DEKHOUNDS League Rules Below are the rules we use for our games. If rules are not listed specifically in this document then we follow the American Street Hockey Institute Dek Hockey rule book as listed on the A.S.H.I. website: www.ashihockey.org. EQUIPMENT: We require all players to wear some sort of gloves, shin guards, and use an approved hockey stick. Helmets are not required but encouraged. Garden gloves, mechanix gloves, and soccer shin guards are acceptable as required equipment. Please remember though, you play at your own risk and the use of equipment that has not been rated as hockey safety equipment increases that risk. (Just because a player is playing the ball and catches your uncovered ankle or knee does not make it a slash or penalty.) All intact ice, roller and street hockey sticks are allowed, butt ends must be covered. Players under 18 years of age must wear a helmet with Cage/Shield. All teams are required to have matching colored shirts. Numbers are highly encouraged as stats are kept and awards given at the end of each season. The Home team always has dibs on their color if playing a team with a similar color. Goalies are encouraged to wear ALL standard goalie equipment. Leg pads, helmet, glove, blocker, and chest protector are required. An equipment violation will result with a minor penalty and warning. A second infraction in the same game is another minor penalty with a 10 minute misconduct. A third is a game misconduct and one week suspension. GAME RULES Games are three 15 minute running clock periods. If the game is within two goals, the clock will stop in the last 2 minutes of the game. SCORING SYSTEM AND TIE BREAKERS Teams are awarded 2 points for a win, 1 point for an OT/Shootout loss, and 0 points for a loss in regulation. All games that are tied after regulation immediately go into a shootout. Coed shootouts are 5 players that alternate Male/Female/Male/Female/Male. After 5 shooters have gone and the game is still tied, sudden death shootout occurs where a team must continue to rotate boy/girl until a winner is decided Note, the whole team must shoot. In the event one team has less players than their opponent, the opposing team may restart its shooters when the team with less players restarts.
Competitive shootouts are 3 players. After 3 shooters and the game is still tied, sudden death shootout occurs. Note, the whole team must shoot. In the event one team has less players than their opponent, the opposing team may restart its shooters when the team with less players restarts. Playoff games that end in a tie have a 5 minute running clock OT before a shootout would occur. Note, the clock stops for NO REASON during this OT. For example, if a player is injured, the clock continues to run. If any team still has a timeout remaining after regulation, they lose it. Championship games continue in a sudden death OT format until a goal is scored. A championship game never ends in a shootout. TIE BREAKERS Points Wins (shootout wins are not calculated here, just like in the NHL) Head to Head Goal Differential Goals Against Goals For Coin Toss MERCY RULE: If at any point, a team leads by 8 goals the game is called and teams are entitled to use the rink for whatever time remains. FLOATING BLUE LINE OFFSIDES (NEVILLE ONLY): A floating blue line expansion of the offensive zones occurs once a team crosses the opponent's blue line with the ball. The attacking team will then have half of the entire playing surface within which to control the ball, from behind the opponent's goal to the center line of the area. If the defending team sends the ball past center, the zone is reset to the blue line and their opponent must regain it as explained above. (Ice hockey going in, dek hockey coming out.) CENTER LINE OFFSIDES (SOUTHPOINTE ONLY): The center line is used to demarcate offsides. The ball must cross the line before players of the offensive team. Clearing the ball across the line by the defensive team requires the opposing team to touch up and enter the zone again as explained above. CONTACT: This is a non checking league. Incidental contact will occur because of the nature of the sport. However, checking, boarding, hitting, etc. is illegal and will be penalized accordingly. ICING: Icing is called when a defensive player shoots the ball from his side of the blue line over the opposing team s goal line without any other player touching it. When the
ball crosses the goal line, icing is immediately called and the ball is returned to the defensive zone of the team committing the infraction. The face off is held at the circle off either side of the goal. (A) the determining factor in judging this infraction is the ball and not the players feet. (B) Icing is waived off by either Referee if any of the following occurred; the ball touches the goal crease, the goalkeeper touches the ball before it crosses the goal line, the defensive player could have played the ball before it crossed the goal line, a defensive player is below the top of the faceoff circles, the opposing team makes no effort to play the ball, the offending team is playing shorthanded. Minor Penalties = 2 minutes Double Minors = 4 minutes Misconduct = 10 minutes Major/Game Misconduct = 5 minutes Any player