Metro High School

Girls Hockey League

All game regulations are under the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association.  In addition, there are some supplemental league rulings agreed upon by all member schools and approved by the Metro High School Athletic Association and the NSSAF for the girls’ hockey league.

Games:

Time-outs:

Due to the time restrictions of 1 hour ice rentals there will be no time-outs permitted at any point during a girl’s high school hockey league game. (2009)

Centre Line:

          Remove the centre line other than for the use of icing the puck. (1989)

Contact with Goalie:

          After the whistle, if an opposing player comes in contact with the goalie’s body or stick, or sprays snow on same, the face off is to be moved outside the blue line.(1989)

Jerseys:

          Home team must wear white jerseys at home games if at all possible.(1997)

Pucks: Home team will provide warm up pucks. (2005)

Measurements:

          There will be no measurements of sticks or equipment during games.(1989)

Officials:

          The league will use the two person referee system. If only one official shows up, the game will be cancelled and the home team can use the ice time for a practise. The home team will be responsible for rescheduling the game.

Minor Officials:

          The home team must provide capable, and impartial minor officials who are responsible for the clock and the game record.

Throat Protectors:

          Throat protectors and chinstraps must be worn for the warm up as well as the game.(2000)

Media Contact:

          Media Spokesperson:

The Metro High School Girls’ Coordinator shall be the spokesperson for the Metro High School League.

          Game reports:

It is the responsibility of the winning coach to report scores to the Media. In case of a tie, the home coach will report the score.

 (See Media contacts at the end of this document.)

Player eligibility:

REGULATION IV – STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

Any time member schools compete, the following shall govern eligibility:

In order to participate in NSSAF competition, a student must be in attendance at the school he/she is representing.

Furthermore, any student who is registered as a regular student shall be eligible to compete as

hereinafter provided.

1. In non-semestered schools, a regular student shall be one who takes not less than five (5) courses of actual class work per year. In semestered schools a regular student shall be one who takes not less than three (3) courses of actual class work in a semester.

2. Age:

a) HIGH SCHOOL – The age limit for all student-athletes is UNDER 19 YEARS as of September 30th of the current school year.

b) JUNIOR HIGH – The age limit for all student-athletes shall be UNDER 16 YEARS as of September 30^th of the current school year. The grade level the student is designated as being at as of September 30th establishes eligibility for the school year.

c) If a Junior High/Middle School student plays (name on game sheet) in three games at the high school level, he/she loses eligibility for junior high/middle school sport for that activity for the remainder of the school year.

(i) for the purpose of counting games:

– Exhibition tournament counts one game.

– Qualifiers, Regionals – every game counts toward maximum of three allowable. A student who plays at a provincial championship at the high school level is ineligible to compete in further junior high/middle school play that year in that sport.

3. A student shall be eligible for three consecutive years beginning the first year of high school (Grade 10).

i. In exceptional circumstances a school may request that a year of eligibility be re-instated. In order for a school to appeal for consideration, the student must have:

a) not competed in any NSSAF sanctioned activities in the year in question and:

b) lost the majority of the school year in question as a result of injury or illness (medical documentation required).

*** For purposes of this Regulation, the majority of last year shall be interpreted as not having attended more than 50 school days.

ii. Under no circumstances shall a student be granted a fourth year of participation.

iii. Students who participate in Katimavik or International Exchanges shall not lose a year of eligibility.

4. Grade 6 students who are part of the school population of a member school shall be eligible to compete in NSSAF activities conducted in age group classifications and in team sports at the Junior High level.

No Grade 6 student shall be eligible to participate in team sport at the High School level.

5. If a school uses an ineligible student in a contest, such contest shall be forfeited to the non-offending school or schools.

6. Only an amateur in a particular sport may represent his school in that sport. (Definition of “amateur” shall be as stated by the National Sport Governing Body.)

7. No student who is declared ineligible, by the Principal or by the NSSAF, shall be permitted to participate in competition.

8. In NSSAF sports classified as boys or girls, only students of the appropriate sex may participate in the designated classification.

9. (a) The school at which a student is registered in Grade 10 shall be the school in which he/she shall

be eligible to participate in NSSAF activities for three (3) consecutive years.

(b) Any student-athlete who transfers schools after establishing his/her school of eligibility shall be ineligible

in the new school for any sport he/she has represented in the former school in the previous year, unless:

• the transfer is accompanied by a change of legal residence by the studentʼs parent(s) or legal

guardian with whom he/she has been living in the previous school enrolment.

or

• the student-athlete is transferring to a school within the School Board to pursue a full academic

program or to access a service that is only available in selected schools in the District.

