Rules

2023 Battle of Buffalo 

General Tournament Rules 

• Length of Periods 
• ○ U18 - 2009 Boys - 3 x 15 min stop time periods 
• ○ 2010 - 2013 Boys - 3 x 14 min stop time periods 
• ○ 2014 - 2015 Boys - 3 x 13 min stop time periods 
• Length of Penalties - 1:30 Minor Penalties, 4:00 Major Penalties, and 8:00 Misconducts. 
• Warm Ups - 3 min for all levels. Teams are responsible for providing their own pucks. 
• Body (Checking) contact will begin at the 2010 age group. 
• Running time will be in effect at the start of or during the 3rd period, only when a team is winning by 5 goals. Stop time will resume once the score is within 2 goals. 
• No time-outs will be permitted during the round-robin. Each team will receive one (60-second) timeout in the quarter-final, semi-final, and championship games. 
• Home team will wear white/light colored jerseys. Away teams will wear black/dark-colored jerseys. It is the responsibility of the teams to coordinate team colors prior to the start of the game. 
• The Battle of Buffalo enforces a “ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY” that requires a full tournament suspension for any coach, player, or spectator who gets removed from a game for verbal abuse of an official. There will be no discussion, appeal, or recourse for anyone removed from a game for verbal abuse.

Scoring Rules 

• All divisions will be scored 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. 
• Any forfeited games will be recorded as a 3-0 score. Any forfeited games affecting another team's playoff status may be reviewed by the tournament director to determine which teams advance beyond preliminary round play. The use of ineligible players will disqualify a team from the tournament. 
• All games played by a disqualified team will be forfeited. No money will be refunded. 
• Scores will be posted with a goal differential no greater than 7. For example - a 10-1 game will be scored as 8 - 1. 

Tiebreaker Rules For Round Robin Play 

If 2 teams are tied in points, the following order applies to determine the ranking of teams. 

• Head-to-Head Competition 
• Most wins 
• Goal Differential - Goals for minus goals against 
• Scoring quotient - Goals for divided by total goals 
  • Example - Team Blue - 12 GF, 8 GA. 12 GF / 20 Total Goals = 0.6 Team Red - 10 GF, 8 GA. 10 GF / 18 Total Goals = 0.55 
    • Team Blue Advances 
• Least goals against 
• Coin Flip - Conducted by the tournament director and team officials.
  

If 3 or more teams are tied in points, the following order applies to determine the ranking of teams.

• If at any point, a tiebreaker establishes a position for one or more teams, each team is placed in its applicable position. If two teams remain tied after this is done, these two tied teams shall be seeded by starting the process for two (2) tied teams tiebreaker above. 
• Most Wins 
• Goal Differential - Goals for minus goals against 
• Scoring quotient - Goals for divided by total goals 
  • Example - Team Blue - 12 GF, 8 GA. 12 GF / 20 Total Goals = 0.6 Team Red - 10 GF, 8 GA. 10 GF / 18 Total Goals = 0.55 
    • Team Blue Advances 
• Least goals against

*EXAMPLE: Team A, B, C, and D all are tied with 6 points. The first tiebreaker in this example would be #3 Best goal differential formula. Team A wins that, so then it resets to 3 teams tied with 6 points. Then, apply the best goal differential formula again, and Team B wins. Then, the last two teams would go to #2 if applicable, if not, then the process would proceed according to the tiebreakers #3 through #6. 

Overtime Procedures for Quarters, Semis, and Final Games 

In the event a Quarter, Semi or Final game should end in a tie, the tie will be broken in the following manner: 

1. Overtime will be played during Quarter, Semi, and Final games only. 
2. 5-minute sudden death (4 on 4) 
3. 3-player shootout. 
4. Sudden death shootout (both teams get to shoot each round). 
5. For Shootouts, the home team has a choice of who shoots first. 1. After the first 3 players from each team shoot if teams are still tied you can repeat any shooter as many times as you would like. 

OFFICIALS 

• A zero tolerance for verbal abuse is in effect and will be enforced for all team officials, players, and spectators. 
• Appropriate penalties will be assessed for disputing or arguing a decision of the officials, any visual demonstration of dissatisfaction, or for the use of obscene or vulgar language to anyone at any time during the tournament. 
• The tournament director reserves the right to be the final decision maker for rulings outside of the officials.

DIVISION ADVANCEMENTS

U18 Division - 7 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

U16 Elite Division - 8 teams. Each will play a 3 game round robin. After round robin, teams will be seeded 1 - 8 and advance to quarter finals. Winners advance to semifinals. Winners of semi finals advance to finals. 

U16 AAA Division - 7 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

U15 Elite Division - 6 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

U15 AAA Division - 9 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

2009 Elite Division - 6 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

2009 AAA Division - 10 teams. Each team will play in a 3 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 8 and advance to quarter finals (1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5). Winners advance to semis, into finals. The bottom 2 teams after robin robin play in consolation game 9 vs 10. 

2010 Division - 9 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

2011 Elite Division - 6 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

2011 AAA Elite Division - 7 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

2012 Division - 8 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

2013 Division - 7 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals. 

2014 Division - 10 teams. Each team will play in a 3 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to upper semi finals (1 vs 4, 2 vs 3), seeds 5 - 8 advance to lower semi finals (5 vs 8, 6 vs 7), and 9 vs 10 advance to consolation game. Winners of the upper semi finals advance to the upper finals. Winners of the lower semi finals advance to the lower finals.

2015 Division - 7 teams. Each team will play a 4 game round robin. After round robin, teams are seeded 1 - 4 and advance to the semi finals. Winners advance to finals.