Major RIAHA Playing Rules

MAJOR RIAHA PLAYING RULES


1. TEAM MUST PLAY 20 GAMES (14 GAMES  FOR GIRLS) AND EACH PLAYER MUST PARTICIPATE IN AT LEAST 10 GAMES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR REGIONAL AND NATIONAL PLAYOFFS.  (USA HOCKEY)

2. EACH PLAYER MUST PARTICIPATE IN 3/4 OR 75% of  GAMES, WHICH EVER IS LESS, OF TEAM'S RIAHA STATE LEAGUE GAMES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR RIAHA PLAYOFFS. (RIAHA)

3. PLAYERS NOT ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN RIAHA STATE LEAGUE GAMES OR RIAHA PLAYOFFS FOR REASON OF CONDITIONAL RELEASE MAY PARTICIPATE IN REGIONAL AND NATIONAL PLAYOFFS. (USA HOCKEY)

4. ANY PLAYER RECEIVING 4 PENALTIES IN A GAME (STATE LEAGUE, EXHIBITION, OR TOURNAMENT) WILL RECEIVE A GAME MISCONDUCT AND MUST BE REMOVED FROM THAT GAME AND THE FOLLOWING:

    A) FIRST TIME:        MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT GAME               
                                      - LIKE GAME FOR LIKE GAME

    B) SECOND TIME:   MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT 3 GAMES
                                       - 2 OF WHICH MUST BE STATE LEAGUE
      
    C)   THIRD TIME:      MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT 5 GAMES
                                        - 3 OF WHICH MUST BE STATE LEAGUE

5. ANY PLAYER, FOR THE FOURTH OR SUBSEQUENT TIME, RECEIVING 4 PENALTIES IN A GAME WILL RECEIVE A GAME MISCONDUCT, AND MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN ALL FURTHER USA HOCKEY ACTIVITIES UNTIL THE PLAYER HAS APPEARED BEFORE THE RIAHA DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE FOR A HEARING.  SUCH HEARING MUST BE HELD WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE GAME.

            NOTE:  IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COACH TO NOTIFY THEIR MA AND RIAHA
                         DIVISION COORDINATOR WITHIN 48 HOURS OF ANY GAME MISCONDUCT
                         OFFENSE THE COACH WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

  6.  FIGHTING PENALTIES

(A)       FIRST FIGHTING PENALTY:  ANY PLAYER RECEIVING A GAME  MISCONDUCT FOR
            FIGHTING MUST BE REMOVED FROM THAT GAME AND MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN
            THE NEXT 2 GAMES, 1 OF WHICH MUST BE A STATE LEAGUE GAME.
                                                             
(B)       SECOND FIGHTING PENALTY:  THE PLAYER MUST BE REMOVED FROM THAT GAME                AND NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT 5 GAMES, 3 OF WHICH MUST BE STATE LEAGUE             GAMES (THE PLAYER'S NEXT 3 STATE LEAGUE GAMES)

(C)      THIRD FIGHTING PENALTY:  THE PLAYER MUST BE REMOVED FROM THAT GAME AND            NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RIAHA LEAGUE FOR ONE CALENDAR            YEAR FROM THE DATE OF THE INFRACTION.  ALSO, THE PLAYER MUST APPEAR BEFORE            THE RIAHA DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE.

  NOTE:  THE WORD GAME REFERS TO ANY GAME  (STATE LEAGUE, EXHIBITION OR
                TOURNAMENT) PLAYED.  IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COACH TO
                NOTIFY THEIR MA AND RIAHA DIVISION COORDINATOR  WITHIN 48 HOURS
               OF SUCH OFFENSE.  THE COACH WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

7. GAME MISCONDUCTS

(A) ANY PLAYER RECEIVING A GAME MISCONDUCT FOR ANY REASON MUST SERVE LIKE GAME FOR LIKE GAME.

(B) ANY PLAYER, COACH, OR TEAM OFFICIAL RECEIVING A SECOND GAME MISCONDUCT IN ANY ONE SEASON, IN ANY GAME, MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN ALL FURTHER USA HOCKEY ACTIVITIES UNTIL THE PLAYER, COACH, OR TEAM OFFICIAL HAS APPEARED BEFORE THE RIAHA DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE FOR A HEARING.  SUCH HEARING MUST BE HELD WITHIN 30 DAYS OF GAME.

            EXCEPTION:  GAME MISCONDUCT PENALTY FOR 4B, 4C, 6B


  NOTE:  THE WORD GAME REFERS TO ANY GAME (STATE LEAGUE, EXHIBITION OR
               TOURNAMENT) PLAYED.  IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COACH TO
               NOTIFY THEIR MA AND RIAHA DIVISION COORDINATOR WITHIN 48
               HOURS OF SUCH OFFENSE.  THE COACH WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.       
               
