PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT ALL TEAMS must RESPECT AND FOLLOW
QUICK SUMMARY
- Minimum number of regular season games played to qualify for playoffs is 5 games.
- Jersey conflict rule: the team with the fewest players on the rink changes jerseys.
- Playoff ID check is mandatory for all players.
THE WIHL: FULL RULES AND REGULATIONS
SCHEDULE - SCHEDULING:
Schedule for the season will be released as follows:
- Tykes, Youth and Junior regular season schedule released in full on April 9, 2023
- Men's first half regular season schedule (up to May 3, 2023) released on April 9, 2023
- Men's second half regular season schedule released by May 1, 2023
- Playoff schedule released by May 26, 2023 (with teams updated by June 1)
SCHEDULE - SCHEDULE REQUESTS:
Please note that we only accept requests for schedule, not demands, and can't feasibly accommodate all requests.
SCHEDULE - SCHEDULE CHANGES:
The league requires that a full week's notice be given to request rescheduling of a game. Schedule change requests are not guaranteed. If given the proper 7 days' notice we will do our best to arrange changes with other teams.
SCHEDULE - DIVISION TIERING:
Division tiering will be done 1-3 times within a season.
The league will be responsible to determine if your team moves up, moves down or remains in the same division.
Decisions made by the league will be final.
ROSTER - PLAYER REGISTRATION:
ALL PLAYERS who wish to play in any game at any point in the season MUST have completed the online registration & waiver form, NO EXCEPTIONS! If you don't register online, you won't play.
Registrations can be accessed from the menu bar on the home page of the website.
A login account will be required to complete the registration process.
ROSTER - AGE REQUIREMENTS:
Any minor player who wishes to enter the adult roller hockey program must be cleared by the league to participate and must also be registered in the WIHL Youth League. A parent or legal guardian must sign a release form allowing any player under the age of 18 to participate in adult roller hockey. Minor players participating in adult hockey leagues shall be treated like any other player on the floor - those who are not comfortable will be asked to return to the youth league only instead.
All players under the age of 18 must wear full face protection. Any minor player without proper face protection during a game will be ejected from the game and the team will be served with a minor penalty for delay of game.
ROSTER - SUBMITTING YOUR TEAMS ROSTER FOR EACH GAME:
Before every game, a sign-in sheet is required to be completed. Team captains and coaches will find these sheets with the scorekeeper prior to their game.
Please complete the sheet with all players who will participate in the game and ensure that their jersey number is accurate.
Any player who is found on the sheet who is not registered for the league will be removed from the game.
Any player found to be playing under someone else's name will be given a game ejection.
All rosters sheets are to be handed in to the scorekeeper at the START of warm-up.
ROSTER - MIN PLAYERS NEEDED TO START A GAME:
In order for a Roller Hockey game to start, a team must have 5 bodies on the floor: 4 players and a goalie, OR 5 players and no goalie.
Q: “We have 4 players here and our goalie is on the way “
A: you have 10 min for your goalie to get on the floor or the game is a forfeit.
Q: “ We have 5 players but our goalie didn’t show up, can we dress one of our players as a goalie“
A: you have 10 min for the player to dress as goalie or the game is a forfeit.
Q: "We do not have enough players to field a team for our scheduled game. Can we ask the other team to donate players?".
A: providing there is a mutual agreement between the two teams coaches and players, this arrangement is acceptable.
For any team who uses any portion of the 10 minutes to get someone dressed or waiting for someone to show up, once the required number of people have arrived, the team will start the game short handed with a minor penalty for delay of game.
ROSTER - PLAYERS ARRIVING LATE:
Players are allowed to enter the game late, but they must be on the rink and in the game before the end of the first period. Once the buzzer goes to end the first period no player shall be allowed to join the game.
ROSTER - MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS:
We do not enforce a maximum number of rostered players, however during playoffs we will disallow any ineligible players.
ROSTER - ATTENDANCE:
Regular Season will be a predetermined number of games.
Any player who wishes to be eligible for playoffs must have played at least 33% of regular season games.
The WIHL will consider only the team sign-in sheets as proof of the number of games attended.
If you are injured/ill and not able to play, please make every effort to come to the rink and complete the sign-in sheet to get credit for the game, making sure that the scorekeeper knows you will not be participating in the game that day. If you are unable to make it to the rink to sign in, please send the league an email at info@winnipeginline.com and the Board will review your case, which may require you to submit supporting documentation.
ROSTER - COACHES:
Teams are allowed to have a coach on the bench but this is not the “friends cheering section”. Anyone on the bench who is not acting in a proper hockey manner will be removed. Anyone on the bench must be properly registered to the roster and have signed a waiver.
