American Inline Hockey League rules

While the rules of the American Inline Hockey League (AIHL) follows the general rules of inline hockey, it differs slightly from those used in international games organized by the International Committee of Inline Roller Hockey (CIRILH), an organization and discipline of the International Federation of Roller Sports (FIRS), such as the Inline Hockey World Championships.

Inline hockey rink

The inline hockey rink is a sport-tiled rink which is rectangular with rounded corners and surrounded by a wall, usually called the "boards". It measures long by wide in the AIHL, but may vary in length to and may vary in width to . The center line divides the floor in half lengthwise. It divides the floor into zones. Near each end of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the floor. It is used to judge goals. The "Red" Lines are one foot in width. All other other markings on the floor (goal lines, circles, etc.) are two inches in width.

Game timing

Each American Inline Hockey League regulation game is played between two teams and is 30 minutes long in the Elite Division, and 24 minutes long in the Minor Division. The game is composed of two 15-minute periods in the Elite Division, and two 12-minute periods in the Minor Division, with an intermission of one–minute between periods. Between stoppages of play, teams have 17 seconds (five seconds for the visiting team, seven seconds for the home team, five seconds to line up at the faceoff location) to substitute their players.

Scoring and winning

A goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line and enters the net. A goal may be disallowed under the following circumstances:

• the scoring team takes a penalty (except if the other team accidentally puts the puck into its own net untouched by the team to be penalized);
• the puck is directed in by an attacker's high stick (above the crossbar), or when the puck has been directed, batted, thrown or kicked into the net by an attacking player other than with a stick (angling one's skate so the puck deflects off it into the goal is allowed).
• goaltender interference (which can also result in a penalty)
• the puck goes in after the Referee intends to stop play (e.g. the net has been dislodged)
• the puck deflects off a referee or linesman and goes directly into the goal (exception to the rule that a puck hitting a referee or a linesman is still live)
• if a linesman reports to the referee (a) a double-minor for high-sticking, (b) a major penalty, or (c) a match penalty against the scoring team.

When a regular-season game is tied at the end of regulation, it goes into a 3-on-3, 5-minute overtime after a 1-minute rest period with teams keeping the same attacking direction. When there is a goal during it, the game ends and the team that made that goal wins. If there is no scoring in the 5-minute overtime, the game goes into a 3-frame shootout with the visiting team shooting first. This sequence ends when one team mathematically has more shootout goals than the other, thus winning the game. If neither team emerges victorious, the shootout continues one frame at a time until one team scores and the other does not, in which case the team who scores is given the win. A team that loses a game in overtime or the shootout receives one point in the standings.

Shootouts are not used in the playoffs; instead, a playoff game tied at the end of the regulation enters a full regulation length 4-on-4 sudden-death overtime. The game continues indefinitely in this format until a goal is scored; the team that scores immediately wins the game. Additional full regulation length overtime periods are played as necessary until the winning goal is scored. In this case the teams switch sides as usual between periods, with one-minute intermission (normal length) between periods.

Penalties

A penalty is a punishment for infractions of the rules. A referee makes most penalty calls while the linesmen may call only obvious technical infractions such as too many men on the rink.

During a penalty, the player who committed the infraction is sent to the penalty box. Small infractions are deemed minor penalties, and the player is kept off the floor for two minutes of gameplay. More dangerous infractions, such as fighting, are deemed major penalties and have a duration of five minutes. The penalized team cannot replace the player on the floor and is thus shorthanded for the duration of the penalty. Normally, inline hockey teams have four skaters (plus the goaltender) on the floor. If a minor or major penalty is called, play becomes "four-on-three" - four skaters versus three skaters.

This situation is called a power play for the non-penalized team and a penalty kill for the penalized team. A team is far more likely to score on a power play than during normal play. If the penalized team is scored on during a minor penalty, the penalty immediately terminates. Unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play. When a penalty is about to be called, an official will raise his arm to signal what is referred to as a "delayed penalty". Play will continue until the offending team touches the puck, at which point, the official will blow the play dead and assess the penalty. If the team committing a penalty yields a goal and is already shorthanded because of a minor penalty, the penalty will be called when the goal is scored, and the team scoring a goal will be awarded a fresh power play. Furthermore, when goals are scored, penalties come off the board in the order in which they were called (if multiple penalties have been called).

The offending team cannot score a goal themselves during a delayed penalty. This usually results in the opposing team replacing their goalie with an extra forward until the offending team touches the puck, since the offending team cannot score on the empty net by touching the puck. This situation, however, can result in an own goal.

There are exceptions to the rule where a team cannot replace a player on the ice after a penalty: mutual majors for fighting, where there are two participants in a fight, will result in each person receiving five minutes, but the penalties will not affect the on-ice strength of either team (play remains five-on-five), unless a player is deemed to be the instigator of the fight, in which case that player will receive an additional two-minute minor. There are also "coincidental" minors in which the penalties called against both teams are simultaneous and equal in length, so that neither team receives a power play, with teams skating four-on-four.

After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, a new rule was instituted that imposes a minor delay-of-game penalty on any defensive player who directs the puck out of bounds (e.g., over the glass into the stands or into the safety netting. When the puck is shot into either of the players’ benches, the penalty will not apply.

There are also game- and 10-minute-misconduct penalties which are reserved for infractions such as continued disputing of a call with an official or for intent-to-injure penalties. A player receiving a misconduct penalty does not cause his team to play short-handed unless he also receives a minor, major or match penalty in addition to the misconduct penalty.

Various combinations of penalties may also result in match-ups such as 4-on-2, 3-on-2, 3-on-3 or even 2-on-2. A team, however, may not have fewer than 3 players (including the goaltender) on the floor at any point in the game.

After a penalty is assessed, play resumes with a face-off in the offending team's defensive zone under most circumstances.

Team rosters and eligibility

Before each game, the coach from each team has to submit a list of players that will take part in the game. The roster can include a maximum of 14 skaters and two goaltenders. Teams will generally carry between eight and twelve skaters, and either one or two goaltenders.

The roster for an organization, consisting of one Elite Division team and one Minor Division team within the same program, shall not exceed a total of 36 players, with a maximum of 34 skaters. Organizations with multiple Minor Division teams shall not have a roster exceeding a total of 18 players, with a maximum of 17 skaters for each additional minor team.

Organizations must report a minimum of eight skaters and one goaltender, collectively referred to as "Franchise Players", on the team roster before their first game of each season. Franchise Players cannot compete in the Minor Division. Organizations are allowed to play up to three players up to the Elite roster or down to the Minor Division in one given day. For organizations with two Minor Division teams, any player on the Elite roster that is not listed as a Franchise Player can play down to the Minor Division, but can only play for one of the Minor Division teams, the player cannot play for the second Minor team for the remainder of the season. After twelve games of playing on the Elite roster, that player becomes a permanent member of the Elite roster, and is ineligible to play in any further games in the Minor division during that season. The Elite roster with Franchise Players must be declared by the first game of the season.

Table of comparison

The following table lists some of the key differences between AIHL and FIRS rules.

External links

• Official USARS Rulebook
• AIHL Rules Addendum

simple:American Inline Hockey League rules