Rules
Dream League
Spring 2024
Rules and Regulations
- Three 15-minute stop-clock periods
- If it is a tie score after regulation in regular season, 5-minute stop clock 3 on 3 sudden death overtime will be played. If neither team scores, a three round shootout, with the home team choosing to shoot first or second will occur.
When a playoff game ends tied, a 10-minute 5 on 5 sudden death period will be played. If neither team
scores, a 5-minute 4 on 4 sudden death period will be played.
If neither team scores a 5 minute 3 on 3 sudden death period will be played and repeated until someone scores.
Pre-season Requirements
- Waiver signing
- Anyone who still owes their league fee before their regular season games start will be ineligible for any
games until they have paid their balance.
Game Day Procedure
- Players are recommended to show up a minimum of 15 minutes prior to scheduled game time.
- All players ‘check-in’ by initialing scoresheet in the lobby before going to assigned locker room.
- Players who arrive after the game begins must check in with the scorekeeper at the first possible
intermission.
- NO player is permitted on the ice while Zamboni doors are still open.
- Puck will drop approximately 5 minutes after the scheduled game time, providing a 5 minute warmup.
- Teams MUST have a minimum of 5 skaters and a goalie to begin each game. They may start the game
with 6 skaters if the goalie is actively changing. A delay of game penalty will be issued if less players are
dressed in time. If present roster is lower, the short-sided team will be forced to forfeit by a score 3-0.
- The rink will provide pucks for the warmups and games. Bringing non- rink pucks on the ice is not
permitted.
- Players are to access the locker room level through the ground level doors of the parking lot. Parking
will be validated for all players upon game check in.
-Spectators are to access The Rink via the B-Hub (purple doors) escalator / main American Dream
entrance. No spectators are permitted at the locker room level.
Running Clock Rule
- If a team is winning by five or more goals in the third period of a regular season game, the clock will
continue to run during play stoppages, unless there is an injury or official timeout. In playoff games, the
running clock threshold will be a difference of six goals.
- The clock will stop for all stoppages in the first and second periods regardless of the score.
- Once the losing team is no longer losing by 4 (regular season) or 6 (playoffs), the clock will return to the
standard stop time format.
Timeouts
- Each team will receive one 60 second timeout per game. If a team uses their timeout during regulation
time, they do not receive an extra timeout during overtime.
- The clock will stop on all official timeouts (such as injuries or goalie equipment issues) which are
signaled by the on ice officials.
Offsides Rule
- Offsides will be called using the standard delayed offsides format (player who is early into the zone can
‘tag up’ to get back onsides before touching the puck).
Icing Rule Clarification
- The center red line will be used for icing calls, NOT the team’s blue line.
Equipment Requirements
- Helmet with face mask, cage, or visor, hockey gloves, protective cup, pants or girdle, shin guards, elbow
pads, ice hockey skates, and stick are required.
- Shoulder pads are strongly recommended.
- Goalies must wear all padding as required and approved by USA hockey.
Uniform policy
- All players must wear their official team jerseys to participate in the game. Players without the proper team jersey will not be allowed to play. The jersey must be the exact team jersey, not just one with matching colors.
Player Eligibility
- All participants must be at least 18 years of age.
- League approved minors require waiver and parental consent
- ALL participants in ANY game/practice must be registered with the league. The use of non-rostered
players or ‘ringers’ is prohibited and will result in the team forfeiting said game in addition to team captain
serving a 1 game suspension.
- All players must participate in 40% of the regular season games to be eligible for playoffs.
- Goaltenders may not play as a skater and vice versa without approval from league management.
- No roster changes will be permitted after your team’s 2nd game, unless deemed necessary by league
administration to promote competitive balance.
Penalties
- Any player, including goalies, who takes four minor penalties or two majors in the same game will
receive a Game Misconduct and be ejected for the remainder of the game, and may face additional
suspension pending review by league administration.
- Players who serve a penalty for another player shall not be charged for that penalty.
- A delayed penalty which is canceled by a goal scored will be reported to the scorekeeper and recorded,
and does count toward a player’s penalty total.
- Any behavior that endangers the players, participants, referees, or spectators is intolerable and the
league will immediately take action against those involved. Any player that is substance-impaired may be
prevented from playing or removed from the game.
- On coincidental penalties, players will be released on the next whistle after their penalty time runs out.
