The MRHL’s games are officiated by referees accredited by USA Hockey and played, with some modification, by the USA Hockey InLine 2009-2011 Official Playing Rules found at this link: http://www.usahockey.com//Template_UsahockeyInline.aspx?NAV=RE_03&ID=788
USA Hockey will no longer be sanctioning inline hockey or offering player injury insurance as of July 2011. The MRHL Board is currently considering AAU, RHA and USA Roller Sports as sanctioning bodies and sources of supplemental injury insurance.
The rules below are subject to revision by the MRHL Board of Directors throughout the year.
Penalties
Most penalties are minors. We have the usual hooking, holding and slashing calls. Here are some penalties all players also need to know:
Delay of game
This infraction will always happen if a player in his/her own defensive zone shoots the puck (whether accidentally or not) directly over the fence. If the puck is shot over the bench or scorekeepers table areas the call will be up to referees’ discretion. If the puck is deflected by another player in the defensive zone prior to going out of play, no minor penalty will be called.
High Sticking/Misconduct
In any roller hockey league this penalty depends on how the players conform to the league policy on helmets. Our policy calls for players to wear a puck-rated helmet with a full cage or full shield. YOU MUST WEAR A FULL CAGE OR SHIELD or you will not be allowed to play. This way an accidental high stick may only be a 2 minute penalty rather than the USA InLine required 12 minutes without full cage or shield helmets.
Fighting
This is not tolerated in our league. It is very simple. If you instigate a fight and throw a punch you are gone from the league forever. No exceptions will be made to this zero-tolerance policy. The MRHL wants a clean league where players can go home unhurt. All decisions by the league Hockey Director and Vice Chair for Officiating regarding suspensions or expulsions will be final.
Referee Abuse
Once a penalty is called, the referee will let you know whom the penalty is on and then come to the scorer’s table to announce the call. At no time will the player penalized refuse to go the penalty area. Any racial, ethnic or other slur by a player towards a referee will be an automatic game misconduct and a one game suspension. If the captain or alternate captain wishes to dispute the call, please wait until after the scorer is notified of the penalty and the referee will speak to you AT THE REFEREE AREA (semi circle) for a few moments before play continues. ONLY the captain or alternate captain has the right to come to this area. If the captain is already on the rink surface, the alternate captain does not need to get involved. Players shouting at the referee from the bench area will first be warned by the referee. Any continued banter will be a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Cursing / Behavior at the Rink
In the heat of the game some players feel the need to scream and spew a litany of profanities at other players, referees or even their own players. Stanley Isaacs Park contains a playground and swings used by little children and their families behind the south benches so we insist that our players control their behavior and watch their language while using the rink and park. If a referee hears continuous cursing a warning will be issued. If the team and/or an individual player continues cursing, the referee will assess a bench penalty of two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. PLEASE DO NOT USE THE BENCHES IN THE FENCED-IN AREA NEAR THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR GAME. NYC PARKS DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS ONLY ALLOW PARENTS OR GUARDIANS OF CHILDREN USING THE PLAYGROUND TO ACCESS THIS AREA. YOU CAN USE THE BENCHES OUTSIDE THE FENCE TO DRESS AND STOW YOUR GEAR.
Equipment
No player will be allowed to play unless FULL COMPLIANCE with the following rules is exhibited at game time:
Helmets
Must be puck-rated with a FULL cage or FULL face shield. NO half shields or helmets without any facial protection can be used. Goaltenders MUST wear a puck-rated helmet. If you come to the game without a proper helmet you will not play. The referees will keep close inspection of the helmets worn by each team’s players.
Hockey Pants
No players should come to game expecting to wear shorts. Any player wearing shorts simply will not play. Hockey pants cover your shin guards and make you look like an inline hockey player. Non-covered shin pads are illegal in any inline league. No multi-colored pants (pajama type) are allowed; long pants with a dark-colored base is what the MRHL wants to see. If you wear hockey pants that the league finds objectionable, we will ask you to get new ones for the following week.
Jerseys
All teams must have matching jerseys with individual player numbers. New teams will be given a break as jerseys take 3-4 weeks to order and receive, however, individual player numbers MUST be assigned and kept from the first game going forward. The league does not require home and away jerseys for each team. When two teams show up in similar colors that would cause confusion for the players and officiating staff, the Away team must wear pennies that the league keeps at the rink. The Home team has primary color choice for any game.
Gloves
All players must wear hockey gloves. If your glove is torn on the palm to a large degree, it is illegal and you will have a minor penalty called against you at the referee’s discretion.
Skates – Both Inline or Quad skates are allowed. If you use inline skates and a wheel comes off during play, you must go to the bench for repairs. Failure to go to your bench will result in a delay of game penalty, exactly the same as a broken stick situation.
Elbow and Shoulder Pads and Cups
While these are not required the MRHL strongly advises players to wear elbow pads, shoulder pads and protective cups. All such protective gear MUST be covered by fabric per USAHIL rules (jersey sleeves over elbow pads and long inline pants over shin guards).
Broken Sticks
If, during the course of play, a player’s stick is broken it must be dropped immediately. Attempts to play the puck with a broken stick will result in a minor unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Do not skate with the broken stick to the player bench. Drop the stick immediately and the referee will return the broken stick to the player bench when a stoppage in play permits.
Rosters
At every game the MRHL will have a roster sheet you are required to sign in on before you play a regular season or playoff game. Every player MUST sign (print) his name on this sheet before the start of his game.
