FR

Hockey rules

LFA hockey rules

  1. The regulations are constantly evolving and may be changed or adapted at any time if the LFA management deems it necessary.
  2. The hockey regulations (HR) must be read in conjunction with the administrative regulations (AR).
  3. The following rules must be respected by all members and enforced by the league administration. Note that in some cases they may not apply due to the nature of the matches offered. For example: the 7AM Buzz morning division, 3v3 Challenge and Horizon, or our LFA 3v3 Rush and LFA Challenge tournaments, to name a few, each with its own specific characteristics.

I. The Ligue Fédérale des As is a “non-contact” hockey league with slap shots allowed.

II. The LFA will not tolerate any gratuitous violent gestures of any kind or any inappropriate behavior and reserves the right to suspend or ban anyone who does not respect its regulations, the fundamental values ​​of sportsmanship and good conduct, whether on the playing surface during a match or at any other time and place.

III. The league administration, the Prefect of Discipline, and his committee reserve the right to expel and suspend anyone immediately or after investigation, and this,

-regardless of the referee’s decision(s) on the game.

-for actions committed without the knowledge of the referee(s).

-following an official complaint corroborated by witnesses and/or video.

*Any gesture or behavior deemed excessive or dangerous is liable to suspension, depending on its nature and severity, at the discretion of the LFA Management, the Prefect of Discipline and the committee.

IV. – Any player sent off from a match will automatically be suspended for the next match. Each case will be analyzed by the Management and the Prefect of Discipline, taking into account the referee’s report, witness statements, and/or video review. The player’s disciplinary record will also be considered.

V: It is strictly forbidden for any player to empty the puck bucket or place a skate on the ice before the Zamboni access door is COMPLETELY CLOSED. Any player who violates this rule will receive a minor penalty effective at the start of the game. If both teams receive a penalty, both players will be penalized, but the game will be played 5-on-5.

VI: Handshake All players who participated in a match must shake hands at the end of the game, thus signifying to each other that any friction that may have occurred during the game is now a thing of the past. This handshake must be warm and well-intentioned: Shaking hands with an opponent while uttering insults will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct, just like refusing to shake hands.

Any player who willfully refuses or fails to shake hands with their opponents at the end of a game will be given AN OFFICIAL WARNING. Repeat offenders will be subject to a one-game suspension to be served in the game following the one in which the incident occurred.

I. Jerseys and socks belong to the league and are loaned to players only during the hockey season. Each player is responsible for the care of the jersey and socks provided to them. To prolong the life of these items, follow the prescribed care instructions and, above all, never put them in the dryer. (We strongly recommend washing jerseys inside out to minimize wear on logos and numbers.)

IA. All players on a team must wear the socks and jerseys provided by the league. A player who fails to wear their team’s official socks more than once during the season will be penalized and could be barred from participating in the game.

II. Each player is responsible for the jersey loaned to him and will have to pay the costs of its replacement if necessary in cases of loss, theft or damage caused by negligence or accident outside of activities directly related to the game during a league match.

III. Only jerseys provided by the league may be worn during a game.

IV. Certain jersey numbers are reserved for substitute players.

We suggest that players wear all mandatory equipment as per the regulations of the Quebec Ice Hockey Federation. The LFA will not be held responsible for injuries caused by a player’s failure to wear said equipment. We strongly recommend the use of a full face mask, but it is not mandatory.

Any player who shows up under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be prohibited from playing by the LFA administration or its referees if it is judged that the condition of the player in question may harm the safety of other players or your own.

Any player who plans to be absent from a game must notify us on our league2go.com application no later than 48 hours before the game or inform the LFA administration (or the division director) at the number indicated in your player document after that deadline.

***Voir aussi les règlements administratifs RAMTL-06 RARS-06, RA-07 et RA-08.

I. Les joueurs substituts sont trouvés avec l’aide de l’application league2go.com et les équipes rééquilibrées dans la mesure du possible par l’administration en fonction des joueurs absents et des remplaçants disponibles.
II. If a player wishes to reverse their decision within 48 hours of a game after using the App to indicate their absence, they must obtain permission from the LFA administration to rejoin the team.
III. In the playoffs, IDEALLY, only substitutes who have played a minimum of 3 regular season games will be eligible to play.

