Olympicview Hockey League (OVHL) By-laws

OVHL is operated using the brief rules below. The rules and procedures are broken into three sections.

Section 1 League Operation

(a) Government

The league will be governed off-ice by a quorum that consists of the 4 team captains plus Scotty Gresham and Rod Chiupka. The purpose of the off-ice quorum is to manage the league operation. The off-ice quorum in empowered to add or change league rules, remove a skater from the league for the safe and smooth operation of the league and make other operational decisions. An on-ice quorum consisting of an impartial captain and alternate captain from each team plus one referee, or 2 impartial skaters from each team plus one referee will make on-ice decisions concerning on-ice events such as intent-to-injure. On-ice quorum decisions can be escalated to and reviewed by the off-ice quorum if necessary. Such escalations must be made in writing within 7 days of the event to be considered by the off-ice quorum.

(b) Registration

For purposes of insurance and other operational reasons, each skater must correctly register with the league by:

A team must forfeit any game played with an improperly registered skater or skaters.

(c) Cut-off Dates

Two cut-off dates exist for each season. (1) Team Fee cut-off date and (2) Team Roster Freeze cut-off date. Cut-off dates are announced and published before each season. Team Fee cut-off date: A skater cannot play if the skater has not paid the necessary fees before the Team Fee cut-off date. Team Roster Freeze cut-off date: A team must forfeit any game played with a skater or skaters who have joined the team or been substituted after the Team Roster Freeze cut-off date unless sanctioned by the league as team balancing.

(d) Skills Assessment

Before each season the league holds an evaluation skate for all skaters in order to determine skater skill level. Each skater is required to demonstrate a set of skills decided upon by the league quorum. Skaters are rated as a level A, B, or C based on how well that skater demonstrates the required skills. Skater level is used to balance league teams. A minimum skater skill level must be reached to participate in the league. The league quorum will set the minimum level and a skater who does not reach that level will not be allowed to play in the league. The league quorum can re-assess a skater's level at any time during the season and request a skater trade to re-balance teams. A new skater can be drafted, assigned to a team and allowed to play based on a good faith assessment of his/her ability until confirmed by an on-ice skills assessment. If the skater self-assessment is grossly incorrect or not made in good faith, the quorum can overturn the game outcome. A new skater's skill level will be assessed during available ice time before or after a game.

(e) Game Rules

League operations are governed by the rules described in this document. USA Hockey rules together with game rules described in this document govern game play. Any game rule described in this document supersedes its corresponding published USA Hockey rule. The league plays games and operates within the rules of Olympicview Arena. Any rule set forth by Olympicview Arena supersedes its corresponding rule described in this document.

(f) Equipment

Skater equipment must meet USA Hockey regulation AND the following:

(g) Expansion

League expansion is governed by an expansion draft wherein each team protects a core set of skaters, exposing some number of existing skaters to the new team draft. The number existing skaters exposed to the draft will depend upon the number of new skaters joining the league and will be set by the league quorum. New team captains form teams by drafting from new skaters and unprotected existing skaters, building teams according to established league team size and skill level rules.

Section 2 Teams

(a) Size

A team is made up of at least 10 but not more than 15 skaters, and at least 1 but not more than 2 goalies. Teams will be formed evenly at the start of each season by draft. Skater additions during the season are controlled by draft and distributed evenly onto the existing league teams. Skater additions must occur before the Team Roster Freeze cut-off date published by the league.

(b) Fees

Each skater or team is required to pay a fee by the specified cut-off date at the start of a season. It is the team's decision to pay as individual skaters or as a team. If a team decides to pay a team fee, a skater's share will equal the team fee divided by the number of skaters on the team at the fee cut-off date. The captain will collect each skater's share and pay the league a team fee. Skaters who join a team after the fee cut-off date will pay his/her skater fee to the team captain, who will distribute the fee evenly to the original team skaters if the team paid a team fee. If each skater paid individually, the new skater will pay the skater fee to the rink.

