NEGHL (New England Girl's Hockey League)
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League Rules

REVISED: 30Aug22

NEGHL RULES, POLICIES & PROCEDURES

1        PLAYING RULES

1.1        The New England Girls Hockey League is a USA Hockey League and utilizes all USA Hockey Playing rules, except where amended below.

1.2        There are no timeouts in the New England Girls Hockey League (“NEGHL”)

1.3        All team staff must be clearly identified on the game sheet with valid CEP number and appear on the team's official roster. All team staff must meet USA Hockey and  your team's USA Hockey District requirements: Valid CEP, SafeSport Certified, Age level Modules completed and have passed a full background screen as mandated by your team's USA Hockey District. 

1.3.1     All NEGHL Games shall be scored using the Gamesheet Electronic Scorings System, In the event that system is unavailable, Game Sheet Labels must be used – no handwritten game rosters.

1.4        Players borrowed from another team in your program must be added to GameSheet or clearly labeled on each copy of a paper score sheet as "ALT"

1.5        Players may only be borrowed from within program to substitute for players that could not attend a game due to injury, illness, personal business or suspension.
Notwithstanding goaltender issues, a team may only borrow if the team falls below 13 skaters for a particular game and may only borrow to get to 13 skaters(15skaters at 16U and 19U).
Players are not allowed to substitute in for more than 5 games without NEGHL Board review and approval.

Additional rules apply as listed below.

1.6        Tier I Players must play on their assigned Tier I team and are allowed to substitute in on their program's Tier I team in age division(s) above as defined below:

1.6.1        U10 Tier 1 players allowed to fill in on U12 Tier 1 team only

1.6.2        U12 Tier 1 players allowed to fill in on U14 Tier 1 team only

1.6.3        U14 Tier 1 players allowed to fill in on U16 Tier 1 team only

1.6.4        U16 Tier 1 players allowed to fill in on U19 Tier 1 team only

1.7        Tier II players must play on their assigned Tier II team and are allowed to substitute in on their program's Tier I team in the same age division or the Tier I or Tier II team in age division(s) above as defined below:

1.7.1        U10 Tier 2 players allowed to fill in on U10 Tier 1, U12 Tier 2, and U12 Tier 1

1.7.2        U12 Tier 2 players allowed to fill in on U12 Tier 1, U14 Tier 2, and U14 Tier 1

1.7.3        U14 Tier 2 players allowed to fill in on U14 Tier 1, U16 Tier 2, and U16 Tier 1

1.7.4        U16 Tier 2 players allowed to fill in on U16 Tier 1, U19 Tier 2, and U19 Tier 1

1.7.5        U19 Tier 2 players allowed to fill in on U19 Tier 1 team only

1.8        Goalies: if team can't meet the requirements above:

1.8.1        Program Director must request permission of NEGHL Board AND report request to opponent's Program Director

1.9        All player substitutions are subject to NEGHL Board review upon request within 48 hours. Email request to: info@neghl.org

2        GAME TIME PARAMETERS

2.1        1 minute between period rest – all game formats
14U and older and 8U National must be on 70 minute (or longer) sheets unless otherwise agreed to by the NEGHL Board.  For 12U and 10U 70 Minute sheets are preferred but not required.

  1. 60 Minute Game Sheets - 12 Minute Period (All Ages) – 1 Min Minors , 5 Min Majors and 10 Minute Misconducts
  2. 70 Minute Game Sheets or Periods Over 12 Minutes (All Ages) – 16:59 Minutes – 1:30 Minors 5 Min. Majors and 10 Minute Misconducts
  3. 17 Minute Periods and Over (All Ages) – 2 Min. Minors, 5 Minute Majors and 10 Minute Misconducts 

If a program chooses to go with 3 17 Minute Running Time periods option 3 must be used. (3 17 Run time periods must be stop the last minute of each period and can only be used for 60 minute sheets)

Additionally, if a program thinks a 60 minute sheet can accommodate 3 x 13 minute periods then option 2 must be used.

Programs may elect to run up to 20 minutes periods if the sheet length allows.