Any player who willfully refuses or fails to shake hands with their opponents at the end of a game will be given AN OFFICIAL WARNING. Repeat offenders will be subject to a one-game suspension to be served in the game following the one in which the incident occurred.

I. The objective of a transaction should be to resolve a team imbalance or, in some cases, an internal problem.
II. Ideally, no transactions between teams should take place after the second week of December.
*Note that for the summer season a decision on the need for exchanges is generally made after the third week of activity.
III. The League administration, division directors, and captains are responsible for executing and endorsing transactions.

I. Referees are entitled to make mistakes and must be respected by players. Any player who regularly berates referees, argues with them, or disrupts their work through toxic behavior will be advised to change their conduct by the league administration, the Prefect, and the disciplinary committee. Such behavior wastes everyone’s time and undermines the LFA’s objective of providing a healthy playing environment.
II. Only the captain or his assistant have the privilege of addressing the referee, and this must be done in a cordial manner.

RH-08.1: HARASSMENT OF OFFICIALS OR PERSISTENT CHALLENGE TO A REFERREE’S VERDICT:

A minor penalty (for unsportsmanlike conduct or for delaying the game) will be imposed on any player or team representative who defies or argues excessively with the referee’s decisions.

If a player or goalkeeper persists and continues despite everything, he will receive in addition a major misconduct penalty (5 min.) and any further recurrence will result in an extreme misconduct penalty (10 min.) for the offending player.

Note: These regulations include the preparatory games, the regular season and the playoffs.

I. Minor penalties are 2 minutes of stopped time.

IA. For 5-minute penalties, the player (or their replacement) must serve the full penalty even if the opposing team scores one or more goals.

IB. The face-off following a penalty infraction will take place in the defensive zone of the offending team.

II. Every action or behavior has degrees of severity, some of which can lead to suspension, even for the first offense, whether verbal or physical. Just as a cross-check, slashing, tripping, or roughing can be an attempt to injure if done intentionally, at a time or with a force that results in potential injury, the LFA will not tolerate a player resorting to insults or profanity (such as racist or sexually explicit remarks, or making threats indiscriminately).

III. A fine will be imposed on all players receiving a suspension. $50 for a first offense and $100 for subsequent offenses, if applicable.

** A penalty for “attempted injury” will result in the offending player being ejected from the match and automatically suspended for a minimum of 3 games. The Disciplinary Officer and the League administration reserve the right to extend the suspension depending on the severity of the offense.

RH-09.1: OBSTRUCTION / GOALKEEPER PROTECTION

If an attacking player intentionally collides with the goalkeeper (whether or not he is in his crease) or if that player makes no attempt to avoid him, in the case of an unintentional collision, even if he was pushed towards the goalkeeper and the referee judges that the collision could have been avoided, a minor penalty for goalkeeper obstruction will be imposed.

If the puck were to enter the goal under such conditions, the goal would not be allowed.

The LFA takes the protection of its goalkeepers very seriously and reserves the right to take action against those who act irresponsibly by charging the net and putting them in unnecessary danger.

RH-09.2: PUNISHMENT FOR DELIBERATELY PULLING THE PUCK OFF THE ICE RINK

If the referee judges that a player, including the goalkeeper, intentionally shoots or throws the puck outside the playing area, a minor penalty for delaying the game will be imposed, regardless of where the infraction occurs.

Important nuance: The well-known NHL rule that systematically penalizes a puck leaving the playing area in the defensive zone is not a rule applied in the LFA due to the height of the glass in some of the arenas.

RH-09.3: THE PUDGER REMAINS IN PLAY EVEN IF IT TOUCHES THE NET BEHIND THE GOALS

As proposed by the IIHF in 2018, the LFA is putting forward this new rule to maximize your playing time so the referee does not stop the game when the puck touches the protective net.