ROSTER - SPARE GOALIE : OUR TEAM NEEDS A SPARE GOALIE
We all know it happens, “my goalie can't make it tonight“.
Goalies can be pulled from any other team within the same division or any division lower for a game.
If you cannot find a goalie that meets these requirements and your “only” hope for a goalie is a goalie in a division above, you must get clearance from The WIHL before said goalie is allowed to play with you.
ROSTER - SPARE PLAYER : OUR TEAM NEEDS A SPARE PLAYER:
Teams requiring a spare player must first pull a spare player from within the same division or lower. If you are absolutely stuck for players, please contact us and we will help you find bodies, there is no reason for any team to be pulling players down from divisions above.
ROSTER - MULTIPLE TEAMS : I WANT TO PLAY ON TWO TEAMS, AM I ALLOWED?
Yes you are allowed, we encourage players to enjoy as much hockey as they like, as long as you are registered and have paid appropriate fees.
The WIHL rule on multiple tier players is as follows: If, for example, you are playing on a top division team and your group of friends plays in a bottom division. You are allowed to play for the lower division team, but please be aware that if any top division player becomes the reason that a lower division team is winning it's games, the whole team will move up or down in divisions accordingly. The league will place the team where it best fits in divisions based on the players who are on the roster.
ROSTER - MULTIPLE TEAMS : I WANT TO PLAY ON TWO TEAMS BUT THEY HAVE BOTH ENDED UP IN THE SAME DIVISION.
You are welcome to play for two teams within the same division, but when they play each other you will have to pick one side or the other.
Once playoffs hit, you are allowed to continue with both teams. Should they meet in the playoffs you will be required to play with only one team for that entire series.
If the team you chose to play for loses in the playoffs, you are allowed to return to the other team.
GAME - STRUCTURE:
All games will fit into a one hour time slot.
Games will all be played at Maginot Arena, Winnipeg, MB.
Games will be played on predetermined nights of the week.
Week night games can start as early as 6:00 pm and end as late as 11:00 pm
Weekend games (if necessary) can start as early as 11:00 am and end as late as 12:00 am
GAME - PLAY TIME:
All games will consist of:
- 5 min warm up, which will start at the scheduled game time or as the previous teams leaves the floor. Example: If your scheduled game time is 8:00 pm and the previous game finishes at 7:58, your warm up still starts at 8:00 pm. If the previous game ends at 8:02, you will still get a proper 5 min warm up once the previous teams leave the floor.
NOTE: *we do not make warm up exceptions for players / goalies who are late*
- 2 X 24 min run time periods.
- 1 minute intermission
Please gather your pucks quickly at the end of warm up as this helps to keep everything on track. You will all get some of the late games in the week and the more organized everyone is, the better the whole thing keeps up.
GAME - INTERMISSION :
Intermission will be 1 minute. Time is to start as soon as the buzzer from the first period ends. Please have your teams ready to start the second period.
GAME - STOP TIME:
Regular season : last 2 min of the game within 3 goals.
Playoffs season : last 2 min of the game within 3 goals.
GAME - WARM UP PUCKS :
Supplied by your own team
GAME - GAME PUCKS :
Supplied by the WIHL
GAME - TIE GAMES:
Regular season games : Games that end in a tie, will be played 3 on 3 for a 5 min run time period. If at the end of the 5 min the game is still tied, it will remain as a tie and the game is done.
Playoff games
- Overtime 1 will consist of 5 min of 4 on 4 play, no stop time.
- Overtime 2 will consist of 20 min 3 on 3 play, no stop time.
PENALTIES - PENALTIES :
All Minor Penalties will go up on the clock as 2:30 min
All Minor penalties will be entered into the stats program as a 2 min minor
All Double Minor Penalties will go up on the clock as 5:00 min
All Double Minor Penalties will be entered into the stats program as 2 min + 2 min
A 5 min Major Penalty will go up on the clock as 6:00 min.
All Major penalties will be entered into the stats program as either a 5 or 10 min.
All Penalties will be running time along with the game.
For coincidental penalties, both players will serve their penalty and the game remains 4 on 4. The referee will tell the players at what time their penalty expires, however, players must wait until a whistle after penalty expiration before returning to game play.
3 penalty rule: Any player who accumulates 3 penalties in any game will be given a warning from the referee or ejected from the game at the referee's discretion.
Q: “ I took a minor penalty with 2:45 left in the game, and its about to go into stop time. Shouldn't I now only get a 2:00 min instead”
A: no everything is consistent from start to finish. If the clock stops while you're in the box, you sit there.