Penalty Time Information
- Minor: 2 minutes
- Double Minor: 4 minutes
- Major: 5 minutes
- Misconduct: 10 minutes
- Game Misconduct: Ejected
Stats and Standings
- Regulation win: 2 points
- Overtime win: 1 points
- Tie or overtime loss: 1 point
- Regulation loss: 0 points
- Goals and assists are reported by the on ice officials to the scorekeeper. For a goal or assist to count in
the official stats system, the officials must have reported it to the scorekeeper.
- Any requests for player stats changes must be submitted within 24 hours of the team’s schedule game
time. These requests are not guaranteed to be approved. The league administrators have the right to
decline the request. Absolutely no requests will be considered after 24 hours.
Suspensions and Unruly Players
- All game misconducts will result in an automatic suspension (except in the case of being ejected due to
taking four penalties, under which league administration will review on a case-by-case basis).
- Suspended players ARE NOT permitted on premise during any allocated adult league ice time.
- Any suspension appeals MUST BE MADE within 48 hours of the incident in writing.
- All players who come off the players’ bench or penalty box during an altercation shall receive a major
penalty and a game misconduct, and is subject to further disciplinary action.
- The league reserves the right to issue any length of suspension at any time following any altercation.
- Players who receive a Match Penalty will be suspended for a minimum of 30 days, pending an
investigation by USA Hockey’s Atlantic District. The player will be notified by league administration about
any reinstatement after the suspension from USA Hockey has been served, and is not allowed on
premise during adult league sessions for the duration of the suspension.
- Players who receive game misconducts in back to back games that they participate in will be suspended
for the remainder of the season.
- Fighting is absolutely not tolerated. Players who violate this policy will jeopardize their continued
involvement in the league for the current season and future seasons.
- All suspensions from regular season WILL carry over to both the playoffs and future seasons. -- - -
- Suspensions that occur during a team’s final playoff game will carry over into the following season.
Appeals process
- All appeal requests must be submitted within 48 hours of the incident in review. Please
email them to: DreamHockey@americandream.com
Fill-in Goalies
- If your team needs a sub goalie, please inform the league more than 24 hours in advance, and we should be able to find one for you.
-For requests within 24 hours, if the league is unable to find a goalie, teams will need to pay the rental goalie fee or risk forfeiting the game.
-Any game played without a goalie for its entirety will not have the stats and scores counted.
Shootout Procedure
- Three-round shootout.
- If, after this best of three shootout the score is still tied, teams will alternate shooting in a sudden death
“extra innings” format.
- Each shot is taken by a different player, and all eligible players must take a shot before repeating
shooters.
- Any skater who is assessed a penalty that does not expire before the completion of the game IS NOT
eligible to partake in the shootout. A player serving a penalty that was taken by another player is eligible
to participate in the shootout.
Team Roster Freeze
-Team Roster Freeze takes effect October 1, No roster changes can be made after that point.
Locker Room Policy
- Players will follow the signage provided by the rink to direct them to their locker room before each game.
- Rink staff will ensure locker rooms are opened 30 minutes before each game.
- Spectators are not permitted inside team locker rooms or at locker room level.
- Players must respect the locker room and leave it as they found it in terms of cleaning up after
themselves. If there is damage or excessive trash, league administrators may terminate the team’s
participation in the league.
Playoffs
- The top six seeded teams will make the playoffs.
- Upon the completion of the regular season, league administration will release a playoff schedule, with
matchups based on regular season standings through the points system listed above.
- In the event of a tie in the standings, the playoff tie-breaking procedure is as follows:
1. Fewest forfeits
2. Most wins
3. Head-to-head record
4. Fewest total penalty minutes
5. Fewest total goals against
6. Fewest penalty minutes in games between tied teams
7. Fewest goals against in games between tied teams
8. Most Home wins
9. Winner of most recent game between tied teams. If the most recent game was a tie, the most
recent game in which there was a winner will determine who wins the tiebreak.
- During the check-in process before every game, photo ID is required throughout the duration of the
regular season and playoffs.
League Administration
- The league reserves the right to make any changes to the league’s rules and regulations at any time, as
well as modify a game’s start time prior to 72 hours before its originally scheduled start time. Team
captains will be notified if a game is rescheduled.
- The league has the final authority over any disciplinary actions in response to any game/practice
incidents. The league will communicate with both on- and off-ice officials present at the time, as well as
facility employees before passing any decision.