I.UN PRÉ-MATCH DE 5 MINUTES qui débute dès que la porte de la surfaceuse se ferme et comprend:
-Période de réchauffement de 3 minutes suivi d’un long signale sonore pour indiquer que nous entamons les 2 minutes restantes
-Ramassage des rondelles
-Cris d’attaque, positionnement et mise en jeu
II. Match de trois périodes de 22 minutes à temps continu avec 30 secondes de pause entre celles-ci.
III.La ligue encourage le « Change on the fly » pour maximiser notre temps de glace et le “flow” du match. Par contre, il est possible de changer aux arrêts de jeux (sauf lors d’un dégagement pour l’équipe fautive (RH-10.2) et l’arbitre attend 5 SECONDES une fois à la mise au jeu avant de remettre la rondelle en jeu. Si une équipe retard le match continuellement et n’est pas prête après le délai de 5 secondes elle recevra une punition au troisième avertissement de l’arbitre. Et une autre si l’équipe continue de retarder le match selon le jugement des arbitres.
IV. Un temps d’arrêt de 1 minute par match est permis à chaque équipe.
V. La dernière minute de chaque période est à temps arrêté sauf s’il y a un écart de 4 buts ou plus
VI. Si le match finit à égalité, une période de surtemps de 3v3 est ajoutée si le temps le permet (RH-12)
VII. La répartition des points va comme ceci:
– 2 points pour une victoire en temps réglementaire ou supplémentaire
– 1 point à chaque équipe pour les matchs nul
– 0 point pour une défaite

RH-10.2: CHANGE DENIED TO THE OFFENDING TEAM DURING DENIED CLEARANCES (icing)

When a clearance is disallowed, the offending team will be prohibited from making any player substitutions. The referee will ensure that the offending team is reminded of this prohibition by raising their arm.

One (1) verbal warning from the referee per team per game for any violation of this rule. Subsequently, a minor penalty for delaying the game will be automatically imposed on the offending team.

I. For regular season games, the finalists will have three 20-minute periods of stoppage time with the ice resurfacer (Zamboni) between each period. Playoff games will proceed as in the regular season.
II. Referees have the option to stop the clock (depending on available ice time) in the event of injuries, if a team intentionally delays the game*, and in any other circumstance they deem appropriate. *This may also result in a minor penalty for the offending team.
III. Playoff games for 8-team divisions will proceed as follows: The teams that finished in the top 4 positions in the regular season will face the teams that finished in the bottom 4 positions. After these four games, the playoff standings, based on the same criteria as the RH-13 rules, will determine the quarter-final matchups for the eight teams as follows: 1st vs. 8th, 2nd vs. 7th, 3rd vs. 6th, and 4th vs. 5th. The winning teams from these quarter-finals will face each other in the semi-finals as follows: the quarter-final winner with the most points accumulated during the playoffs will face the quarter-final winner with the fewest playoff points. The two other quarter-final winners will then face each other. The two winning teams will advance to the final.
IV. If the quarter-final or semi-final matches end in a tie, a 5-minute 3-on-3 period will be added, and if after this period of extra time the tie persists, we will proceed to a series of 3 penalty shots per team, then move to “sudden death” if the tie still persists.
V. For divisions with 4, 6, or 12 or more teams, a round-robin tournament is generally used, with semifinals (or conference finals) to determine who will play the championship game.
VI. If the championship game ends in a tie, a 20-minute overtime period will be added (depending on ice availability). If, for any reason, we cannot extend the rental time, we will proceed with a penalty shootout.

From now on, if a match ends in a tie and time allows, a 5-minute period of continuous 3-on-3 play will be added, starting 30 seconds after the end of the match. If the tie persists after this overtime period, each team will receive 1 point. If a team scores, it will receive 2 points, while the losing team will receive none.

I. To determine the ranking of teams in the regular season and round-robin playoff standings, the league proceeds in the following order:
• Number of points in the standings
• Number of wins (with regulation wins taking precedence)
• Head-to-head record
• Goal difference (goals for/goals against)

The LFA summer season follows the same rules as the winter season and adjusts its playoff format based on the number of teams per division. Here’s an example for a 6-team division: a 5-week round-robin tournament will determine the top 4 teams, who will then face off in the semifinals according to the RH-13 playoff points rule. The first-place team will play against the fourth-place team, and the second-place team will play against the third-place team to determine who will play the championship game the following week.

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