League Rules

Game Rules:

The basic rules are based on NHL / USA Hockey rules with changes to make these games more fun. They are almost entirely stolen from BTSH in NYC.

See www.btsh.org for inspiration or to better understand the spirit of these games (even though Amboy Road Street Hockey is not associated with them in any way).

1. Teams:

No more than 6 players from any team (including goalie) can be playing on the court at any time.
Subs can enter the game at any time.
Yes, you can pull the goalie if yr really hurting that bad.

2. Face-offs:

Face-offs occur at the center of the court at the beginning of each half and after each goal is scored. Players line up for face-offs behind the ball on the side of the court closest to their own goal (on-sides). All face-offs shall be knock hockey style consisting of each player taking the face-off first hitting the ground then each others’ stick 3 times before making a play for the ball.

3. Goalie Safety:

a) if an attacking player initiates any contact with a goalkeeper, incidental or otherwise, while the goalkeeper is in the goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.
b) if an attacking player initiates any contact, other than incidental contact, with the goalkeeper, while the goalkeeper is outside of the goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.
c) in all cases in which an attacking player initiates other than incidental contact with a goalkeeper, whether or not the goalkeeper is inside or outside the goal crease, and whether or not a goal is scored, the offensive player will be reprimanded.
d) if the goalie initiates contact outside of the goal crease and a goal is scored, that goal is allowed. a goal shall be disallowed if any body part of a member of the offending
team is in or touching the crease when the ball crosses the goal line. if a shoelace is on the tip of the crease the goal will not be allowed. this rule is in effect to protect the goalies. deal.
f) a stick is allowed to be inside the crease when the ball enters the crease as long as it is not making contact with the goalie.
g) in sum: no touchee the goalie.

4. Stick and Ball Play:

a) to decrease injury and disputes, balls cannot be intentionally hit into the air above the height of the goal crossbar (top of the goal). if the ball passes over the crossbar on an attempted shot, it is the refs discretion on whether the ball was dangerously high.
b) slap shots are illegal. a slap shot is loosely defined as winding up or lifting your stick (in preparation for a shot) above knee level. The follow through must also not go above the knee.
c) players are not allowed to run with their stick or play the ball with their stick above their waist. A goal scored by playing the ball with a stick above the waist shall be disallowed.
d) stick checking is NOT allowed. any play for the ball must be just that; a play for the ball. you can not lift the stick, hold the stick down, or come down on the stick. a “sweep” for the ball is allowed.
e) NO stick throwing/smashing. No one is to ever smash a stick or anything else against the ground with force, and no one is ever to throw a stick, on the court or off, because the incidental injuries are tremendous. such infractions may lead to penalties, ejection from the game or both. we take this seriously; save your tantrums for romper room.

5. Hand-Body Deflection:

a) if a ball is traveling off of the ground, a player shall be permitted to catch the ball out of the air but must immediately place it or knock it down to the ground. he/she may not catch it and run with it.
b) a player shall be permitted to stop or “bat” a ball in the air with his/her open hand unless, in the opinion of the ref, he/she has directed the puck to a teammate in any zone other than the defending zone
c) play will not be stopped for any hand pass by players in their own defending zone. A hand pass in the defending zone is considered to have occurred when both the player making the pass and the player receiving the pass have both of their feet inside their defending zone. the defending zone is defined as the area closest to the team¹s defending goal up to the
mid-court face-off dot.
d) a goal shall not be allowed if the ball is intentionally directed (swatted, kicked, head-butted, etc.) in to the goal by any part of the players body other than the stick. if the ball is UNintentionally deflected off of a part of the body, the goal counts.
e) any ball that is directly deflected off or knocked in by a ref and goes in to the goal unobstructed shall not be allowed.

6. Ground Play:

Players may not lie on the ground to defend the goal and may not intentionally cover the ball to prevent play. its a chump move that causes more injuries than its worth and is a punishable offense. any act which endangers other players, such as sliding, is not permitted. if such chump moves occur, the offending player sits out a shift, and the opposing team gains possession from the sidelines.

7. Inbounding:

a) when possession is given to a team, the ball must be introduced into play no closer to the opponent's goal than the blue line nearest the opponents goal.
b) opponents must not be closer than 3 feet from the person “in-bounding” the ball.
c) once the in-bounder touches the ball, it is in play. thus, shots on goal from in-bounding are allowed, especially since its a real court et al and the whole out of bounds thing is just that much more rare.

8. Goalie Play:

a) goalie throws are restricted to throws to the side or behind the goal line. goalies can not throw the ball forward.
b) goalies may not cover, freeze, glove or close their hand on the ball unless they are within their crease (fully or partially). ie, goalies can't run to mid-court and cover the ball.
c) goalies may not play the ball forward with their hand or glove (see above). if a goalie gloves or grabs the ball, he or she has roughly one second to either drop it where they grabbed the ball, or drop it behind the goal line. If they hold on to the ball, the ball will be frozen and there will be a whistle.
d) the ball is frozen when the goalie covers the ball with his or her glove or any part of their body and the ref determines that the goalie does not intend to play the ball further, at which point the ref blows the whistle to stop play. After the whistle, when the goalie is not prone, the goalie has five (5) seconds to reintroduce the ball into play. he or she can only do so by playing the ball behind the goal line, either by his/herself or to a teammate or drop the ball in place and play the ball with their stick. if the goalie chooses the latter, once the ball is dropped it is live, unless it is behind the goal line extended. attacking players may not cross the goal line (with their body, stick or any part of their body) until the five seconds have expired or until the ball moves forward over the goal line. The five seconds starts after the whistle to stop play.
e) when outside their crease, goalies are subject to all rules governing the play of regular (non-goalie) players and may only play the ball with the stick and feet. this means they can not slide prone, raise their sticks above their waist, etc., even while in the crease the goalie may not shoot/pass the ball above the cross bar or while playing the ball have their stick go above their knee.

9. Prohibited actions include and are not limited to:

* intentional physical contact with another player with your body or stick
* checking
* chopping (bring the stick down on another stick and also holding down a stick)
* upward stick checking (flipping sticks up from behind and underneath)
* hacking/slashing (shin-slapping)
* tripping
* hooking
* spearing
* stick end-butting
* high sticking (stick above the waist)
* vengeful shots made purely to induce injury
* verbal taunts and abuse
* fighting
* any infraction covered by the rules of USA Hockey, not stated above, and at the discretion of the refs
* basically doing anything that would embarrass your loved ones.. if you feel your temper getting the best of you, take yourself out of the game before someone else does it for you.