PENALTIES - BROKEN STICKS:
If at any time your stick breaks during the game, drop the stick immediately and leave it alone. The referee will pick up the stick on the next whistle and bring it to the bench for you. If you continue to skate with a broken stick in your hands you will be given a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
PENALTIES - SHOOTING THE PUCK OUT OF PLAY:
During the normal course of the game if the puck is shot out of play the whistle will be blown and a face off had.
If a team is short handed and shoots the puck directly out of play, a minor penalty for delay of game shall be assessed.
A goalie who comes out to play to puck is allowed, but any shot from the goalie that goes directly out of play, a minor penalty for delay of game shall be assessed.
PENALTIES - FIGHTING:
The WIHL is a non-contact league and fighting is not permitted.
All fights will be dealt with by the referees and game ejections and suspensions will be handed out accordingly.
PENALTIES - SUSPENSION OF GAMES:
All Match Penalties and Gross Misconducts are subject to review by the WIHL Executive
| Offence | Minimum Recommended Suspension |
| Game Ejection | Balance of Game |
| Game Misconduct | Balance of Game and review by WIHL Executive |
| Major Penalty (First Offense) | 1 Game and review by WIHL Executive |
| Major Penalty (Second Offense) | 2 Games and review by WIHL Executive |
| Major Penalty (Third Offense) | 3 Games and review by WIHL Executive |
| Fighting (First Offense) | 3 Games (depending on severity, instigator, aggressor, Referee's report, etc.) |
| Fighting (Any Subsequent Offense) | Balance of Season |
| Gross Misconduct | Automatic indefinite suspension pending review by WIHL Executive |
| Match Penalty | Automatic indefinite suspension pending review by WIHL Executive |
LEAGUE - PLAYOFF ID CHECKS:
ALL players who wish to participate in any playoff game must provide current and valid photo ID to the scorekeeper prior to game time.
- Facebook pages and Instagram pages are not allowed as a form of ID.
- Drivers licence, passport, Manitoba identification card, high school/post-secondary student card are accepted
If you are not able to provide current and valid ID to the score keeper you will not be able to participate in the game.
We will not accept anyone vouching for any player as confirmation.
LEAGUE - CODE OF CONDUCT - DRUGS & ALCOHOL:
Any player to be found intoxicated or high while participating in the game will be removed from the game at the referee's discretion. There is to be no alcohol or drugs on the bench at any time. This includes all players and or coaches. Any team who is found to have alcohol or drugs on the bench will be issued a team penalty. If the specific player can be identified, that player will be removed from the game.
LEAGUE - STATS CORRECTIONS:
If there are issues with the stats from your game, please send us an email at info@winnipeginline.com. If they are sent in and seem to be reasonable we will adjust them. If the same player is sending in each week looking for extra points, the emails will get ignored.
LEAGUE - TEAM PAYMENTS:
Please make sure that your team is aware of the payment structure for the season. The player info and season information can be found on the website and payments are all clearly indicated on these pages. Teams who do not meet their financial requirements will be faced with eviction from the league.
LEAGUE - JERSEY CONFLICTS:
If two teams are both wearing the same colour jerseys or similar, the team with the least amount of rostered players in that particular game will be asked to wear bibs or go and change to their alternate jerseys.
If you know you are playing a team with the same jerseys as yours do your part to plan ahead and have two separate colours to wear.
LEAGUE - JERSEYS AND NUMBERS:
Teams must be dressed in matching jerseys. If you are bringing spares you must ensure that the new player has a matching jersey. Teams are expected to have extra jerseys on hand for these types of players/situations.
If your team is blue then all the jerseys must be the exact same shade of blue. A San Jose sharks blue and an Edmonton Oilers blue will not be allowed.
All jerseys MUST have a number on the back. No number = No play.
A blank jersey will NOT be allowed as number 0.
Please do your part in making sure you do not have players with the same number.
If your team does not have a set of jerseys, a team set can be borrowed from the WIHL for the season. (deposit will be required).
LEAGUE - FACILITY DAMAGE:
Any player or team who is found to be causing damage or harm to the facility will be subject to a fine. We are doing our best to bring you a quality place to play. If you choose to wreck it, you will be held responsible.
LEAGUE - the WIHL 24 HOUR RULE:
The WIHL is aware and recognizes that there may be complaints made during the season. The WIHL requests that the complaint be put in writing and be submitted within 24 hours after the incident. We are committed to resolve all issues as they arise, and will respond promptly.
ADDITIONAL:
If there are rules on this page that are not made clear, or you would like to see additional rules added, please contact The WIHL at info@winnipeginline.com
Thank you and game on!