2.2        NEGHL High School Age Jamboree (if held) game lengths – to be determined by the league prior to the Jamboree.

2.3       U8 National level 5v5 - teams may have to be 4x4 if shorthanded, Blue Pucks, Intermediate Nets, Gamesheet scoring / IPad required. Penalties - 1 minute - player off ice, no substitution even if playing 4v4
3 periods - 12 minutes

NEGHL U8 Cross-Ice Jamboree game lengths – to be determined by the host– time must be included for board / bumpers to be set-up and removed.

2.4        Game Misconducts Rules - See Suspension page 

3        OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

3.1        All scores must be reported or inputted by 9:00 AM on the Monday after the weekend games. Failure to provide scores may result in forfeits as determined by the league scheduler.

3.2        No Shows – If a program does not show for a game without notice, the host program may elect to bill the visiting program for the sheet of ice, the cost of the refs and the cost of the timekeeper (if paid). The host program should prepare an invoice and send to the league at info@neghl.org. The league will then determine if the invoice is valid and will forward to the visiting program. Inclement weather can be a mitigating factor.

3.3        10 day requirement for It is the Visiting team's responsibility to find an opponent for the home team or the “No Show” policy will be in effect.

3.4        It is the policy of the NEGHL that all players are restricted to playing with 1 organization within the NEGHL. Board will review each identified situation

4        NEGHL PROGRAM MOVEMENT RULES

  

4.1        All players part of a prior season NEGHL organization count in the player movement rules for the next season. Programs receiving players from other NEGHL organizations are responsible to manage to the player counts below.  There are no waivers or releases allowed. Player can play for any program. It is the program's responsibility to meet league requirements and to get financial release from the previous program. A financial release is not related player count.  

4.1.1     A Female Player from a youth team within an NEGHL member organization, shall not count towards player movement if that Player is not listed on an NEGHL Roster.

4.2        All programs must meet player movement rules for all their teams.  A program with a team not participating in the NEGHL that violates player movement rules will result in the program being suspended from the league.

4.3        A probationary NEGHL organization is limited to accept 1 player from any one NEGHL program / 3 total per age division.
             Probationary player movement rules limit each age division to 3 players total - each player must be from a different NEGHL organization.

4.4        A probationary NEGHL organization cannot sign an existing NEGHL organization's Tier I player.

4.5        4/6 Rule: U8 to U16 age divisions. No more than 4 players from 1 organization's single team can be placed on a single roster in different, single, NEGHL organization. No more than 6 players from across existing NEGHL programs can change to a single NEGHL program and placed on a single team. Head coach on the Approved USA Hockey Roster moving to another NEGHL program counts as part of movement count.  (even if that head coach is not going to be coaching at new organization).

4.6        3/8 Rule: U19 age division. No more than 3 players from 1 organization's single team can be placed on a single roster in different, single, NEGHL organization. No more than 8 players from across existing NEGHL programs can change to a single NEGHL program and placed on a single U19 team.  Head coach on the Approved USA Hockey Roster moving to another NEGHL program counts as part of movement count. (even if that head coach is not going to be coaching at new organization).

4.7        Massachusetts Organizations must follow Mass Hockey guidelines regarding signing of players coming into the U10 & U12 age levels for the following season.  (after the Spring state tournament).  NEGHL is adopting same deadline for U6 & U8 age group.  Programs outside of Massachusetts must follow their own district's guidelines.

4.8        Organization must follow USA Hockey guidelines regarding signing of players coming into the 14, 16 & 19 age levels for the following season.  (48 hours after nationals)

January 14, 2018

NOTICE TO ALL MASSACHUSETTS HOCKEY PROGRAMS/TEAMS
THAT INTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2018-19 NATIONAL BOUND TOURNAMENTS

It is important that all programs and their teams that intend to enter the 2018-19 Massachusetts Hockey National Bound Tournament are familiar with the USA Hockey Guidelines and Requirements for eligibility in the National Championship tournaments.

Specifically, any team desiring to be considered “National Bound” CAN NOT hold tryouts until 24 hours after the conclusion of the 2018 National Championships, meaning that this year's tryouts may not begin before April 11, 2018. While there have been conversations and discussions on how this impacts Massachusetts hockey, and there was a desire to work within the confines of the USA Hockey Rules to benefit our programs and not extend the season into mid to late April for players whose season was completed as many as six weeks prior, the rule is clear that no variance from the rule in the USA Hockey Annual Guide is permissible. 

