Regular Season Rules/Information (Western Ontario Girls Hockey League)

WOGHL REGULAR SEASON RULES/INSTRUCTIONS

U9 (half ice) until January 15 will play 2 x 22min halves with 2 min buzzer.

Minimum  Maximum
All U9 (full ice) 10-10-12 10-15-15
U11 BB/B/C/HL 10-10-12 10-15-15
U13 BB/B/C/HL 10-10-12 10-15-15
U15 B/C/HL 10-10-12 10-15-15
U18 B/C/HL 10-10-12 10-15-15

Period lengths will be a minimum of 10-10-12 to a maximum of 10-15-15 and a recommendation of NO CURFEW.
The home team shall decide the game lengths if longer than the minimum based on their ice availability.
The Home team is to communicate the game lengths/curfews with the visiting team and should be noted on the RAMP game sheet app and reported to the officials and timekeeper.  

Minimum 1hr15min Maximum 1hr30min-2hr
U15 BB 15-15-15 (no flood) 15-15-Flood-15
U18 BB 15-15-15 (no flood) 15-15-Flood-15

Period lengths will be 15-15-Flood-15 and recommendation of NO CURFEW. Teams must have a minimum of 1.25hrs of game ice. We recommend 1.5hr time slots for games.  If a team only has 1.25hrs available the flood is to be eliminated.
 
The Home team is to communicate the game lengths/curfews with the visiting team and should be noted on the RAMP game sheet app and reported to the officials and timekeeper.  

Curfews:

1. All League games are expected to start at their designated starting times. WOGHL recommends "NO" curfews where possible although they will be allowed for all regular season games.  No curfew in all Playoff games, ¼ final, semi final and Day of Champions.  If you do not enter the ice for your designated start time due to prior rentals/games you should have your regular scheduled ice allottment from the time you enter the ice. (ex 50min from the time you enter not 50min from your scheduled start time)

2. Prior to the start of the game, the home team will communicate with the visiting team if there is a curfew to be put in place or not.

3. If curfews are to be in place, it must be approved by both teams prior to the start of the game.  The time designated for the time keeper to sound the horn to end the game must be communicated and noted.  The horn must sound at the curfew time no matter what is happening in the game on the ice at the time.  The timekeeper shall be the only one to sound the end of game horn. The referees reserve the right to blow the whistle to end the game at the designated curfew time should the horn not sound.

4. All League games shall consist of three (3) stop time periods as designated for that division.

5. A (2:30) warm up will start each game.  The horn shall sound with 30seconds remaining in the warmup to initiate the start of the game procedures.

6. All games are STOP time. Running time is not allowed and, if used, will result in the game being replayed if the visiting team loses the game.

7. All Regular season games played under WOGHL must have a curfew notice if in effect. When a team creates a game through the RAMP Game Portal, after all the game details are entered, in the NOTES box, please enter the Curfew information. This information will show on the RAMP Gamesheet APP. in the game details just above the game codes.  If there are no notes in this section there is to be no curfew unless prior to the game a curfew was agreed upon by both teams.

a) If the game is played in an arena with no curfew, the notification will read “NO CURFEW” or no information input. The game must be played in its entirety.

b) In arenas where there is a curfew, the notification will state “CURFEW and a specified time of day” (e.g., CURFEW 7:50 p.m.). The game must stop at the specified time with no exceptions.

c) Whether the curfew notice reads NO CURFEW/no text input or has a specified time, a rostered member of the Coaching Staff of both teams is required to be notified prior to the start of the game.

d) All game officials (referee(s) & timekeepers) must be notified of the curfew as well. They will be able to see this information via the RAMP Game sheet app on the game details page.

e) Not following a) through d) may result in a forfeit of the game by the home team should the game be protested. If, in the sole judgement of the WOGHL and its Protest Committee, the result of the game was not affected by the breaking of Curfew rule, the protest can be dismissed.

f) A home team can not have a “curfew” determined by the arena staff.  The game must end at the specified curfew time regardless.  The timekeeper is to sound the horn and not the arena staff, the referees reserve the right to blow the whistle to end the game should the horn not sound at the specified time.

g) It will be the responsibility of the timekeeper to sound the end of game horn when the official day clock reaches the designated curfew time, and the game will be considered over at that point. Under no circumstances is the game to continue past the designated curfew time.  The curfew time horn is not to be sounded by the arena staff.