(c) Captain

A team has one captain and two alternate captains. A team captain's job consists of at least:

Captains are appointed by Scotty Gresham. A skater who accepts the responsibility to be a team captain or alternate captain must agree to carry out the tasks outlined above, and assist with league administration duties.

(d) Skill Level Guidelines

A team is made up of a balanced mix of skaters rated as level A, B, C, and D. Skater ratings are determined by a league evaluation skate. Skaters cannot skate for more than one team. Any team who plays a game with a skater from another team on its roster will forfeit the game. The table below shows an example of the number of skaters from each category to balance a team:

  
(e) Uniforms

All skaters on a team wear matching team jerseys of a color that is easily distinguishable from other team's jerseys. When a team joins the league, the league quorum will agree on an acceptable color choice. Each skater must have a jersey number that identifies the skater as a team member. A skater's number must be permanently attached to the jersey in a place visible during play. At no time is a skater allowed to wear another skater's jersey or alter the jersey number. If a skater does not have the OVHL-issued jersey, the skater cannot play. Any team that plays a game with a skater who violates this rule will forfeit the game. Skaters cannot skate for more than one team. Any team who plays a game with a skater from another team on its roster will forfeit the game.

Section 3 Game Play

(a) Referees

The game will be played with at least one referee. If no referees are present, each team will give up one skater who together will referee the game and the game will count as an official game.

(b) Referee Decisions

Referee decisions (right or wrong) made on the ice during a game are final and cannot be reviewed unless the decision involves an intent-to-injure infraction. Any decision involving an intent-to-injure infraction must be reviewed by the league quorum to decide what disciplinary action will be taken. For details on intent-to-injure infractions, see item (f) Intent-to-injure in this section. A team captain has the right to have a call explained to him/her by the referee. Debate or challenge of the call is left to the referee's discretion.

(c) Timing

Games will consist of 2 eighteen-minute running-clock periods with a fifteen minute stop-time third period. There will be a 5-minute warm-up period before the game and a 2 minute rest between each period. If a game is tied at the end of the 3rd period, it will be recorded as a tie. Each team is allowed one time-out during the 3rd period.

(d) Checking

Checking is not allowed. Close proximity checking will be called as a minor roughing infraction. Blatant open ice checking will be called as a major roughing infraction and subject to quorum review to evaluate if intent-to-injure was present. Accidental collision or "chucking", "bumping", "grinding", "pushing" or other close proximity physical play will be tolerated to the referee's discretion. A referee can call any close proximity or physical play as roughing, interference or other call at his/her discretion. Such a call is not eligible for review by the league quorum unless a skater is injured during the incident and the injury is reported to the referee at the time of the incident by a team captain or alternate captain. Injuries reported after play resumes following the incident will not be considered in the referee's decision.

(e) Penalties

Minor penalties will be 3 minutes during running-clock play or 2 minutes during stop-clock play. Major penalties will be 7 minutes during running-clock play or 5 minutes during stop-clock play.

(f) Intent-to-injure

If intent-to-injure is agreed to be present by the on-ice quorum during a game infraction, the skater or skaters who showed intent-to-injure will be immediately removed from the game. The appropriate on-ice major penalty that applies to the infraction will be levied against the team or teams. The on-ice quorum will decide on the level of intent-to-injure present during the incident. The definitions below are guidelines and do not describe every possible variation of intent-to-injure. The final interpretation is left to the quorum's discretion.

A first-offense misconduct can carry a 1 game suspension, a second-offense misconduct can carry a 3 game suspension to the skater or skaters involved and a third-offense misconduct can carry permanent expulsion from the league.

A first-offense fighting can carry a 1 game suspension. A second-offense fighting can carry permanent expulsion from the league.

A gross or match misconduct can carry permanent expulsion from the league to the skater or skaters involved.

Game suspensions carry across seasons.

Suspensions and/or expulsions will be given to the skater in writing by the quorum within 7 days of the infraction.

In any suspension or expulsion case, skater fee refunds in whole or in part will not be given.