1.0 Background

 

The Foothills Recreational Hockey League (FRHL) started in 1995 and currently comprises the communities of, Black Diamond, Bragg Creek, Millarville and Priddis. The main goals of the FRHL are to offer a fun, non-contact, family-oriented hockey league that promotes sportsmanship and involvement in hockey for any child, regardless of their ability, and to offer recruitment and retention opportunities for new players and those seasoned players that are seeking an alternative forum in which to play “the game”. 

 

  

 

The League recognizes that there is a wide variety of talent among the players in the Foothills Recreational Hockey League, however it is each coach's responsibility to ensure that each player is given an equal opportunity to play and develop an enjoyment for the game of hockey and team play.

 

2.0 Teams and Organization

 

The League is comprised of six age/skill groupings based on age defined by birth year: 

• U7 <7yrs
• U9 7-<9yrs
• U11 9<11yrs
• U13 11<13yrs
• U15 13<15yrs
• U18 <18yrs

 

Generally, children are assigned to teams based upon their age on or before December 31. As well, the skill level of the child may be taken into consideration when assigning them to a team. Given the fun nature of the league, the priority is to match skills rather than age when preparing team rosters. Players may reasonably move up or down in age level with approval from the League Coordinators provided the player does not have a material impact on a team’s performance or the level of safety of all participants interacting with the player on the ice.

 

Children are allowed to play on a higher-level team providing both parent and coach give approval. Generally, this situation arises when a team is short of players, or when the player is looking for more challenging play.

 

One Coordinator is required to represent each community. Each Coordinator will work with other community Coordinators to facilitate scheduling of season games and tournaments. As a community representative, the coordinators’ mandate shall be to uphold the spirit of Alberta Recreational Hockey and facilitate fair play and sportsmanlike conduct among its players, coaches, and parents. In the event a situation arises before, during or after a league sanctioned game between the players, coaches and/ or parents of opposing teams that cannot be resolved at the coaching level, the coordinator shall intervene and work with the opposing team’s Coordinator in reaching a fair and equitable solution. The coordinators’ joint decision shall be final and binding.

 

3.0 Games and Practices

 

3.1 League Games

 

All league games are held on Saturdays and/or Sundays between October and March (weather permitting). Generally, any games that cannot be played due to poor weather or driving conditions are lost games and are not re-scheduled. However, if mutually agreed to by both coaches, re-scheduling of games is possible, depending on rink and player availability.

Games are cancelled when the air temperature, rather than temperature with windchill factor, is below -20°C. The league will use the air temperature as it appears on the Environment Canada Weather website/app to make the decision. Games may also be cancelled when ice conditions are poor, or when road conditions for travel are unsafe.

The decision to cancel games due to weather conditions will reside with Coordinators, and will be made 2 hours prior to scheduled game time in order to accurately assess the weather situation while also allowing for driving time for commuting teams. Recognizing the unpredictable nature of Alberta weather, should the need arise to cut short a game already in progress, the assessment and decision will be at the discretion of the respective Coaches.

 

Normal game times are 1 hour (45 min for U7 & U9). 

 

Both coaches and the referee(s) must mutually agree to any changes to the above. 

 

To ensure games are as competitive and fair as possible, the league enforces a 3-goal per game maximum for any individual player (including tournaments). If one team is significantly disadvantaged from a goal perspective, then this limit may be lifted to help even out the score. If there is a five-goal difference between the scores, the higher scoring team will stop adding to the score even though goals may be scored. This is not retroactive, meaning that if the lower scoring team gets a goal, the higher scoring team cannot add past goals only goals scored after the five-goal difference is no longer a factor.

 

3.2 Annual Tournament

 

The league organizes an annual tournament for all teams in March every year. The tournament schedule is organized in a round-robin format.

 

The league has decided against having shoot-outs when games end up tied during tournament play. Overall goals for/against will serve as a tiebreaker if two teams end up winning the same number of games. 

 

Players on teams for tournament games must:

 

• be part of the Group Insurance Plan, 
• be eligible to play in the respective age group 
• be on the team roster, and
• have played at least 75% of the season games with the team 

 

Exceptions must be reviewed with the tournament committee prior to the tournament start.

 

3.3 Practices

 

Each team is responsible for its own practices.

