BLUELINE TOURNAMENT 2025
OFFICIAL RULES
*** U18AAA ONLY -The 2025 Blueline tournament will be using Hybrid icing rules at U18AAA. We will NOT be using no-change icing rules at this division.
SANCTION
This tournament is sanctioned by Alliance Hockey as an International Tournament. Hockey Canada, the Ontario Hockey Federation, Alliance Hockey and the Kitchener Blueline Tournament rules and regulations shall apply.
ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Hockey Canada rules state that a team may sign and use 20 players and may dress 20 players, including two goaltenders for each game. Team officials must present an approved Hockey Canada, or affiliate, or A.H.A.U.S. player certificate / Roster for the current season, to the Tournament Official prior to the start of their first game for each team player or affiliated player eligible for tournament play.
PROCEDURES
1. Teams must upload their final approved Hockey Canada (USA, or other santioned body) roster through the tournament registration site. Check in and document verification will be done at the tournament office/desk at the arena prior to your first game.
2. Final roster and Travel Permit from home association must also be available on request during the tournament.
3. Teams are required to bring two sets of sweaters, one dark set and one light set.
The home team shall wear dark.
4. All games will start on time. Teams must be ready to go on the ice 15 minutes before game time.
5. No time outs allowed in Round Robin Play. One 30 second timeout per team per game in Championship rounds (quarters, semis and finals).
NOTE: Spectators are NOT allowed in the change areas or dressing rooms. It is the responsibility of the Team Officials to respect and enforce this rule at all times.
Please note that at this time there are no COVID-19 protocols and procedures to follow; however this may be subject to change based on any Provincial, Municipal, Public Health, or Hockey governing body decisions.
RULE INTERPRETATIONS AND SUSPENSIONS
As this is an International Tournament and many teams are not in the Alliance Branch, a number of rule interpretations are listed below. Please familiarize yourself with these rules. If you have any questions, please contact the on-duty Convener.
NOTE: Current OHF minimum suspension list for minor hockey will be followed.
1. MATCH PENALTIES will be reported to that team’s organization
2. STICK PENALTIES (high sticking, slashing, cross checking, spearing double minor, butt ending double minor) WILL BE CALLED CLOSELY. A player receiving 3 stick penalties in a game will automatically receive a game ejection.
3. SUSPENSION(S) of player(s), coaching staff, managers, trainers, etc will be served in the tournament. All suspensions will be forwarded to that team’s organization.
4. Any player(s) who incurs a FIGHTING PENALTY shall be suspended for the balance of the tournament.
5. There shall be no protests; TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL(S) decision(s) shall be final.
GAME DURATIONS
Game Lengths for the tournament are as follows, including Break (B) or Flood (F) as specified:
U12
10–10–B
–15
U13
10–15–B
–15
U14
10–15–B
–15
U15
10–15–F
–15
U16
15–15–F
–15
U18
15–15–F
–15
Above Breaks and Flood times will be determined by the amount of time available. At any time during the tournament flood times may be changed to a flood after every two periods.
Mercy rule applies to Round Robin games as follows. When there is a five (5) goal differential in the third period, the clock will change to running time and does NOT revert back to stop time. Minor penalties will be 3:00 minutes and major penalties will be 7:30 minutes during run time.
Seeding and Tie-Breaker Information
The total points obtained in Round Robin competition (2 Points for a win, 1 Point for a tie, 0 points for a loss) will determine the higher placing team. In the event teams are tied for play-off positions the following procedures will apply in the order presented:
1. If two teams are tied, and they have played each other in Round Robin competition, the winner of the game between the two teams will be awarded the higher position.
2. If teams are still tied at the end of the Round Robin, the team with the best goal average will qualify. The goal average of a team is to be determined by dividing the total number of GOALS FOR and AGAINST into the TOTAL number of GOALS FOR with the team having the HIGHEST PERCENTAGE WINNING the HIGHER POSITION Example: 10 goals for, 4 goals against, Percentage 10/14 = .714 12 goals for, 6 goals against, Percentage 12/18=.667. This indicates the team with the Percentage of .714 would take the higher seeding.
3. If the teams are still tied after (1) and (2), the team to qualify would be the one that scored the first goal in the game between the two teams (Only if two teams are tied)
4. If the teams are still tied after (1), (2), and (3), the team to qualify would be the team that received the least penalty minutes throughout the Round Robin.
