Rules

LIONS CUP U12 KIEKKO-ESPOO TOURNAMENT RULES AND REGULATIONS (7.-9.4.2023)

The Tournament Management reserves the right to change or alter these rules at any time without prior notice in order to act in the best interests of the tournament

GENERAL RULES

Lions cup U12 Kiekko-Espoo Tournament Management is committed to creating a safe and fair environment for all participants. Respect for the game, opponents, coaches and officials is a part of the environment and that of sportsmanship and fair play. 

ZERO Tolerance: Taunting or berating of any players, officials, staff, or tournament volunteers will NOT be tolerated under any circumstances by parents, players, team officials or other spectators. The Tournament Management reserve the right to eject any person whom it deems in its sole discretion to be acting in an improper manner.

Team officials are responsible for the conduct and supervision of all of their team’s participants at all times. No shooting, stickhandling or passing of any objects is permitted anywhere in the facility other than inside rinks and designated places.  Any pre-existing damage or severe mess in dressing room must be reported immediately when found.

Lions cup U12 Kiekko-Espoo Tournament will not provide any insurance for participating parties.  Every team must be carrying sufficient liability, personal and property insurance to cover all its members who participate in the Kiekko-Espoo tournament.  All team members must have injury insurance that cover those risks that exist within the sport of hockey.

GENERAL RULES FOR THE TEAM

Jersey Colors: A dark jersey will be worn by the HOME team, whereas a white or light coloured jersey will be worn by the AWAY team.

Home team will be the team placed 1st on the Tournament Game chart.

All Teams have to be game-ready within the rink 5 minutes prior to game starting time. If team is not ready to start the game on time it will be deemed to have lost the game 5-0.

ALL players MUST participate in at least one round-robin game in order to qualify for the semifinals and later rounds (goaltenders are exempt from this).

SAFETY RULES

Each player is personally responsible to wear protective ice hockey equipment for all games, warm-ups and ice practices. Such equipment should include gloves, shin pads, shoulder pads, elbow pads, padded hockey pants, protective cup, tendon pads plus all head protective equipment. 

Players are required to wear approved helmet with full facemask and neck guards at all times during play.

Players, including goalkeepers, violating this rule shall not be permitted to participate in the game until such equipment has been corrected or removed.

PLAYING RULES

Playing rules will be those recognized by the Finnish Hockey Association, Youth Hockey rules with following exceptions and adjustments.

Games will consist of 2 x 15-minute stop-time periods, however maximum game time 50 minutes as of ruling time.  1 minute intermission between periods.

For clarity highlighting from Finnish Hockey Association, Youth Hockey rules:

Checking is NOT allowed but with the following exceptions:
- When skating same direction and cutting in line against the boards
- Interference with ones body when skating to the same direction or hip checking by the defender against the offensive player.

Penalties in use: 1 minutes, 5 minutes and 10 minutes. Icing WILL BE whistled for the penalty killing team.  

(Modification April 85h, 2023): Following games on Sunday April 9th if a player and/or team official gets a match penalty, the player is not allowed to play in the tournament's next game.

Timeout request is not allowed at any point.

The Game Management reserves the right to impose a running time clock on all games, in the case of an extended injury or other prolonged delay.

Referee’s Decisions: All referee’s decisions are final and may not be appealed.

Tournament points:

2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss.

Round Robin Standings: Standings will be based on points: 

Tie-Breaker, Round Robin: If tied in points, standings (seedings) will be determined based on the following order:

1. Points

2. Head-to-head points

3. Head-to-head goal difference

4. Head-to-head goals for

5. Goal difference

6. Goals for

7. Penalty minutes

8. Dice


After round robin games (the first 3 games) in all the following games if the game is tied at end of time, a shootout with 3 skaters from each team will start immediately. The coach of each team will provide the game officials with the list of these three players. The team that scores the most goals with these three skaters will be declared the winner. The starting team is the AWAY team. A player from one team will go, followed by a player from the other team, and so on until all 3 designated players have gone.  

If still tied a sudden-death shootout with one player from each team. Each shooter must not have participated in any prior round of the shootout. The AWAY team shot first in the previous round, will once again shoot first.

Repeat step above until no skater remains that has not yet participated from either team. At this point the shootout will continue in reverse order starting with the player who has most recently shot. This will continue until a winner is decided.

GENERAL INFO

Ice resurface is between every second game and before the finals and bronze game.

Team Warm-Ups: Around the Hockey Center is a sports park with warm up places. Inside the arena there is a gym space that can be used for warm up under supervision of an adult. Please keep the time at the gym reasonable so other teams can use the space as well. 

Free admission (no admission / gate fees) for all spectators.

AFTER EACH GAME IMPORTANT FOR THE PLAYERS

Immediately after each game team coaches are requested to select one player from their team who has demonstrated good sportsmanship, fair play, being a good team mate, respecting the opponents and/or contributing positively to the team and game spirit. 

The player should come to the media wall for photo together with the player from the opponent team. These players will be offered a McDonald’s meal voucher that is valid in McDonalds’ near by. Photo will posted in Instagram. 

Also after every game there is possibility for volunteer players to give a brief interview at the media wall. These interviews will be posted in Instagram. A prize (Biosteel drink) will be given for the volunteers. Tournament organizer reserves right to decide how many interviews to make.