Rules & Code of Conduct

TOURNAMENT RULES & CODE OF CONDUCT

Phoenix Scorpions Cactus Classic Field Hockey Tournament – January 30-31, 2010

This year the Phoenix Scorpions Club plans to host an exciting tournament.  In order for all participants to enjoy the tournament, we ask that all teams read and familiarize themselves with the rules of the tournament as set out below.  Our main goal is to bring together teams from all over and provide a venue to foster the highest level of competition, skill, sportsmanship and fair play for all team.  To do so we need your help and cooperation by respecting and adhering to the following rules.

All matches will be played according to the 2009 edition of the International Rules of Hockey, with the following exceptions of the rules as stated in these tournament regulations:

MEN / WOMEN / MIXED divisions:

    Format:   9–a-side format (8 players + 1 goalie)

MIXED division:

    Minimum 3 women on the field at all times

    If for some reason, due to injury or mishap, 1 female player is injured and no substitute is available, the team will play short 1 player

U-19 Boys Division:

    Format:   9–a-side format (8 players + 1 goalie)

    Must be born on or after:        December 31, 1989

    Age verifications required before 1st game with date of birth and photo ID

U-16 Mixed Division:

    Format:    7–a-side format (6 players + 1 goalie)

    Minimum 2 girls on-the-field

    Must be born on or after:        December 31, 1993

    Age verifications required before-hand (exceptions on case-by-case basis)

U-13 Mixed Division:

    Format:    7–a-side format (6 players + 1 goalie)

    Must be born on or after:        December 31, 1996

   Age verifications required before-hand

Duration of all matches shall be two periods of 20 minutes each with 3 minutes at half time and between games.  For the finals, we reserve the right to extend each half to 25 minutes.

All matches will begin on time as stated on the master tournament schedule. Game time will automatically start as scheduled for each match.  All teams must field at least six (6) (or 5 for Junior divisions) players prior to the start of any match.  Any team not prepared to play within 5 minutes of the start time will forfeit the match. 

The score of a forfeited match shall be 0-3. If neither team is ready to play at the scheduled time the score shall be recorded as 0-0 and no points will be awarded to either team. If one team forfeits while the match is in play and the other team is leading by more than three goals, the actual score will be kept. Teams that forfeit a match risk forfeiture of all matches at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.

Players can play in more than one division:  between Men, Women and Mixed.

All players must wear a similar colored shirt.  It is recommended that players wear like-colored socks.  It is STRONGLY recommended that all players wear shin guards and mouth guards.

Due to the time schedule, no timeouts or injury time will be awarded.

Substitutions are unlimited, however they must be made at mid-field.

If both teams have similar colored team jerseys, the team listed first in the schedule will wear the bibs available at the technical desk, unless they have alternate non-color clashing uniforms.

Participant Conduct and Discipline:

It is expected that all participants, players and teams will conduct themselves in a professional, mature, and sportsmanlike manner.  While on or off the field, all players will treat each other and all umpires with the highest level of respect as expected from a professional field hockey player. 

During play:

Profanity will not be tolerated from anybody at anytime!  Umpires will penalize players using profanity intentionally or unintentionally.

Aggressive actions not directly related to playing the game will be penalized by the umpires.  Players looking to aggravate, provoke, or frustrate other players will be warned immediately. 

The following warnings will apply during the game:

Green card – warning

Yellow card - temporary suspension for a minimum of three (3) minutes.

Red card - permanent match suspension*.

* Any player sent off the field for disciplinary reasons will have his/her name and the circumstances recorded by the umpire. A player who has been ejected (red card) shall automatically be suspended from his/her team’s next match.

Based upon the Umpires’ report and the severity of the infraction, the Tournament Disciplinary Committee will determine if the player is eligible for further participation in the tournament beyond his/her one match suspension.

Any team using a disqualified player shall forfeit the game in which the disqualified player was a participant and the disqualified player will immediately be ejected from the tournament.

Team standings:

Each goal will be recorded by the umpires and technical desk and displayed on the tournament score card.  Pool matches will result in 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie, and 0 for a loss.  Pool standings will be determined on the basis of:

Teams will be ranked according to their total number of points.

Should two or more teams be tied, teams will be ranked according to their respective number of matches won.

Should two or more teams still be tied, then those teams will be ranked according to their respective goal difference (Goals for minus goals against). A positive goal difference takes precedence over a negative one.

If two or more teams are still tied, teams will be ranked according to their respective number of goals scored.

If two or more teams are still tied with the same number of points, same number of matches won and same goal difference, then the result of the match between those two teams will determine the ranking of the teams. The winning team(s) will be ranked higher.

Should two or more teams still be tied, the standings will be settled by a penalty stroke competition between those teams (see paragraph 5 for penalty stroke procedures).

Penalty strokes to break tie between teams as stipulated under 4(f) will take place at a time & place determined by the Director of Games.

During playoff games, in the event of a tie score at the end of regulation, both teams will proceed to penalty strokes to break the tie. The following penalty stroke procedures will be used:

The umpires will determine which goal will be used.

The first team to stroke will be determined by a coin toss.

Team managers/captains will select five players from their respective teams. Only players on the team’s approved roster, excluding any player(s) who has been ejected (red card) by either the umpire or the Tournament Official, shall be eligible to take the strokes. The order in which they will take the first series of strokes will be made known by the managers to the Umpires or Tournament Official (Super Division) prior to the start of the penalty stroke competition.

Each team shall alternately take penalty strokes against one and the same goalkeeper of the other team until a total of five strokes from each team have been taken. The team scoring the most goals shall be declared the winner. The players must take the strokes in the same sequence as the list of five players nominated and communicated by the manager to the Technical Officer on duty prior to the start of the penalty stroke competition. The goalkeeper shall not be changed except in case of injury or ejection.

If during the penalty stroke competition, a player (either a stroke taker or a goal-keeper) is suspended, then that player shall take no further part in the penalty stroke competition and, unless a goalkeeper, cannot be substituted. If a stroke taker, any stroke the player should have been entitled to take will be counted as no goal. If a goalkeeper then the replacement may only be from one of the nominated stroke takers. The player replacing the goalkeeper may continue to take the penalty strokes but, when required to defend penalty strokes, must wear protective headgear. This player may also wear other approved goalkeeper equipment.

If the score is still tied, another series of penalty strokes will take place using the same five players, subject to incapacitated goalkeepers being replaced, excluding any player(s) who has been ejected (red card) by either the umpire or the Tournament Official, and shall be ‘sudden victory’. This means that the winner shall be the first team to be awarded more goals than the opposing team after an equal number of strokes (no minimum) has been taken by each team. The sequence does not need to be the same as in the previous series and the team manager has the freedom of choice at the time of each stroke as to which of the five nominated players will take the stroke using all five nominated players per round.

The goalkeeper, if selected to take strokes, may remove only the gloves and helmet.

The Tournament Committee may change any fixtures, fields, schedules, and umpires, as it deems necessary.