Introduction & Game Equipment

• WASA Floor Hockey games will be played in the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports & Wellness in the Gates Field House.
• WASA provided equipment will be available for use, including floor hockey sticks, balls, goalie helmets and pads. Players are encouraged to provide their own eye and mouth protection, and may use their own hockey sticks and basic padding (shin guards, etc) if desired. All members of a team must wear numbered jerseys of the same color. WASA will provide team t-shirts for all teams.

Officials & Sportsmanship

• WASA floor hockey games will be officiated by 2 paid, adult referees. Both referees have significant floor hockey experience, and will officiate the game with the desired spirit and atmosphere of a WASA league in mind.
• The games shall be officiated by a minimum of (2) two referees.
• If referees do not arrive, the WASA gym monitor will step in to referee the game.
• The referee’s call is final and not to be disputed.
• Participants who verbally and/or physically threaten another WASA member, referee, or WASA organizer/representative during a WASA sanctioned event may be immediately removed from the game/league with no refund, at the WASA representative’s discretion.
• Sportsmanship - It is each team's and each player's responsibility to ensure a fun, enjoyable atmosphere during each floor hockey game played. Extreme competitiveness or unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated, and will result in ejection from the game if the behavior does not improve. ALL WASA gym monitors will be given the authority to remove unruly players. A second “offense” will result in permanent expulsion from all WASA leagues and events.
• Team Sportsmanship Points - It is EVERY TEAM's and EVERY PLAYER's responsibility to ensure that their opponents have a great time. In an effort to place greater emphasis on maintaining a positive atmosphere, all teams will start the season with 3 "Sportsmanship Points". Any complaint received about your team's behavior or attitude that can be verified and supported by a WASA gym monitor will result in the loss of 1 sportsmanship point, depending on the severity. (ex. Name calling may result in the loss of 1 point, however a fight would result in the loss of all 3 points) Teams who lose all 3 points during the course of the season will be removed from the league without refund, and may forfeit their right to participate in future WASA leagues. In other words, it is in your best interest as a team to make sure the other team has a great time! "Complaints" may be made by team captains ONLY, and captains must make a designated WASA gym monitor aware of the situation on the night of the game itself so that the behavior can be verified. Major incidents (fights, intentional injuries, etc) will be subject to multiple points being deducted by the gym monitor and commissioner's discretion, potentially resulting in immediate removal of a team from the league.
• Use common sense, and take it upon yourself to ensure that everyone is having a good time, all the time.

Game Participants

• All participants must be (18) eighteen years of age or older by the date of the first game.
• Although this is a recreational league, players are strongly advised to have personal health insurance for protection against any injury that may occur during floor hockey games. By registering for this league through our website, players are electronically signing a waiver or liability, acknowledging that WASA is not responsible for any injuries related to game participation. Participants who play without health insurance play at their own risk.
• Team rosters may hold an unlimited number of players. Teams consist of 5 players: 4 floor players (2 women and 2 men) and a goalie (male or female). Teams must have a minimum of three floor players and a goaltender for the start and duration of the game.

Regulation Games

• Playing time consists of three 15 minute periods. The clock will be stopped only for injuries, otherwise it will be a continuously running clock until the final minute of the game, at which time it will stop on every whistle unless a team is winning by four or more goals.
• Intermission will be two minutes between each period.
  Each team will be granted one, one-minute time-out per game.
• Any game ending in a tie during league play will remain a tie. Playoff ties will have a winner decided with a sudden death overtime of 5 minutes, and 3 player shootout if necessary beyond overtime. Further details are provided below.
  Postponed games may be played at a future date, if it can be coordinated with the local facility. Any games not replayed shall be counted as a tie in the standings.
• MERCY RULE - If, at any point, a team leads by 10 goals or more, the game will continue until time has elapsed, however no further scoring will be officially tracked. The score at the time of the 10 goal lead will be recorded as the final score.

Playing the Game

• The game will start with a face off at the center floor mark.
• Face offs occur when: (1) A period is to start, (2) After a goal is scored, (3) The ball is frozen between two players, (4) The ball leaves the playing surface, (5) A net is dislodged, (6) The ball is frozen by the goalie, (7) An injury occurs.
• Play is started at the beginning of each period and after a goal has been scored by a face off at the center floor mark. For all other occasions, the face off should be at the nearest face off mark on the floor.
• There is no offside, except during a face off.
• Players must play the puck at all times. Any player checking another player will be penalized, and may be removed from the game.
• Goalies are required to wear a mask, and are the only player to have goalie rights.
• Upon gaining control of the puck, the goalie has three seconds to play the puck to the side or behind the net. If the goalie does not distribute the puck, a face off will be called. The goalie may not throw the puck forward.
• If a team wishes to pull their goalie and add a floor player, this team relinquishes all of their goalie rights. Defensive players may enter the goal area to stop a shot on goal; they may not however freeze the puck. If a defensive player freezes the puck, the result shall be a two-minute delay of game penalty.
• No offensive player may score a goal by kicking or throwing the puck into the net.