USA Hockey is working to establish some consistencies both nationally and locally and there is a belief that there is an unfair advantage given to teams not participating in the National Championships and holding tryouts when a team that has won the opportunity to represent their district at the Nationals can not reasonably be expected to hold tryouts while still competing. By establishing and enforcing the allowable dates for National Bound teams to hold tryouts, all teams have the same opportunity to select from the pool of available players.

Massachusetts Hockey appealed this rule and associated enforcement to USA Hockey's Youth Council at the 2018 Mid-Winter meetings and our request was unanimously denied.

All rules pertaining to a team's eligibility to participate in the National Bound tournament can be found in the 2017-18 USA Hockey Annual Guide (www.usahockey.com/annualguide) starting on p.134. We strongly encourage ALL program leaders and coaches/managers to read the entire section pertaining to membership, eligibility and classifications. Any program that is found to be not in compliance with the rules and regulations will be deemed ineligible to participate in the Massachusetts Hockey National Bound State Championship tournament. Additional information specific to the National Championships is available in the USA Hockey Tournament Guidebook (http://nationals.usahockey.com/guidebook).

Any questions regarding this process can be directed to the appropriate tournament chair:

Youth: Bob Joyce (bjocye@mahockey.org)

Girls/Women's: Mark Lissner (mlissner@mahockey.org)

We appreciate your understanding of this matter and look forward to continuing the strong tradition of Massachusetts Hockey teams representing us at the USA Hockey National Championships.

Respectfully,

John L. Tobin, Esq.
President- Massachusetts Hockey

 

4.9        A player cannot play for a Tier I and Tier II team within any single organization or with play with 2 different organizations.

4.10    NEGHL programs will not schedule events with Non-NEGHL programs (events includes but is not limited to games, scrimmages and jamborees).  Additionally, NEGHL Programs will not host Non-NEGHL Programs in NEGHL Program Sponsored Tournaments.  This does not apply to Non-NEGHL teams from outside the New England District and Massachusetts District.  Also, this does not apply when teams are required by their district to play a team for District or Regional Tournament qualification purposes. Fines of $500 for first offense and $1,000 second & subsequent offenses may be levied.

 

5        OFFICIAL ROSTERS

5.1        All teams must provide approved USA rosters links by the date published in the yearly critical date calendar.

5.2        No player may play in a NEGHL game for a program if that player is not listed on an approved USA Hockey NEGHL roster. 
Borrowed players may come from a youth roster in the same program.  
When borrowing a player from youth roster within your own program you must provide a roster link for the team you are borrowing from.

5.3        If any changes to a roster is made the program must provide approved updated rosters with history within 3 days of supplemented approval.

 

 

 

NEGHL Program movement Examples.

Following USA Hockey the NEGHL does not differentiate between full time and alternate players. 
 A player/coach must be on an NEGHL program's team roster to be eligible to the program and the league. 
If a player / coach is on an immediate past season NEGHL program member's USA Hockey roster they count.

  1. Player/Coach leaving a previous season Non-NEGHL program is not counted as part of player movement restrictions.
    Player/Coach is not listed on an immediate past season NEGHL Roster.

  2. If a player/coach was on the USA roster for a NEGHL member team AND a Non-NEGHL program player they count in player movement rules. (if leaving the NEGHL program from immediate past season)
    Player/Coach is listed on an immediate past season NEGHL Roster.

  3. If a player was on a boy's team and an NEGHL member team they count if a different NEGHL program adds them.
    Player/Coach is listed on an immediate past season NEGHL Roster.

  4.  If a player/ coach is from a youth team within an NEGHL member organization, they do not count towards player movement .
    Example: On official USA roster for a boys team in program 1 that has an NEGHL team, but moves to program 2's NEGHL team. 
    Player/Coach is not listed on an immediate past season NEGHL roster.

  5. If a player/ coach was on a prior season NEGHL roster, but did not participate in any events due to any cause the player counts towards player movement.
    Player/Coach is listed on an immediate past season NEGHL roster. 

  6. If a player/coach was not on the prior season NEGHL program member team roster, but played for an NEGHL program 2 or more seasons ago.. they do not count for new season player movement.
    Player/Coach is not listed on an immediate past season NEGHL roster.