The league will keep track of players participating in games during the regular season. Any individual player must have played three (3) full regular season games to make it onto a team’s locked playoff roster. The MRHL website’s team roster page will indicate the number of games played and the names of playoff eligible players will be bolded out. The MRHL does not allow an individual skater to play for more than one team during the regular season or playoffs. Rostered MRHL goaltenders can play for teams in both the Tier 1 and Tier 2 divisions during the regular season. Non-rostered goaltenders can play for teams in both divisions during the regular season as long as they have injury insurance. During the playoffs substitute goaltenders can only play games for teams in the other division after they have played three (3) regular season games and are on a team roster. Team rosters will be locked after Week 5 of the regular season.
If a team has a maximum roster of 17 players and one is injured the team captain can replace that player with a substitute. The substitute must play at least three (3) regular season games to be eligible for the playoffs. If the injured player returns to the team the substitute is removed from the roster and can no longer play for the team.
If a team shows up at the rink with less than 5 players the team will lose by a 8-0 forfeit. Teams with four or less players will be allowed to grab players from a previous game but it will only be for a scrimmage as the team will have already lost by a 8-0 forfeit. Teams that forfiet games are subject to disciplinary action by the Manhattan Roller Hockey League Board of Directors up to and including immediate dismissal.
Teams showing up at the rink with five players but no goalie can borrow the league’s goalie rig so a skater can put on a goalie helmet, pads and chest protector and be placed in net. A team can also play as five skaters but anyone blocking or deflecting shots on goal CAN NOT stop or freeze the puck without being assessed a delay of game penalty. Only someone wearing a full goalie rig and playing in net will be afforded the privileges granted to a goalie.
Other Items
Non penalty whistles (Infractions)
These include touching the puck with a stick above the shoulder, a hand pass not in the defensive zone, major net dislodgement (the new inline rule is that it’s the referee’s discretion if net can be replaced without interrupting play), an attacking player in the crease, and puck out of bounds.
Clock/Time
The MRHL uses running time in its games. However, the clock will be stopped temporarily in order to assess penalties, inform scorer of goals, getting a new puck, goaltender equipment issues, and delay in changing players by team that has the lead. We will use STOP TIME when the game has less than 2 minutes on the clock in the third period and the score is a 2 goal differential or less. All regular season periods are 12 minutes in length. Regular season games tied after three periods will go into five-minute sudden-death overtime where the clock will not stop. If the game remains tied it will go to a Shoot Out with three players from each team taking shots. If, after the 3 skaters a decision is not made, all other teammates will take a turn. All players must take a turn before the first shooter goes again. Teams will receive three points in the standings for a regular time victory, two points for an overtime or shootout victory and one point for an overtime loss. Teams victorious in overtime will be marked as winning the game by one goal and will have one goal added to their Goals For statistic.
A Mercy Rule will end any regular season game that has an eight goal score differential after two periods are played.
Playoff games will have three running-time fifteen minute periods with stopped time only used in the last two minutes of the third period if the score differential is two goals or less. Playoff games tied after three periods will go to sudden-death fifteen minute overtime periods. No Mercy Rule is used during playoff games.
Game Times
All players must be at the rink early enough to dress and be prepared to play at the game’s scheduled start time. The teams should take to the surface the moment the previous teams have vacated the rink. DO NOT go onto the surface until both teams are off the surface. ALL teams should leave the benches immediately after handshakes. Game clock will start to run for 5 minutes to allow for warm up time. We must get all games in on any given Saturday or Sunday and can not be delayed. Teams must have at least five skaters (4 skaters and a goalie or 5 skaters) to field a team at the end of warm up time. The MRHL will not start a game with less than these required players. A two minute bench minor will be assessed to a team not having enough players and 5 minutes will be allowed for the team to get at least five skaters on the rink. If after that additional five minutes a team does not have at least five players they will lose the game by a 8-0 forfeit. Once the Hockey Director and referee decide a team does not have enough players and the score sheet has been updated with a 8-0 forfeit it will not be changed.
Tree Interference – A large tree stands over the northeast side of rink with branches sometimes dipping into the rink. If the puck brushes leaves and drops back into play, continue playing. If the referee feels the puck has changed its path due to hitting a branch, he/she will blow the whistle and the face off will be outside the zone.
Changes / Face-offs
Slow changes will result in delay of penalty calls as we have running time. For example, once the goalie has saved the puck, players have 5 seconds to get into position for the next drop. The referee will either drop the puck or call a penalty.
Home/Away Benches
The Home bench is now the south bench towards 95th Street and the Away bench is north near 96th Street. The home team advantage is the sun. Later afternoon games (after 1pm) have the sun facing the goaltender on the north side of rink.
Offsides
The MRHL utilizes USA Hockey InLine rules, which do not enforce off-sides or icing, but will enforce Inline rules in regard to outside the zone face-offs based on lines on rink, depending on play.
Pro Puck
The MRHL started using the Pro Puck ( www.propuck.com ) during our Spring 2008 season. This puck is the best we have found for a smoother game. No player shall hot dog with the puck. This means using your stick to press down on puck and “drag” it through game play. A player will be warned and, if he continues dragging the puck, a delay of game penalty will be assessed.
Stanley Isaacs Park Rink Surface
The rink that we use at 96th Street and First Avenue is run and operated by the NYC Parks Department. The MRHL applies for permits twice each year for use of the rink for our games. The rink at any other time is a public area. We have covered the old rough asphalt rink surface with a StreetIce coat (a blue mixture of paint, rubber and sand) which has helped tremendously with using a puck for our games. The surface is still not the very best but we are endeavoring to continue to make game play smoother for everyone. Please do not start sending emails on how the puck ‘bounces’ on this new surface. We have no control over how players handle the puck on this StreetIce surface.
