Manhattan Roller Hockey League Playing Rules |
The following rules are subject to revision by MRHL Board of Directors decisions throughout the year. USAH rules are subject to change so our rules will be updated as necessary to have them conform to USAH revisions. |
| Penalties: |
Delay of game - This infraction will always happen if a player in his/her own defensive zone shoots the puck (whether accidentally or not) directly over the fence. If the puck is shot over the bench or scorekeepers table areas the call will be up to referees' discretion. If the puck is deflected by another player in the defensive zone prior to going out of play, no minor penalty will be called. High Sticking/Misconduct - In any roller hockey league this penalty is dependent on the players and how they conform to the league policy on helmets. Our policy is to have a full cage or full shield. YOU MUST WEAR A FULL CAGE OR SHIELD or you will not be allowed to play. This way a high stick may only be 2 minutes rather than the USA Inline required 12 without it. Fighting - This is not tolerated in our league. It is very simple: If you throw a punch you are gone from the league forever without exception. The MRHL wants a clean league where players can go home unhurt. All decisions by the league director or founder regarding suspensions or expulsions will be final. Referee Abuse - Once a penalty is called, the referee will let you know whom the penalty is on and then come to the scorer’s table to announce the call. At no time will the player penalized refuse to go the penalty area. Any racial, ethnic or cursive slur by a player towards a referee will be an automatic game misconduct and one game suspension. If the captain or alternate captain wishes to dispute the call, please wait until after the scorer is notified of the penalty and the referee will speak to you AT THE REFEREE AREA (semi circle) for a few moments so play can continue. ONLY the captain or alternate captain has the right to come to this area. If the captain is on the surface, the alternate captain does not need to get involved. Shouting at the referee from the bench area will be warned by the referee, continued banter will be a bench minor for un-sportsmanlike conduct. |
| Equipment: |
Helmets - FULL cage or full-face shield. NO half shields or helmets without any protection. If you come to the game without this you will not play. The referees will keep close inspection. Hockey Pants – No players should come to game expecting to wear shorts. Any player wearing shorts simply will not play. Hockey pants cover your shins and make you look like an in line hockey player. Non-covered shin pads are illegal in any inline league. No multi colored pants (pajama type); dark colored base is what the MRHL wants to see. If you wear hockey pants that the league finds objectionable, we will ask you to get new ones for the following week. Jerseys – All teams must have matching jerseys. This goes for the goaltender as well. New teams will be given a break as jerseys take 3-4 weeks to order and receive, however individual player numbers MUST be assigned and kept from the first game going forward. The Home team has primary color choice for any game. It is up to the Away team to make sure they have the appropriate color jersey for any game. Captains should make sure they know the color of the team they will be facing and make the necessary adjustments. The league does not require home and away jerseys for each team. Gloves- All players must wear hockey gloves. If your glove is torn on the palm to a large degree, it is illegal and you will have a minor penalty called against you. Referees will make the decision. Skates – Inline or Quads. If you use inline skates and a wheel comes off during play, you must go to the bench for repairs. No player is allowed to skate with 3 wheels on an inline skate during play. Failure to go to your bench will result in a delay of game penalty, exactly like a broken stick situation. Elbow and Shoulder pads and Cups – While these are not required the MRHL strongly advises players to wear elbow guards, shoulder pads and protective cups. Sticks – If, during the course of play, a player stick is broken it must be dropped immediately. Attempts to play the puck with a broken stick will result in a minor unsportsmanlike penalty. Also, do not skate with the broken stick to the player bench. Drop the stick, the referee will return the broken stick to the player bench when play permits. |
| Rosters: |
At every game the MRHL will have a roster sheet you are required to sign in on before you play a league game (not during scrimmages). Every player MUST sign (print) his name on this sheet before the start of 2nd period. No new player will be allowed to join a game in progress after 6 minutes through the 2nd period. Any player that has not started the game and comes late must be on the players’ bench and signed in before 6 minutes have elapsed in the second period (half the game). This allows the game to be played in the flow of the first half of game and allows players to acclimate themselves to the strength of players on the opposing team. Introducing a new player that might affect the outcome of the game after midway through the game would not be fair to the other team who had all of their players at the rink on time. The league will keep track of team members playing during the season. Any individual player a team uses during the regular season not on the original roster (submitted week # 1) will be manually added to that game sign in sheet each game he/she plays. Any individual player must have played 3 full games to qualify for the playoffs, even if you were on the original roster. The Hockey Director will keep a very close eye on this. This is to ensure come playoff time, each team has players that played during the regular season available and prevents ringers from showing up at the last minute. The MRHL allows a single player to play for multiple teams during the regular season. It will then depend on how many games that player plays for a particular team if he/she qualifies for the playoffs. The decision on which team to play for in the playoffs will be strictly up to that player. However, the player is only allowed to be rostered on one team in the playoffs. Playoff rosters will be locked at the end of the regular season and the Hockey Director will send you a list of players who have qualified. |
| Other Items: |
Clock/Time – The MRHL uses running time in its games. However, the clock will be stopped temporarily in order to assess penalties, inform scorer of goals, getting a new puck, goaltender equipment issues, and delay in changing players by team that has the lead. We will use STOP TIME when the game has less than 2 minutes on the clock in the third period and the score is a 2 goal differential or less. All regular season periods are 12 minutes in length. Regular season games tied after three periods will go into five-minute sudden-death overtime where the clock will not stop. If the game remains tied it will go to a Shoot Out with three players from each team taking shots. If, after the 3 skaters a decision is not made, all other teammates will take a turn. All players must take a turn before the first shooter goes again. Teams will receive two points in the standings for a victory and one point for an overtime loss. Teams victorious in overtime will be marked as winning the game by one goal and will have one goal added to their Goals For statistic. Game Times – Please have all players at the rink early enough to dress and prepared to play at your game's scheduled start time. Please be ready to have your team take to the surface the moment the previous teams have vacated the rink. DO NOT go onto the surface until both teams are off the surface. ALL teams should leave the benches immediately after handshakes. Game clock will start to run for 5 minutes to give you warm up time. We must get all games in on any given Sunday and cannot be delayed. Teams must have at least five skaters (4 skaters and a goalie or 5 skaters) to field a team at the end of warm up time. The MRHL will not start a game with less than these required players. A two minute bench minor will be assessed to a team not having enough players and 5 minutes will be allowed for the team to get at least five skaters on the rink. If after that additional five minutes a team does not have at least five players they will lose the game by a 3-0 forfeit. If the Hockey Director and referee decide a team does not have enough players and the score sheet has been updated it will not be changed. This goes for team players showing up 15 minutes late to a game. We cannot start games 15-30 minutes after the initial start time. Tree Interference – A large tree stands over the northeast side of rink with branches sometimes dipping into the rink. If the puck brushes leaves and drops back into play, continue playing. If the referee feels the puck has changed its path due to hitting a branch, he/she will blow the whistle and the face off will be outside the zone. Home/Away Benches - The Home bench is now the south bench towards 95th Street and the away bench is north near 96th Street. The home team advantage is the sun. Later afternoon games (after 1pm) have the sun facing the goaltender on the north side of rink. Offsides – The MRHL utilizes USA Hockey Inline rules, which do not enforce off-sides or icing, but will enforce Inline rules in regard to outside the zone face-offs based on lines on rink, depending on play. |