In this circumstance, the receiving school shall apply to the NSSAF for approval of eligibility. The Principal of each school involved shall be required, through the NSSAF Student-Athlete Transfer Form, to verify that:

• the student-athlete has not transferred for athletic purposes

• the student-athlete has enrolled in an academic program (minimum of three courses) within the School Board not available in the former school or has accessed a service essential to his/her education needs not available in the former school.

(c) Any student-athlete who transfers from any school to an NSSAF member school during the school year shall be required to be in attendance at the new school for thirty (30) school days from the date of enrolment and shall not be eligible for any sport in which he/she represented the former school in the current or previous school year, unless the conditions described in section (b) are met and the transfer is approved by the NSSAF.

(d) A student-athlete who transfers from any school to an NSSAF member school during the school year with a status of ineligibility for disciplinary or academic reasons retains such status at his/her new school for the same period of time as determined by the former school and/or agent of the NSSAF.

(e) Once a student-athlete transfers and represents the new school, he/she is eligible in that school only for the remainder of his/her eligibility, unless the conditions described in section (b) are met and the transfer is approved by the NSSAF.

(f) For the purposes of this regulation, a student shall be considered to have transferred when he/she

has been in attendance at the new school for thirty (30) school days or he/she represented the new school in an NSSAF sport.

10. Students who enroll in a school as part of the Nova Scotia International Student Program or other recognized foreign student exchange program shall be eligible immediately provided they meet the requirements of Regulation IV (2) Age.

11. Students registered in a Sport-Specific School Program/School shall not be eligible for competition in NSSAF sanctioned events in the sport(s) which are the focus of the Program/School. However, these students are eligible to represent their school in any other NSSAF sports.

12. Students must be accompanied by a teacher or other responsible adult designated by the Principal. Failure to comply shall result in loss of eligibility.

13. Students are expected to maintain acceptable academic performance as determined by the Principal. Principals are urged to establish procedures which will review student-athletesʼ academic performance to ensure that the student continues to progress satisfactorily while participating in interscholastic athletics.

14. Appeals on student eligibility shall be authorized by the Principal and referred to the Executive Director. Eligibility appeals for fall sports should be received by September 30th. Eligibility appeals for winter sports should be received by December 1st. Eligibility appeals for summer spring sports should be received by March 31st.

Other League Play:

          A player under suspension from another league shall not be added to a team roster without permission of the Metro High School League. (1994)

The NSSAF and the NSHA have an agreement to notify and honour player suspensions. High School players suspended for more than 3 games, must be reported to the NSSAF. Players will not be suspended by the league under this rule only by the NSSAF. (NSSAF 1990)

NSSAF Sanction forms must be completed for any play with teams that are not members of the NSSAF and for exhibition play one week prior to the season opening game.

Hockey Play dates:

Hockey 2nd Friday of September 2nd Friday of October 42 Games

22. Member schools shall not participate in any competition:

– prior to 3 pm on the province-wide Conference Day;

– prior to 1 pm on Remembrance Day.

Should it be necessary to schedule competition on Sunday, no games or events shall begin before 1 pm.

Protests: (For all Metro Athletic appeals please visit the following web site:

 http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/mhsaa/protestprocedures.htm

REGULATION X – PROTESTS and APPEALS

From time to time, disputes may arise among member schools which require arbitration.

A member school shall have the right to protest or to appeal any decision of an agent of the Federation.

The judgment of game officials is not considered grounds for protest.

In instances where a school wishes to protest or appeal, the following shall apply:

1. All protests or appeals must be written and signed by the school principal with copies to the principal of the other school(s) involved.

2. The District shall organize to provide opportunity for its member schools to protest or to appeal a decision.

3. If an established league exists, the Executive of the League shall be the first level to hear and rule upon protests and appeals.

In other disputes among schools at the District level, the district Coordinator shall be the first level to hear and rule upon protests or appeals.

4. In disputes involving schools from outside the district, but within the region, the Regional Director shall hear and rule upon any protests or appeals.

5. In disputes involving schools from two or more regions, the Executive Director shall be the first level to receive and rule upon protests or appeals.

6. In regional playoffs, all protests or appeals shall be sent to the Regional Director with copies to the Executive Director, the principal of the other school involved and the referee or other official in charge of the contest under protest within twenty-four hours of the completion of the competition being protested.

The Regional Director, or in his absence the Executive Director, shall rule upon the protest within twenty four hours of its receipt.

