of highestpoint total.
f. Quickest first goal — The team that scored the quickest goal in their applicable preliminary round games shall be ranked highest.
2. If after applying the formulas of 1 a, b, c, d, e or f the tie still exists, the results of all the games played by the teams tied in the following order.
a. Most wins.
b.Differential — Subtracting goals scored against from goals scored in these games, the positions being determined in order of the greatest surplus.
c.Quotient — Dividing the goals scored in these games by the goals scored against, the positions being determined in order of the greatest quotient. A quotient involving dividing by zero (0) has higher standing than a quotient from dividing by any number other than zero. Where two or more teams have no goals against and the quotient tiebreaker is required, the teams shall be ranked high to low in descending order of “goals for.”
d.Most periods won — In the games played by each tied team, points will be awarded for each regulation period won (2 points) and for each regulation period tied (1 point). Positions shall be in the order of highestpoint total.
e.Quickest first goal — The team that scored the quickest goal in their preliminary round games shall be ranked highest.
3. If the above procedure does not break the tie, the teams shall use a shootout procedure as previously described.
Time of Periods (all stop time in minutes) and Ice Clean Requirements
Youth Tier I, Youth Tier II, Girls’ and Women’s
Class Period Overtime*
12 & Under 15 5/10
14 & Under 16 5/10
16 & Under 17 5/10
18 & Under 17 5/10
19 & Under 17 5/10
*Round robin games will utilize one (1) 5-minute overtime period, then proceed to a shootout if a winner has not been determined. Quarterfinal, Semi-final and Final games will utilize 10-minute overtime periods until a winner is determined.
Ice Cleaning: Nationals – Youth, 12 & Under, 14 & Under
Ice shall be cleaned before each game and between the second and third periods. Any variation must be pre-approved by the national championship director.
Overtime
For ice cleaning requirements during overtimes, see below.
Overtime for Nationals: Youth and Girls’/Women’s
Preliminary-Round Games
1. All Games Played to a Winner:
If the game is tied following regulation play, one five-minute sudden death overtime period shall be played. At the completion of the third period, the tied teams shall receive a three-minute rest period. The teams will remain on the ice. The teams will not change ends. If the score is tied at the end of the five-minute sudden death overtime period, there shall be a shootout. The winner of the shootout will be credited with one additional goal in the final score. If no goal is scored in the overtime period, there will be a shootout.
a. Shootout: The shootout will be conducted as follows:
• A shootout is defined as a player attempting to score a goal and the opposing goalkeeper attempting to stop the shooter from scoring the goal.
• The referee shall call the two captains to the referee’s crease to flip a coin to determine which team takes the first shot. The winner of the coin toss will have the choice whether his/her team will shoot first or second.
• All goalkeepers and all players from both teams listed on the official game sheet shall be eligible to participate in the shootout.
• Any player whose penalty had not been completed when the overtime period ended or who receives a penalty during a shootout procedure is not eligible to be one of the players selected to participate in any portion of the shootout procedure(s).
• The shootout procedure shall begin with five different individual shooters from each team taking alternate shots. The players do not need to be named beforehand.
• The goalkeepers from each team may be changed after each shot.
• The players of both teams will take the shots alternately until a decisive goal is scored. The remaining shots will not be taken.
• If after the shootout, the shootout score is still tied, there will be a sudden death shootout.
b. Sudden Death Shootout: The sudden death shootout will be conducted as follows:
• A sudden death shootout is defined as each team attempting a shot. Should one team be successful and the other team not, the successful team shall win the shootout.
• Teams will select their shooters to participate in sudden death shootout, whether or not they shot in the previous round.
• All goalkeepers and all players from both teams listed on the official game sheet shall be eligible to participate in the shootout.
• Any player whose penalty had not been completed when the overtime period ended or who receives a penalty during a shootout procedure is not eligible to be one of the players selected to participate in any portion of the shootout procedure(s).
• Players in a sudden death shootout shall not be allowed to take another shot until four additional shooters have completed their attempts.
• The goalkeepers from each team may be changed after each shot.
• The official scorekeeper shall record all shots taken indicating the players, goalkeepers and goals scored.
Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final Games
1. The game shall be continued to determine a winner.
2. At the completion of the third period, there shall be a five (5) minute rest period before the start of the first overtime session.
3. All overtimes shall be ten (10) minutes in length and sudden death. Teams shall not switch ends throughout overtime periods, therefore teams will play in the same end from which they played during the third period until a winner is determined.
4. At the completion of the first overtime, if the teams are still tied, the teams shall leave the ice and the ice shall be resurfaced. A second overtime period shall begin immediately following the ice resurfacing.
5. Following the second overtime, there shall be a five (5) minute rest period prior to the start of the third overtime session.
6. If the teams remain tied at the completion of the third overtime period, the teams shall leave the ice and the ice shall be resurfaced.
7. Thereafter, the foregoing process in items 1-6 shall be repeated until such time as a winner is determined by the competition.