8. Games that must be curfewed due to a serious injury that requires medical assistance to be called or due to a serious mechanical equipment failure in the arena that makes playing dangerous or impossible are permitted to be ended even if the game sheet says no curfew.

9. Any regular season game curfewed after the start of the third period will be considered a complete game at the point of curfew. Any regular season game curfewed before the start of the third period will be considered to have been cancelled within the rules and without penalty and will be required to be rescheduled.

10. At no time should run time be implemented based on score differential

Ways to ensure you do not get curfewed.

• 1    Teams are ready to enter the ice when the Zamboni has completed the resurfacing and gates are closed

• 2.    Make sure the referees and time keepers are present 30min, 15min, 10min prior to game time

• 3.    Associations should contact municipalities/facilities to make sure arena staff are putting the nets on when resurfacing the  ice prior to games or in some instances between periods and not relying on the referees to do so.  This is not the job of the referees.

• 4.    Home teams should wear their white/light coloured jerseys and the Visiting teams should wear their dark jerseys. In the event of both teams having the same colour of jerseys the Home team is required to change.

Pick up Players:

a. Pick-Ups are not permitted for suspended players
b. All Pickup Player requests must be completed via RAMP Games Portal. To submit and approve a request please use the link that will take you to the OWHA website: PICKUP PLAYER REQUEST
c. For Regular Season League games, a team may pick up any eligible player, to a maximum of three (3) pick up players, from a lower category to bring the total team strength to, but not exceed, the number of officially registered players on the team. WOGHL/OWHA may authorize the movement of a goaltender from another association etc. for emergency situations only, identified as being situations in which the team would have no roster goalie available to play.  In this case please submit a pick up player request form and submit to [email protected].  The form is located under the WOGHL Forms tab.

Players must be (i)  lower category of the same age division,  (ii) lower category and/or lower age division, same category or lower (iii) same category and same age &same association (regular season only)
Goalies will be given special circumstances please email [email protected] for those cases

Starting Games Times:

The following guideline for Regular Season and Playoff game start times must be followed unless alternate arrangements are mutually agreed upon by both teams:

• Monday to Friday game start times must be such that starting travel time from the visiting centre is no earlier than 5:00 p.m.

• Sunday to Thursday game start times must be such that allowing for a reasonable post-game change period, the visiting team arrives home no later than:
➢ U9 – 10:00 p.m.
➢ U11/U13 – 10:30 p.m.
➢ U15/U18/U22 – 11:30 p.m.


On Ice Officials:

All U9 (full ice) - 2 official system
U11 BB/B/C/HL- 2 official system
U13 BB/B/C/HL - 2 official system
U15 BB/B/C/HL - 2 official system
U18 B/C/HL - 2 official system
U18BB - minimum 2 officials, a 3 official system can be utilized at the discretion of each association



Protests:

(A) WOGHL member teams may file a protest on any WOGHL regular season or playoff game. 

(B) Matters that may be protested are: 

(1) a game official’s interpretation of a rule which in the opinion of the aggrieved team may have given the opposition team a distinct advantage. 

(2) an improperly registered, an unregistered, ineligible or a suspended player or team official participating in a game or being on the player’s bench during a game. 

(3) a team not following the rules set forth by the WOGHL League for regular season or playoff games. ex: period lengths, curfew, pick up a player

(C) Time allowed for filing a protest: A protest must be filed within 48 hours of the starting time of the game in question. 

(D) To protest a team must: 

(1)  (a) with respect to protest relating to the interpretation of a rule, notify the referee verbally of the protest before, during, or  at the end of the game, before they leave the ice,

OR
(b) with respect to an improperly registered, unregistered, ineligible, or suspended player or team official, notify the WOGHL League within 48 hours of the start of the game.

(2) prepare the protest in writing.

(3) file the protest with the WOGHL League via email at [email protected] and [email protected]

(4) accompany the protest with a $100.00 protest fee, refundable if the protest is upheld 

Please send EMT to [email protected]

Cheques can be sent to

WOGHL, ℅ Jodi Edwards, 14 Maple Lane, Tillsonburg ON N4G 2Y7

(5) deliver or send by email a copy of the protest to the protested team and CC: the WOGHL League at [email protected] and [email protected] within 48 hours.