 

4.0 Equipment

 

4.1 General

Players that participate in the Foothills Recreational Hockey League must wear a full set of hockey equipment which includes: helmet with face guard, neck guard, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, pants, jock/jill strap, shin pads and skates (no picks). 

 

Any player not wearing all the above-mentioned equipment will not be allowed on the ice. Referees and Coaches are required to enforce this.

 

In the event of cold weather during outside games, players will need extra layers that are not normally needed for inside games or warmer weather. Some tricks include wearing thin wool gloves inside hockey gloves, a balaclava or thin toque under the helmet, and a thin wool/polypropylene underwear as a first or base layer.

 

4.2 Goaltenders

 

Goaltenders must have proper goalie equipment:  goalie shoulder/chest/arm protector, goalie leg pads, pants, jock/jill strap, blocker and catching gloves, goalie mask (or hard plastic neck protector added to certified helmet and face guard) and neck guard. Any goaltender not wearing all the above-mentioned equipment will not be allowed on the ice. Referees and Coaches are expected to enforce this.

 

The above goalie equipment is required for theU11 and higher divisions as players in these age groups have hard and accurate shots and there are a lot of scrums in front of the net.

 

Some substitutions can be made at the U7 & U9 level if the safety of the child is maintained (e.g., road warrior foam pads may be substituted for leather pads, which may be too heavy for this age group).

 

5.0 Rules & Regulations – Modified from Hockey Canada Rules
https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Hockey-Programs/Officiating/Downloads/rulebook_casebook_e.pdf

 

5.1.1 General

The League generally follows the rules and regulations of Hockey Canada. The main exception is rules relating to body checking or purposeful body contact, since this is a no-contact league. The following describes some of the areas of emphasis and exception.

5.1.2 PENALTIES

 

Minor penalties (as defined by Hockey Canada) are 3 minutes run time (or 2 minutes stop time) in duration. Examples of minor penalties that are most common in this league include tripping and interference. Three minor penalties in one game by any player will result in a game ejection, and the player is eligible to play the next game (no write up is required). If this becomes a pattern with any player, that player’s Coach must assess the situation and take appropriate action in consultation with the respective League Coordinator. 

 

Major penalties (as defined by Hockey Canada) will result in an automatic Match Penalty in our League with the ejection of the player from the game and another player who was on the ice during the infraction serving a 6-minute run time (5 min stop time) penalty. In the Foothills Recreational Hockey League, Match Penalties include offences such as purposeful contact with the intent to injure another player. Match penalties require a write up by the Referee (Sample Game Incident Report attached at end) who makes the call, which is then to be forwarded to the respective League Coordinators. It will also result in an automatic one game suspension plus any additional games as warranted by the respective League Coordinators. 

 

All Penalties shall be ruled according to the Hockey Canada regulations Sections 6 to 9 (p. 90-126). At the discretion of the referee Minor penalties may be escalated to Match Penalties depending upon the severity of the infraction and whether there was intent to injure another player, coach, official, spectator or facility employee.

 

Section 6.2 p. 91 of the Hockey Canada regulations covers hockey for non-contact situations such as U13 & lower divisions and our Foothills Recreational Hockey League. Body Checking penalties shall be ruled consistent with this regulation.

 

Please note that the assigning of penalties may vary for each division. Please refer to the relevant section(s) below.

 

SLAP SHOT RESTRICTION - Only 'snapshots' (that is, shots with a back swing that do not rise above the waist) are permitted. A 'slapshot', or a shot with a back swing that rises above the waist, will result in the play being stopped immediately, face-off outside the zone (like the result of a high stick when a stick contacts the puck above the shoulder). 

 

PENALTY ESCALATION MATRIX NOTES - If ejected from a game, an E-mail is to be sent to the coordinators for each community with teams involved by the Referee(s), Player, Parent and Coach(es), explaining why the player should be allowed to continue playing in the league. Feedback or input from other parties regarding the incident will be reviewed and may help form the decision.

If the Foothills Recreational Hockey League Board does not agree with the reasoning why the player should be allowed to continue playing in the league, the Player/Parent/Coach, as a single cohesive unit, can ask for a second review.

If the Foothills Recreational Hockey League Board does not agree with the reasoning provided, the Player/Parent/Coach, as a single cohesive unit, can ask for a final review through the Review Committee to a committee composed of three referees randomly selected for the other levels of the Foothills Recreational Hockey League and the Player's School Principal (if she/he is available).