5. If the teams are still tied after all previous methods have been applied, the winner of the playoff position will be decided by a single toss of a coin supervised by the Tournament Chairman or Designate .
Championship Round Format
Seeding of team will be determined by ranking as above as highest to lowest. Team will be matched as highest plays lowest, 2nd highest plays 2nd lowest, etc.
NOTE: DIVISION RANKINGS ARE CALCULATED AND SHOWN ON THE WEBSITE ELECTRONICALLY, SHOULD ANYONE DISPUTE THE RESULTS THEY CAN BRING THEIR CONCERNS TO THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE. THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SETTLE ANY PLACEMENT DISPUTES AS REQUIRED. THE COMMITTEE'S DECISION IS FINAL AND NOT OPEN TO APPEAL.
All playoff games – the team with the highest / best record in the Round Robin games will be the home team. Playing times will be the same as the Round Robin. One 30 second timeout per team per game in Championship rounds (quarters, semis and finals).
If overtime is required to determine a winner, a ten-minute stop time sudden victory period will be played as 3 on 3 plus a goalie. In the overtime period, teams will not switch ends.
Floods in overtime will be determined by the Tournament Committee. In the overtime period, player changes may only be done on the fly. No player changes will be permitted during a stoppage of play.
Penalties during overtime
The penalized team may never play with less than 3 players and a goalie. Players are added to the non penalized team (example: first penalty becomes a 4 on 3, second penalty to same team becomes a 5 on 3, etc). On the normal conclusion of a penalty, the penalized player returns to the ice until the first stoppage of play where the teams are returned to 3 on 3 or the appropriate numbers based on any outstanding penalties.
Shoot Out
If the overtime period fails to determine a winner, a best of 5 shoot out alternating between teams will be used. The home team will be given choice to shoot 1st or 2nd in the shoot out round. If after 5 shots in the shoot out the teams are still tied, a sudden victory format will be used. No player may shoot a 2nd time in the shootout round until all eligible shooters have shot once.
**Eligible shooters - A player who is still serving a penalty at the end of the over-time is not eligible to take part in the shoot-out.
Game Forfeit
If team forfeits a game they will be assigned a 1-0 loss. The opposing team in the match will be assigned a 1-0 win.
Playoff Seeding
For single group division, the top four teams will advance and will be ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, as per the tie breaking rules above.
For 2 Group Divisions, 1st and 2nd place teams will advance. 1st place teams will be ranked into 1st place and 2nd place. The 2nd place teams will be ranked into 3rd place and 4th place as per tie breaking rules above.
For 3 Group Divisions, 3 Group winners will advance and be ranked into 1st, 2nd and 3rd place as per the tie breaking rules above. The best record of the remaining teams will advance as a wildcard and be the 4th place team.
For 4 Group Divisions, 4 group winners will advance and be ranked into 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, as per the tie breaking rules above.
Quarter Final (QF) Rule
This will apply to the U14, U15 and U16 divisions only.
1. The U14 Division has 2 Pools – Pool A & B
The top 4 (four) teams in each Pool will advance based on the seeding/tie breaker rules. Teams will seed prior to SF and Final game to determine home team.
Quarter Final Games:
QF1 - the 4th place team in Pool B @ 1st place team in Pool A
QF2 - the 4th place team in Pool A @ 1st place team in Pool B
QF3 - the 3rd place team in Pool A @ 2nd place team in Pool B
QF4 - the 3rd place team in Pool B @ 2nd place team in Pool A
Semi Final Games:
SF1 - Winner of QF (4th seed) @ Winner of QF (1st seed)
SF2 – Winner of QF (3rd seed) @ Winner of QF (2nd seed)
Final Game:
Winner of SF (lowest seed) @ Winner of SF (highest seed)
2. The U15 & U16 Divisions have 1 Pool
The top 8 teams will advance to the QF and be ranked 1st through 8th based on the seeding and tie-breaker rules.
Teams will seed prior to SF and Final game to determine home team.
Quarter Final Games:
QF1 - 8th place team @ 1st place team
QF2 - 7th place team @ 2nd place team
QF3 - 6th place team @ 3rd place team
QF4 - 5th place team @ 4th place team
Semi Final Games:
SF1 - Winner of QF (4th seed) @ Winner of QF (1st seed)
SF2 – Winner of QF (3rd seed) @ Winner of QF (2nd seed)
Final Game:
Winner of SF (lowest seed) @ Winner of SF (highest seed)