(E) Within 5 business days of a protest being filed, the WOGHL PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT shall set a date for hearing the protest. The hearing date will be no more than 10 business days after the filing date.

(F) The WOGHL PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT shall notify all parties to the protest as soon as the hearing date is set. The hearing can be held in person or if more convenient via an online meeting.  This notice shall inform the parties of the time, place and date of the hearing. 

(G) To defend against a protest a team must: (1) prepare a rebuttal in writing. (2) file the rebuttal with the WOGHL PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT within 48 hours of receiving the protest at [email protected] and [email protected]

(H) If the protest is based on a game official’s interpretation of the rules, the team against whom the protest is filed need not defend against the protest. The protest committee will hear the matter on the strength of the protest submission, with both teams and the game officials present if their presence is needed.


All decisions of the committee will be made within 24hrs of the hearing.  All decisions of the committee will be final.  Any changes to scores or standings will made to the website by the WOGHL Scheduler

Regular Season Loops:

Teams will be placed in geographic loops as best as possible and will play a balanced schedule when numbers make it possible.

Teams must play in the Category Loop for the Regular Season they have been registered in with the OWHA.

Regular Season Standings:

Ties in the standings will be broken using the following:

Placement is by points, (2pts for a win and 1pt for a tie). 

Therefore the League will use the following to further determine placement by using.

1:  Head to Head match-ups between the teams tied (if only 2 teams tied in points) if still tied or more than 2 teams tied please follow below:

Playoff loops will be determined by January 13-15.  Scheduling instructions will be sent to each team scheduler at that time.

     1.Teams will be divided into Playoff Divisions based on Winning percentage/scheduler discretion/geographic similarities in regular season divisions and level,  and will be separate of regular season in each age group. Some teams may move up or down from regular season groups (B down/up, C down/up or HL up) to play equal caliber teams based on regular season games and competition level. It will be taken into account the division of teams in the most fair determination by the scheduler as well as geographic location.  Teams will play a balanced schedule where possible.   Each team will play 8-10 playoff games.

The BB U15 and U18 groups will be split into 2 groups for playoffs.  Groups will be divided into equal groups when possible based on regular season standings.
U15BB and U18BB will be divided into 2 divisional groups with the winner of each group meeting at the Day of Champions.  They will stay within their regular season BB Division because they play longer game lengths.
Division of groups will be as follows based on regular season seeding:

Group A 1, 4, 5, 8, 10
Group B 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 

A team may request to drop to B or WOGHL may ask them to drop to B should their competitiveness warrant it.

     2. Playoff scheduling will be done via team schedulers as was done in the Regular Season.  Scheduling can be completed via email or phone. Each associations OWHA/WOGHL Reps are to ensure the contact information is up to date for team contacts and scheduling contacts on their organization web site.

Please refer to the OWHA handbook for clarification on other rules.


All Star Games:

All Star Games will be hosted for all U11-U18 divisions/age category with 10 or more teams participating.  ex: u13HL has 8 teams = no All Star Game, U13B has 11 teams = All Star Game.

** there may be times we join some categories together to make the numbers of participants work better and allow for an additional game(s) for that age group and to give more players an opportunity to particpate.

The All Star Games will be held around the same time frame as the Day of Champions each year, host association interest can be sent to [email protected] prior to the season.  We have now grown to a size as a League that requires a 2 pad facility for these games.  We will try our best to centralize the games.



Selection Process:

Goalies will be selected by a vote of the coaches in their regular season division around the Christmas time frame.  This vote will be conducted by SurveyMonkey.

Player selections will be sent by invitation based on every team sending a minimum 2 skaters.  Invitations for more than 2 players will be based on higher ranking teams in the standings sending additonal players.  Invitations will be sent to the teams around the Christmas break time frame and all selections names and number choices need to be sent back by January 20.  Positions will be invited at random by the President sending out the invites.  ex: Team X sends 1 Forward and 1 Defence, Team Y sends 2 Forwards.

All players will receive an All Star Jersey to keep.

Should you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out via email.

[email protected] or [email protected]