If a player's request to continue playing in Foothills Recreational Hockey League is denied, all fees are non-refundable.

 

Note: Depending on the nature and severity of the Match penalty, a player may not be allowed to participate in the Foothills Recreational Hockey League for the remainder of the season and will only be allowed to participate in future years at the discretion of the Board. All payments/fees are forfeit to Foothills Recreational Hockey League.

 

5.2 U7/U9

 

5.2.1 General

 

In the U7/U9 divisions, the players are encouraged to develop their skating and puck handling abilities by following the puck and moving it in the general direction of the opponent’s net.

 

U7/U9 levels will normally play on ½ ice surface for a 45min game. No score is kept for U7/U9.

 

Icing, offsides, and penalties are not called at this level, so there are very few opportunities to stop the play and allow players to change. To ensure everyone has equal playing time, the referee will stop the play every ±3 minutes and ask for a line change. Play resumes with a face-off at one of the five face-off circles nearest the puck at the time of the whistle. (Note: the blueline circles are not used for face-offs; it causes too much confusion for the players trying to find their positions. In this case, it's better to use the center ice circle.) 

 

It is important for the referee to be sensitive to the proper time to stop the play and ask for a line change; typically, this is when there is a slowdown in the play around the three (3) minute mark. If there is a lot of action at the three (3) minute mark, then it is more important to let the kids keep playing than to stop the play. 

 

Ideally, one referee and two on-ice coaches (one from each team) are required to 'officiate' these games. The referee is responsible for keeping time and scheduling line changes, and the coaches are responsible for providing the players with encouragement, guidance, advice on where to position themselves during face-offs, and to wipe the occasional tear.

 

If the score is posted, the differential between the teams should not exceed 5 goals. 

 

5.2.2 Penalties

None.

 

5.2.3 Icing and Off-Sides

None.

 

5.3 U11

 

5.3.1 General

 

At this level, players have started to develop puck-handling abilities, the sense of positional play and a competitive spirit that leads to the occasional minor penalty for tripping and lots of good-natured complaints to the referee about all the 'body checking'! 

 

Games may be officiated by either one referee or preferably two referees. It is the responsibility of the home team to supply at least one referee. When possible, it is ideal for the visiting team to also supply a referee. In cases where a visiting referee is not available then a second referee from the home team is advisable.

 

In a one-referee system, the official needs to play from goal line to goal line (or at least face-off circle to face-off circle). There are numerous scrums around the net which requires a 'quick' whistle when the puck is out of sight.

 

There are some limitations with a single referee. Firstly, the offside calls at the blueline are questionable at times because the official isn't in proper position. Secondly, the referee is not able to give advice to players who demonstrate questionable play (see section 5.3.2 - Penalties).

 

A single referee system is acceptable for the U11 division. A discussion about behavior or actions is much more effective at this age than a penalty.

5.3.2 Penalties

All penalties are called consistently and will be served by the player in the penalty box. The player's team will play short-handed until the penalty expires, or the other team scores a goal. There are to be no penalty shots, unless as directed by Hockey Alberta rules (i.e., tripping during a breakaway).

 

5.3.3 Icing and Offside

To prevent injuries to players racing for the puck at the end of the rink, icing is called immediately when the puck crosses the goal line.

 

Blueline offsides are the most common call in the U11/U13 division and are called consistently. This reinforces the concept of positional play. Coaches are encouraged to teach this concept, especially to new players that are moving from the U7/U9 divisions.

 

Two-line passes are rare but are called consistently as well. 

 

If the score is posted, the differential between the teams should not exceed 5 goals. 

 

5.4 U13

 

5.4.1 General

 

The kids are starting to put on a little weight, gain some speed and become more competitive, so we start to see some physical play that isn't considered body checking, but more like the bumps that occur in soccer. Sometimes it's very difficult to distinguish between a bump and a check, so it's important to always follow the play to observe the intent of the player that is key to making the call. Also, we start to see retaliatory play. You may judge a player's actions as a bump, but the player at the receiving end will sometimes take retaliatory action that has the intent. These types of actions are penalties and must be always called. Failure to call these types of penalties will lead to bad behavior/habits in the future.