who receives 4 penalties in a single game of any combination shall immediately be ejected (the team is not subject to an additional Game Misconduct penalty) and the ejected player is automatically suspended for 1 week. PENALTIES Below is a list of penalties that may be assessed during a game. This is not an exhaustive list. Any penalty listed may be called as a minor, double minor, or major/game misconduct penalty based upon the judgment of the referee. All plays deemed to be with intent to injure will result in a Major/Game Misconduct and result in a possible suspension. Standard hockey penalties apply (hooking, slashing, tripping, etc ) Players are advised to not argue any calls with referees. This includes both non penalty and penalty calls. Players should discuss with their team captains any calls they believe are incorrect. Only team captains are allowed to discuss calls with referees. The following is not inclusive of every possible hockey penalty and is not the official list of infractions that will be enforced. STANDARD HOCKEY PENALTIES APPLY. BOARDING: Hitting, pushing, or checking an opponent into the boards especially when a player s back is turned. BUTT ENDING/SPEARING: Jabbing an opponent with the butt end of the stick. CROSS CHECKING: Hitting an opponent with the stick when it is held with two hands and no part of the stick is on the rink. DELAYING THE GAME: A minor penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who delays the game by deliberately shooting or batting the ball out of play (Roof). A minor penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who delays the game by deliberately displacing the goal post from its normal position. If the displacement occurs during a break away a penalty shot will be awarded to the attacking
team player who had possession of the ball. A goalie may also not cover the ball if his body is completely behind the goal line, or if the ball is past the top of the circles. Delay of game also consists of catching the ball by a runner and not immediately playing it. (One step rule). Double tap, also falls within this category. No player may play the ball with their hand twice in a row. For example, a player may not bat the ball into the air with their hand, and then use their hand immediately afterwards to play the ball again. If the ball touches an opposing player, a teammate, a stick or other body part, it not considered to be double tap. A player may also not deliberately step on the ball in order to stop play or to gain a strategic advantage over the other team. Pinning the ball against the board is not illegal. DIVING: Embellishing a play in order to gain the attention of the referee to an infraction in an attempt to draw a penalty. ELBOWING: Hitting an opponent either accidentally or intentionally with the elbow. FIGHTING: A major misconduct penalty shall be imposed on any player(s) who engages in fisticuffs. We define a fight by a player throwing a single punch. Any hit to the head, open handed, closed, kick, etc. will be deemed to be considered fighting. Players will be ejected from the game and will serve a MINIMUM of a three week suspension (perhaps more) subject to pass conduct. Each team will also be assessed a $50 fighting fine that is due before that team s next game. Failure to pay the fine results in a forfeit for each game the fine is not paid. Note the fine is assessed to the team and not the player who fought. Captains and fellow teammates are held responsible for their teammates actions. GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE: Physically impeding a goaltender s ability to play the ball, checking the goaltender, or being in the crease and interfering with the goalie. Screening a goaltender is not Goaltender Interference. HIGH STICKING: Use of a stick above the height of a player s shoulder is prohibited and a minor penalty may be imposed on a player violating this rule. A goal scored off a high stick shall not be allowed. If a player strikes another above the shoulder a high sticking penalty will be called. If injury occurs either a double minor or major penalty will be assessed on the discretion of the referee. Note Players are fully responsible for the actions of their sticks at all times, even in the action of shooting. A follow through may result in a penalty if a player strikes another above the shoulders. HOLDING: Grabbing and holding an opponent by either their body, their equipment, or their stick. HOOKING: Using a stick as a hook to slow an opponent, impede their progress, or interfere with their ability to play the ball. For example, getting your stick into the hands of the opposing player causing him to lose the ball. Please note, turning your blade over an opponent s blade will no longer be called as a hooking penalty. However, turning
