Organizing Successful Tournaments April 28, 2018 Districts, Region & State League Results District Playoffs Regions State Governed by Minnesota Hockey & District Rules Invitational Tournaments Organized and run by local associations Primarily designed to have fun and raise funds for the association Governed by: Minnesota Hockey District Association can add additional rules (but cannot over-rule Minnesota Hockey or District rules) All tournaments must be sanctioned by Minnesota Hockey 1
Mite Tournaments Minnesota Hockey does not permit full-ice Mite tournaments Cross/half ice Mite tournaments are allowed and must be sanctioned Out of state participation must be approved by the District Director Small fee can be charged to cover expenses Sanctioning Process All tournaments must be sanctioned Association Tournament Director Association President District Director or Designee Minnesota Hockey Tournament Co-Chair Sanctioning Application & Fees Ice Times Tournament Rules Tournaments must be sanctioned at least 21 days prior to the start of the tournament and no later than February 1st Sanctioning Fees $100 per classification, e.g. A, B1, B2, C $50 for teams out of state $75 for Canadian/international teams $200 late fee per classification if not sanctioned 21 days prior to start of tournament 2
Classifications USA Hockey does not recognize sub-levels within an existing division, e.g. B1 or B2 teams are considered B, A or AA are considered A Any A team can attend an A tournament and any B team can attend a B tournament However, the hosting association can reject applications from teams that are considered too strong or too weak Tournament Planning Proper planning is critical to the success: Bracketing determine type: Single elimination Double elimination Round Robin Fees: All-inclusive Fee Registration Fee + Gate Fee Registration Fee + per Game Fee Ice Time: Allow sufficient ice time for overtime Length of periods Recommend having additional ice time at end of day Tournament Planning Coordination with Arena: Ensure the arena is in alignment with resurfacing times Turn off ice time clocks Be aware of events before and after tournament games Arrange tournament headquarters and/or hospitality rooms Lodging: Determine if you will hold blocks of rooms for out of town teams 3
Tournament Rules Mandatory Rules: USA Hockey registered referees Medical Attendants required (except for Mites) USA Hockey rules as modified by Minnesota Hockey for the classification(s) involved Canadian teams must wear protective gear as designated by CAHA Rest time: At least 2 hours between end of game and start of next game (Mites can be reduced to 1 ½ hr.) At least 10 hours rest over night Tournament Rules Scheduling: If game time infringes on potential school time tournament must advertise this fact at time of registration No team that is traveling 50 miles or more should play a game before 6 p.m. on a school day unless team agrees to do so in writing Host team must play in an early game on a school day Tournament Rules Rules that can be modified (generally more restrictive): Length of periods, stop/run times Fair Play point Structure of overtime, e.g. sudden death, number of periods, etc. Shootout Timeouts allowed/not allowed More restrictive ejection rules, e.g. three penalty rule Tie breaking procedures 4
Tournament Operations Pucks: Approved by the NHL Determine if providing warm-up pucks Scorebooks: Official Minnesota Hockey or District-specific ones Ensure one for each team is available Keep one for your records and one for the referees Tournament Operations Penalty Reporting the following must be reported to the District Director and the Supervisor of Officials from where the team is from: Game Misconduct Gross Misconduct Match Penalty Fighting Locker Rooms: Should be pre-assigned Lockable Team Credentials Participating teams must be properly credentialed: Rosters can be provided on a mobile device Paper version can be accepted Must be certified by USA Hockey Birth certificates not required Approval letter from the Minnesota District Registrar for any player participating in a younger age group than is implicit based on the player s birthdate Participating teams must be properly credentialed: Managers are not allowed on the bench Only 4 rostered coaches are allowed on the bench Coaches must be entirely certified no later than December 31st Check all rosters after December 31st to ensure all individuals are certified 5
Ineligible Player Protests Must be filed within one hour of tournament games: Protesting team must furnish evidence substantiating the ineligibility of the player in question Protest must be made to Tournament Director or District Director who will rule on the player s eligibility their ruling will be final If ruled ineligible all games the player participated in are to be forfeited Medical Attendants Are required to be onsite: Certified Athletic Trainer EMT The retained medical personnel have the final say on whether an injured player can return to the game Additional Considerations Sponsors Programs Online score reporting and standings Player gifts Coach/Manager hospitality room Additional vendors Trophies & Medals 6