Non Penalty Infractions

• A hand pass shall be defined as passing the puck directly to a teammate with your hand. Catching an airborne puck is considered legal provided the player drops the puck in a straight line down to the floor to his or her stick. Penalty: Face Off
• The puck may not be intentionally kicked into the offensive goal. However, the puck may be played with the foot to another player. Penalty: No goal, Face off
• Playing the puck from your knees and sliding lead to dangerous play, and shall be defined as either playing or attempting to play the puck while not being on your feet. This shall include a floor player leaving their feet in an attempt to stop a play or the puck. Penalty: Face off
• When a Non-Penalty Infraction occurs, play will be stopped immediately and a face off will occur at the designated spot.
• Only 2 players (one from each team) may "engage" the puck/ball at the wall. Violation of this rule will result in a faceoff.

Minor Penalties

• The following occurrences will result in 2 minute minor penalties:  Tripping, Elbowing, Kneeing, Too many players on the floor, Interference, Playing with a broken stick, Boarding, Illegal use of the hands, Charging/Checking from behind, Body Checking/Roughing, Delay of Game, Hooking, High sticking/Illegal Stick check.
• High Sticking shall be defined as any movement of the blade of the stick above the rink wall at ANY TIME during the course of play. For the safety of all players, it is expected that participants be conscious of their stick movement at all times. Defenders who raise the stick  above the wall will be called for high sticking by the referee.
• Minor penalties shall be enforced by requiring the offending player to sit out 2 minutes of play. The team of the offending player must also play shorthanded for the duration of the penalty. A minor penalty is over when the 2 minutes has expired or the opposing team scores a goal.
• Penalty time will run concurrent with the game clock, and will begin when the ensuing face off has occurred, following the penalty call. The clock operator will inform the penalized player of the start of their penalty time, and it is the player's responsibility to monitor the clock, and leave the box when penalty time has expired.
• After a minor penalty occurs, a face off will take place at the designated spot.
• A team cannot have less than two players and the goalie on the floor at one time. If a team has accumulated three minor penalties, the team will play shorthanded by only two players. All penalized players (except for the goalie) shall serve the penalty time in the penalty box.
• When a goalie receives a minor penalty, any player (male or female) can serve the penalty.

Major Penalties

• The following will lead to 5 minute penalties:
  Personal Misconduct, Spearing, Butt-ending, Cross Checking, Slashing
• Major penalties shall be enforced by requiring the offending player to sit out 5 minutes of play. The team of the offending player must also play shorthanded for the duration of the penalty, regardless of the number of goals their opponents score. Those penalties, which also involve an ejection, shall be served by any individual on the offending team.
• After a major penalty occurs, a face off will take place at the designated spot.
• When a goalie receives a major penalty, the clock will stop until a sub puts on the necessary equipment to allow the penalized goalie to serve the penalty.
• Major penalties are to be avoided at all times, and may result in additional disciplinary action by the league, depending on the circumstances.

Fighting and Gross Misconduct

• WASA will not tolerate behavior that destroys the active, social atmosphere that we are trying to create. As a for-profit business, WASA is not governed by the typical, flexible and forgiving policies of a park & recreation department, and thus deals with these incidents quickly, and decisively. Fighting, or behavior that is considered to be “Gross Misconduct” (abuse of officials or league representatives, threatening of other players, intent to injure, etc) in the minds of WASA league representatives WILL result in the immediate removal of a player from the game, and will likely result in the permanent expulsion of the player or team from all future participation in WASA sanctioned leagues or events. We will not sacrifice the good of the league to appease a single, irresponsible player or team.

Tie Game

• Overtime Procedures: Any game ending in a tie during league play will remain a tie. During playoffs, a five minute running clock sudden death period will be played. If the score is still tied, the deadlock will be broken by three alternating penalty shots taken by three different players from each team (Players must alternate male, female). Whichever team is ahead after these shots shall be declared the winner. If the score is still tied after the penalty shots, the two teams will choose different players, and will shoot by alternating teams until one misses and the other scores. Each team will receive the same amount of shots on the goal. Once every member of a team has taken penalty shot, that team can choose anyone to take the next shot.