your blade over an opponent s stick higher up may be called as a hooking penalty in the judgment of the referee. INTERFERENCE: Impeding an opponent who does not have the ball, or impeding any player coming from, or getting onto their respective bench. This includes stick lifting an opposing player s stick out of their hands away from the play. PLAYING WITH TOO MANY STICKS: A player is not allowed to have two sticks in their hands at any point, except to hand a goaltender back his stick if he has lost it. A player may not hand another player on his team their lost stick, while also holding his/her stick. However, a player may hand off his/her own stick to a teammate and then retrieve said teammates stick. ROUGHING: Pushing a player from behind with sufficient force to dislodge them from their general postured position. Pushing and shoving after the whistle has been blown or checking an opponent, or any physical contact with the hands in his face. Also when an illegal body check is made. A Roughing penalty will also be assessed to any player that uses force which in the referee s opinion is unnecessary or dangerous to other players. SLASHING: When an offending player swings their stick at an opposing player, regardless of contact, or breaks an opposing player's stick with their own. Please note that it is not a slashing penalty if a player is attempting to play the ball and misses, striking the lower end of an opponent s stick, or their shin guards.. Instances where one player prevents another player from gathering the ball by swiping their stick onto the other player s stick shall not incur a slashing penalty unless bodily contact is made. SLIDING: A player may not leave his feet and slide across the floor in order to make a hockey play. This includes diving to score a goal or sliding to block a shot. However, it is legal for a player to drop straight down in order to block a shot. If however, the player attempting to block the shot slides along the floor in the judgment of the referee, a sliding penalty may be called. This includes if a player drops to one knee and shuffles on one knee to keep with the shooter. SPEARING: Jabbing or stabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick. THIRD MAN IN: This is an automatic game misconduct penalty. If any player intervenes in an altercation (a play is deemed an altercation by the refs) whether his intentions are to join in or simply to gain control of his own teammate, that player will be ejected from the game and the team assessed a Major penalty. This rule is to ensure the safety of the referees who are responsible for breaking up any altercation, as well as to avoid any misunderstandings with players. For example, Player A gets into an altercation with Player B. Player A s teammate attempts to break up the altercation with the intention of grabbing Player A and dragging him away. However, Player B s teammate simply sees another player intervening and so he jumps in. A brawl then ensues because of a misunderstanding.
As well, it should be noted here that any team that has a player leave the bench during an altercation automatically forfeits the game regardless of the score. TOO MANY MEN: Having more than maximum number of allowed players (including the goalie) on the floor involved in the play at any given time (6 during normal play, 5 if one player is service a penalty, etc ). "Involved in the play" is key; players that are entering the rink as substitutes for players coming off (line changing) may enter the rink once the player returning to the bench is less than six (6) feet from his team's bench. At that point the returning player is considered out of the play, even if the play passes in front of the bench, unless he actively makes a move for the puck. Players entering the rink are part of the play as soon as their feet touch the floor. This penalty also applies in co ed play and penalties are gender specific. For example, if a female is called for a penalty, she counts as a player on the floor and an additional female is not required, thus 3 males and 1 female are acceptable to kill the penalty. Additionally, a female in goal counts as a female on the dek. If she leaves the floor, for example on a delayed penalty, or pull the goaltender type situation, a female must replace her to maintain the required two females on the rink. TRIPPING: Tripping another player by any means, whether incidental or accidental, or causing another player to fall by any means. Note that no contact is required. UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT: This is a catch all penalty. Any conduct deemed to be unsportsmanlike and that crosses the line. A few examples are: arguing with a referee; using slurs against an opponent or teammate; playing with illegal equipment; making obscene gestures or abusing an official; goaltender crosses the center rink line for any reason other than to leave the floor during a delayed penalty; rink abuse such as slashing a stick against the boards, the tile, goal post, or glass; As stated before, this is not an exhaustive list but these are the most common hockey penalties called. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask a referee before or after your game. Only Captains should discuss calls with referees during a game. SUSPENSIONS All suspensions are on a weekly basis and apply to all DekHounds leagues. If a player receives a two week suspension, he is suspended from all DekHounds leagues immediately for the following two weeks. This includes Neville, Southpointe, North Park, or any leagues run, organized, or controlled by DekHounds, LLC. There is no appeal system for suspensions as all suspensions are FINAL.