USA Hockey Rules
>No player changes after December 31 for national championship bound teams
>If a player plays in a junior game after December 31, he/she loses all eligibility on his/her youth team
MAHA Rules
>Player releases, unless requested by the player, cannot be made later than November 30 of the current playing season to be eligible for District, State and National tournaments.
>No players can be added to a team’s roster after December 23rd of the current playing season to be eligible for District, State and National tournaments.
>Junior players returning to youth will have a deadline of December 31st.
III. TEAM MEMBERSHIP AND REGISTRATION
D. National Championship-Bound Teams
A player may not register on more than one team that participates in games leading towards a national championship except for players on High School division teams, who may also play on a Youth or Girls national championship bound team. Player changes to the official team roster form (1-T) for youth or girls Tier I and Tier II national championship-bound teams will not be accepted after December 31. Refer to Rules and Regulations Section IX: District Playoffs and National Championships, for additional requirements for national championship-bound teams.
No player may play in more than one State, Affiliate or District Championship or playoffs leading thereto. However, a player rostered on both a High School division team and a Youth or Girls national championship-bound team may play in teams’ State, Affiliate or District Championship or playoffs leading thereto.
In the event a player is registered on more than one team that participates in games leading towards a national championship, the appropriate registrar shall have the final authority to certify the eligibility of any such player solely on the basis of the date on which the effective date of the earliest team roster registration form, as provided above, is received.
Girls . . . . . . .
Except for players playing in Tier I or Tier II Junior hockey pursuant to the Youth/Junior Affiliated Player Policy, any youth player (male or female) rostered on a Tier I or Tier II youth or girls team and a Junior Program team as of December 31, can only play for one team after December 31. Except for players playing in Tier I or Tier II Junior hockey pursuant to the Youth/Junior Affiliate Player Policy, if the player plays in a Junior game after December 31, he/she loses all eligibility on his/her youth or girls team for the remainder of the season, regardless of how many games are played at the Junior level. Disputes regarding this rule should be resolved by the appropriate registrar.
IX. STATE/AFFILIATE AND/OR DISTRICT PLAYOFFS AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Youth Classifications
[13 & 14 (14U), 15-only (15O), 15 & 16 (16U), 17 & 18 (18U)]
Girls Classifications
[13 & 14 (14U), 15 & 16 (16U), 17 to 19 (19U)]
High School Divisions
(Division I, Division II, Prep School Division, Girls Division)
Each season, USA Hockey shall conduct state/affiliate and/or district playoffs and national championship tournaments and/or playoffs leading thereto in the Youth Girls and High School age classifications. The rules and regulations governing eligibility and qualification for the state/affiliate and/or district and national championships are set forth in this Article IX. The USA Hockey Youth Council shall approve a USA Hockey State/Affiliate and/or District and National Championship Tournament Guidebook, which shall be published and available on the USA Hockey website on or before September 1 prior to the following year’s state/affiliate and/or district and national championship tournaments. Except as set forth herein, to the extent of any contrary information in the USA Hockey Annual Guide, the State/Affiliate and/or District and National Championship Tournament Guidebook shall be the binding authority for the requirements, rules, regulations, operation and procedures of all USA Hockey state/affiliate and/or district and national championship tournaments. For regulations applicable to regional, invitational and national championships for the Junior and Adult classifications, please contact the appropriate registrar, the junior staff liaison, or the USA Hockey national office.
NOTE: Each reference to district and national championship tournaments shall refer to state/affiliate and/or district and national championships tournaments and/or playoffs leading thereto.
A. Player and Team Registration All national tournament-bound teams and players must be registered with USA Hockey and must be a member in good standing of an Affiliate association on or before December 31 of the playing season. Teams competing on natural ice have until January 20 to register. Player changes to the official team roster for youth Tier I and Tier II teams and girls national tournament-bound teams will not be accepted after December 31. For games to count in meeting the 20/10 (14/10 girls) rule, that team’s official team roster registration form (1-T) must be certified by the appropriate district registrar or his/her designee prior to that game being played.
Rules and Regulations
II. Registration and Rostering: Participants and Teams
S. Player releases, unless requested by the player, cannot be made later than November 30 of the current playing season to be eligible for District, State and National tournaments. No players can be added to a team’s roster after December 23rdof the current playing season to be eligible for District, State and National tournaments. Exceptions to this provision, for District and States, may be made in extraordinary circumstances by a two-thirds majority approval of the State Playoff Committee prior to December 31st. Junior players returning to youth teams will have a deadline of December 31st.