 

With the need to be always observant of intent, a two-referee system is very important in this age category. A single referee can carry the game, but it is a lot of work and has the potential to get out of hand very quickly. It is the responsibility of the home team to supply at least one referee. Where possible it is ideal for the visiting team to also supply a referee. In cases where a visiting referee is not available then a second referee from the home team is advisable.

 

The other aspect of the game that intensifies at this level is the play around the net. The two-referee system allows one official to be always positioned on the goal line beside or behind the net. This ensures that the whistle is blown quickly when the puck is no longer visible ('smothered') to prevent injuries to players around the goal, especially the goalie. Again, the competitive spirit has intensified from U11, so a quick whistle is a must.

 

5.4.2 Penalties

 

All penalties are called consistently and will be served by the player in the penalty box. The player's team will play short-handed until the penalty expires, or the other team scores a goal. There are to be no penalty shots, unless as directed by Hockey Alberta rules (i.e., tripping during a breakaway).

 

5.4.3 Icing and Offside

 

See U11.

 

If the score is posted, the differential between the teams should not exceed 5 goals. 

 

5.4 U15

 

5.4.1 General

 

As with U13 we continue to see some physical play that isn't considered body checking, but more like the bumps that occur in soccer. Sometimes it's very difficult to distinguish between a bump and a check, so it's important to always follow the play to observe the intent of the player that is key to making the call. Also, we start to see retaliatory play. You may judge a player's actions as a bump, but the player at the receiving end will sometimes take retaliatory action that has the intent. These types of actions are penalties and must be always called. Failure to call these types of penalties will lead to bad behavior/habits in the future.

 

With the need to be always observant of intent, a two-referee system is very important in this age category. A single referee can carry the game, but it is a lot of work and has the potential to get out of hand very quickly. It is the responsibility of the home team to supply at least one referee. Where possible it is ideal for the visiting team to also supply a referee. In cases where a visiting referee is not available then a second referee from the home team is advisable.

 

The other aspect of the game that intensifies at this level is the play around the net. The two-referee system allows one official to be always positioned on the goal line beside or behind the net. This ensures that the whistle is blown quickly when the puck is no longer visible ('smothered') to prevent injuries to players around the goal, especially the goalie. Again, the competitive spirit has intensified from U13, so a quick whistle is a must.

 

5.4.2 Penalties

 

All penalties are called consistently and will be served by the player in the penalty box. The player's team will play short-handed until the penalty expires, or the other team scores a goal. There are to be no penalty shots, unless as directed by Hockey Alberta rules (i.e., tripping during a breakaway).

 

5.4.3 Icing and Offside

 

See U11/U13.

 

If the score is posted, the differential between the teams should not exceed 5 goals. 

 

5.5 U18

5.5.1 General

 

Although the FRHL is a non-contact hockey league, U18-aged recreational hockey can still be fast and physical. It is vital at this age for officials to keep control of the game by having a zero-tolerance policy towards body checking and disrespectful behavior. Given the speed of some of these players, a two-referee system is the only effective way to adequately officiate these games. It is the responsibility of both teams to supply at least one referee who should have some experience and/or training in officiating hockey games. 

 

The other aspect of the game that intensifies at this level is the play around the net. The two-referee system allows one official to be always positioned on the goal line beside or behind the net. This ensures that the whistle is blown quickly when the puck is no longer visible ('smothered') to prevent injuries to players around the goal, especially the goalie. A fast whistle is a must in these situations.

 

5.5.2 Penalties

 

All penalties are called consistently and will be served by the player in the penalty box. The player's team will play short-handed until the penalty expires, or the other team scores a goal. There are to be no penalty shots, unless as directed by Minor Hockey rules (i.e., tripping during a breakaway).

 

5.5.3 Icing and Offside

 

See U15.

6.0 Insurance

 

Players that participate in the Foothills Recreational Hockey League are registered through the Rec. Hockey program of Hockey Alberta. Part of the registration fees from each child represents the premium for the Group Insurance Policy under Hockey Alberta - Recreational Hockey Program. This insurance policy is mandatory.

 

NOTE: this Group Insurance Policy covers only registered players, coaches, referees, and coordinators. Volunteers (excluding registered coaches and referees) are not covered under this policy. Some communities have created Sports Associations that may provide additional insurance coverage; please check with your local league representative.