      
(C) ANY PLAYER, COACH, OR TEAM OFFICIAL RECEIVING A THIRD GAME MISCONDUCT IN ANY SEASON IN ANY GAME MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN ALL FURTHER USA HOCKEY ACTIVITIES UNTIL THE PLAYER, COACH, OR TEAM OFFICIAL HAS APPEARED BEFORE THE RIAHA DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE FOR A HEARING.  SUCH HEARING MUST BE HELD WITHIN 30 DAYS OF GAME.

                    EXCEPTION:  GAME MISCONDUCT PENALTY UNDER 4C

   NOTE:  THE WORD GAME REFERS TO ANY GAME (STATE  LEAGUE, EXHIBITION
                OR TOURNAMENT) PLAYED.  IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COACH TO
                NOTIFY THEIR MA AND RIAHA DIVISION COORDINATOR WITHIN 48 HOURS
                OF SUCH  OFFENSE.  THE COACH WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.


8. ANY PLAYER, COACH, OR TEAM OFFICIAL RECEIVING A MATCH PENALTY, GROSS PENALTY, INTENT TO INJURE, OR PENALTY CALLING FOR A HEARING UNDER USA HOCKEY RULES (IN ANY GAME) MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN ALL FURTHER USA HOCKEY ACTIVITIES UNTIL THE PLAYER, COACH, OR TEAM OFFICIAL HAS APPEARED BEFORE THE RIAHA DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE FOR A HEARING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE USA HOCKEY RULES.

NOTE:  THE WORD GAME REFERS TO ANY GAME (STATE LEAGUE, EXHIBITION OR
               TOURNAMENT) PLAYED.  IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COACH TO
               NOTIFY THEIR MA AND RIAHA DIVISION COORDINATOR WITHIN 48 HOURS
               OF SUCH OFFENSE.  THE COACH WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

9.   ANY AGGRESSIVE PENALTY (FOR EXAMPLE BUT NOT ALL INCLUSIVE) ROUGHING, ELBOWING, HIGH STICKING, SLASHING, OR CROSS CHECKING, OR MAJOR PENALTY THAT CANNOT BE SERVED IN IT'S ENTIRETY IN A GAME SHALL BE CARRIED OVER TO THE NEXT GAME.  A PLAYER INCURRING SUCH A PENALTY MUST SERVE THE FIRST FIVE (5) MINUTES OF THE NEXT GAME IN THE PENALTY BOX.  THE OFFENDING TEAM WILL NOT SKATE SHORT HANDED.  IF THE INFRACTION OCCURS DURING A STATE LEAGUE GAME, THE OFFENDING PLAYER MUST SERVE THE PENALTY DURING THE NEXT STATE LEAGUE GAME.  (LIKE GAME FOR LIKE GAME)

10.  THE STATE LEAGUE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE WILL HOLD HEARINGS ON THE FIRST AND THE THIRD THURSDAYS OF EACH MONTH.  A $25.00 FEE SHALL BE ASSESSED FOR EACH HEARING BROUGHT BEFORE THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE.  THE MA REQUIRING A HEARING WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING THE RESPECTIVE STATE LEAGUE DIVISION COORDINATOR OF ANY INFRACTION REQUIRING A HEARING.  THE DIVISION COORDINATOR WILL INITIATE THE NECESSARY ACTION WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE.  PLAYERS REQUIRING A HEARING SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY AT LEAST ONE PARENT, THE PLAYER'S COACH, AND THE PRESIDENT OR OTHER MA OFFICIAL.

11. STATE LEAGUE GAME SHEETS MUST BE TO THE RESPECTIVE DIVISION COORDINATORS WITHIN 72 HOURS OF THE GAME BY THE WINNING  TEAM SHALL BE ASSESSED A $5.00 LATE FEE.

12. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HOME TEAM TO NOTIFY THE RESPECTIVE DIVISION COORDINATOR OF ANY SCHEDULE CHANGES.  FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A $5.00 PENALTY ASSESSED TO THE MA.

13. OTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTION MAY BE DEALT WITH BY THE RIAHA DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE AS DEEMED BY THE RIAHA EXECUTIVE BOARD.

14.  IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COACH OF EACH TEAM TO CHECK THE SCORE SHEET FOR ANY INFRACTION OF RULES 4, 5, 6, 7 OR 9.  THESE INFRACTIONS MUST BE NOTED IN THE WHITE BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCORE SHEET AND SIGNED BY THE REFEREES.  WHEN THE PLAYER SERVES HIS/HER PENALTY IT IS ALSO TO BE NOTED AND SIGNED BY THE REFEREES.

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COACHES AND THE MA'S PRESIDENT AND/OR BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO INSURE THAT THESE RULES ARE ADHERED TO.
ATTEMPTING TO CIRCUMVENT THE RULES DOES NOTHING TOWARDS FOSTERING GOOD
SPORTSMANSHIP AND THE COMPETITIVE SPIRIT AMONG OUR YOUNG AND IMPRESSIONABLE ATHLETES.  IGNORANCE OF THE RULES IS ALSO NOT AN EXCUSE.