7. In order for a school to appeal a decision to the next level, it must:

– provide evidence that the rules of play or the Regulations of the NSSAF have been misinterpreted or not applied in the original decision and/or

– provide information which was not available when the original decision was reached.

8. Should any school wish to appeal a decision rendered, it may do so by requesting the next level of the Federation to hear the protest or appeal. The levels of appeal shall be:

Level 1 – League Coordinator or League Executive;

Level 2 – District Coordinator;

Level 3 – Regional Director;

Level 4 – Executive Director;

Level 5 – Appeals Committee of the Board of Governors.

• Appeals to this level are to be directed to the Chairperson. The Appeals Committee shall consist of the chairperson and one Board Member from each Region.

• The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.

If any of the previously mentioned agents of the NSSAF is involved with the original decision, he/she shall not rule on the appeal or protest of that decision. Involvement in the original decision disqualifies you from ruling on that protest or appeal.

9. In Provincial Championships, any protest shall be directed to the Tournament Director/Meet Convener for an immediate decision.

Players under suspensions or under appeal will not participate in any game without the approval of the Metro High School Athletic Association Appeal Committee. (1999)

Suspensions:

2. Suspension of Individuals

*A. Physical Abuse of Official – Minimum remainder of sport season.

– Maximum one year suspension from all interscholastic sport.

B. Verbal Abuse of Official – First Offence – minimum three game suspension;

– Second Offence – indefinite suspension and report to appropriate

NSSAF agent.

C. Attempt to Injure – First Offence – minimum three game suspension and report to appropriate agent;

– Second Offence – minimum remainder of sport season;

– maximum one year suspension from all interscholastic sport.

D. Fighting – First Offence – three game suspension;

– Second Offence – five game suspension;

– Third Offence – indefinite suspension and report to appropriate

NSSAF agent.

Exception – if fighting occurs in the last ten minutes of game, add

one more game to the above offences.

– the instigator of the fight will receive an additional one game suspension;

– the aggressor in the fight will receive an additional one game suspension.

Exception – In the deciding game of a series in Inter-District,

Regional or Inter-Regional play, a player penalized for fighting in

the last ten minutes will not be suspended for any game of the succeeding series.

E. Profanity – First Offence – suspension for the rest of the game, plus the

entire next game;

– Second Offence – suspension for the rest of the game, plus the

next two games.

Exception – If the profanity occurs in the last ten minutes of the

game, add one more game to the above offences.

F. Objectionable Language/Behaviour with respect to race relations, cross cultural understanding and human rights shall result in game ejection and minimum of one additional game suspension.

G.Second Offence of a similar nature shall result in indefinite suspension

pending the outcome of an investigation by the NSSAF.

i. Any player ejected from a game must serve a minimum of one game.

Additional games shall be assessed as prescribed by Regulation XI.

ii. Any coach ejected from a game must serve a minimum suspension of two games. A suspended coach shall not perform any function associated with his/her coaching duties on the day(s) of competition nor have any sport related contact with team members or assistant coach(es) on the day(s) of competition.

Additional games shall be assessed as prescribed by Regulation XI.

A second game ejection in the same sport season shall result in a minimum four game suspension.

A third ejection in the same sport season shall result in an indefinite suspension and report to the appropriate NSSAF representative for investigation and action.

NOTE: The ejection must be a result of the coaches' direct actions.

H. Sympathetic Suspension – Any player suspended for flagrant violation of the rules of any sport in an organized league may be declared ineligible for Federation play until such time as suspension is lifted and/or the case if reviewed by the NSSAF or its agents.

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I. In the case of suspensions incurred during Regional and Provincial Playoffs, the suspension must

be served during succeeding Federation playoffs.

Student athletes reported for Physical Abuse of an official shall be suspended immediately from further participation. This suspension shall be an indefinite suspension pending outcome of an investigation of

the incident. If physical abuse is determined, Regulation XI, Section 2A, shall be applied.

If the incident occurred during District Play, the investigation shall be conducted by the District Coordinator (exhibition, league or tournament).

If the incident occurred during Inter-District or Regional play, the investigation shall be conducted by the Regional Director (exhibition, league or tournament).

If the incident occurred during Inter-Regional or Provincial play, the investigation shall be conducted by the Executive Director (exhibition, league or tournament).

In each case, the NSSAF agent conducting the investigation shall also be responsible for imposing the penalty warranted by the action.

In each case, member schools shall have the right to protest or appeal the decision. This protest or appeal may be initiated by any member school which disagrees with either the interpretation or the severity or leniency of the suspension.