2025 Islandwide Roller Hockey: Rules & Regulations
At Skate Safe we use the AAU/USARS Rulebook, as well as the rules below. Please read through the rules as some have changed from the previous season.
GENERAL
Cost of League and Jerseys:
• The player fee for Varsity and Junior Varsity is $365. That does not include the $30 AAU insurance for the year. The only place it can be completed is online. No player can play without it.
• If you coach your son or daughters team your will receive a $65 discount.
• Goalies will be charged a discounted rate of $180.00
• All players must have an Islandwide league jersey. To order a jersey please contact us: info@skatesafeamerica.com or mscardigno@skatesafeamerica.com.
• No player is allowed to play in the season without having paid his or her balance from the previous year. Players also cannot play in playoffs without being paid for the season.
Age Ranges: Middle School ages are 5th to 8th grade, JV is 7th to 10th and Varsity is 8th to 12th.
Disclaimer: Islandwide has the last say whether or not a player is too good for their respective division regardless if they are the appropriate age.
Varsity and Junior Varsity Breakdown:
• Both divisions will play a 10-game season plus playoffs. Playoffs will follow a single elimination format.
• Games will be played on Friday nights and on Sunday from late-morning to mid-afternoon.
• Based on the teams that sign up divisions will be broken up by skill after some games have been played. Please keep in mind that while we do our best to ensure balanced competition throughout the season that we cannot help if some teams are stronger than others.
• Playoffs may be played in separate brackets with two or more champions being crowned per division.
• As the season progresses we will gives updates about playoff schedules, all-star games and skills competitions
• Players may play in JV and Varsity if they pay for both. It would 50% off for the second team. Islandwide reserves the right to decide whether a not a player is too good for a given division. Players playing both divisions cannot play in playoffs without being paid in full for BOTH seasons.
Games Played: **All players must play a minimum of 3 games to be eligible for playoffs. One of those games must be in the first 5 games, and one must be in the second 5.** Players must play at least 5 of their teams games in order to play in the All-Star Game.
As long as a Middle School player is from their respective town they may play up a division. Players must be paid in full in order to play in playoffs. Middle School players must play in at least 3 games to play in playoffs and must pay.
If a player is not officially on both rosters they may be called up to play Varsity or down to play JV (if grade illegible) 7 TIMES without be expected to pay for both seasons. They will not be able to play for both teams in playoffs without paying for it.
Goalies: Goalies may play up OR down a division as long as they are age appropriate. Example: a 9th grade goalie playing Varsity can be called down to their JV team. Islandwide reserves the right to decide whether a not a goalie is too good for a given division.
- If your goalie cannot make his/her game it is your responsibility as a coach or captain to dress one of your players. We do not find fill-in goalies. Your back-up goalie for that game must be from your roster, another goalie in your organization or town. Beginning in 2021-22 we will be giving out a goalie call or email list. However, a goalie from your own division can not play in the playoffs.
Injuries: All injured players should secure a doctor’s note and give a copy to the league. Any injured player who misses four consecutive games is entitled to a store credit with a doctor’s note. For example: being injured for two games, coming back to play and then missing two more games does not count.
Rosters:
A team needs a minimum of 7 skaters and a goalie to enter the league. The maximum a roster can be is 11 skaters and a goalie.
• Each team may practice throughout the year. You may book your rink time through one of the mangers. Please note that paid rentals trump any planned practice unless you are willing to offer to match the price of the rental.
Teams have until their 5th game to add players to their rosters.
Middle School Season
• We will be offering a 9-game spring season beginning in April
• The cost is $325 per player. The sons or daughters of coaches will be given a discount for their involvement in coaching. Goalies will be charged a discounted rate of $160.
• Based on the teams that sign up divisions will be broken up by skill.
• Once a Middle School roster has been submitted then that player is eligible to play for his/her JV or Varsity team if needed as long as they meet the grade requirements. 4TH grade goalies are permitted to play Middle School.
GAME PLAY
Regular season games will be played as two-22-minute halves with the clock running. The clock only stops if you are down by two goals or fewer with less than two minutes remaining.
• ** During the regular season ties go to a 5-minute 3 on 3 overtime period with the teams defending net being furthest from their bench. The clock will stop with a minute or less to play. If the game is still tied the game will enter a 3-round shootout. Unlike house league all rostered players must shoot in a shootout before returning to the top of the order. All playoff games resulting in a tie will go into sudden death 4-on-4 overtime. **
• -Teams with 3 skaters and a goalie may start a game playing 3-on-3 if the opposing team agrees.
PENALTIES
Equipment:
• Each participant is responsible to wear protective equipment for all games, warm-ups and practices. If a player is caught without proper equipment they will receive a warning and be asked to get the missing equipment. If the player fails to do so they will subsequently given a misconduct or ejection.
• Every player must cover his or her shin and elbow pads during game time. If a player is caught with visible equipment, they will be sent off the rink by the referees and not allowed to return until equipment has been covered. If the same player does not comply after ONE warning they will be assessed a 2-minute penalty. Any player who begins the game without four wheels on each skate will be asked to leave the surface and will not be allowed back until they have the proper number of wheels.
Coaches on Rink:
Only players in uniform that are healthy and eligible to play are allowed to be on the playing surface during games and warm-ups. Injured players may not be on the bench. Any non-roster player under the age of 18 is not permitted on the bench as an assistant coach. Coaches coming onto the surface during an altercation will be immediately ejected from the game and are subject to further disciplinary action. If a player is injured on the rink use your discretion on when you feel its necessary to come onto the rink.
Delay of Game:
• No on-rink official should tell any player to move the puck from behind the net unless the player is doing so in a taunting or deliberate manner that is detrimental to the flow of game.
• Any puck shot out of play over the low glass during play is an automatic warning. A second incident results in a minor penalty. A puck shot out of play during a penalty kill will result in an automatic minor penalty. A puck shot over the high glass (behind the net) in a team’s defensive zone is an automatic penalty. There is no penalty for a puck going into the player benches.
• On a delayed penalty you may move the puck into the offensive zone and then back into your defensive zone if you wish.
• Any player who receives three minor contact penalties in one game is out of the game.
As of Fall 2021 a player can perform a "Michigan" type move or goal as long as they pick up the puck in one motion and put it into the net and the stick stays below the crossbar. You cannot pick up the puck on your stick and skate with it.
Abuse of Officials:
Islandwide has a zero tolerance in regards to abuse of officials. If a player, spectator or coach physically or verbally abuses an on rink official or an off rink official such as a scorekeeper or employee they will be disciplined Any off rink employee who witnesses an egregious penalty not called by on rink officials may meet with officials and management to discuss possible disciplinary action
Sportsmanship and Fair Play:
• All players who finish a game are expected to shake hands. Any player who leaves the rink without shaking hands is subject to suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Any fan or spectator verbally abusing rink officials or abusing players or coaches may be asked to leave the building.
• At the discretion of the referee and management an unsportsmanlike penalty can be given for any behavior deemed unsportsmanlike. This includes taunting, chanting, banging on the boards or anything deemed distracting or inappropriate during the course of a game.
Please see our Zero Policy Tolerance for complete information.
Social Media Disclaimer: Islandwide works very hard to be as current as we can with social media. That includes website articles, pictures and videos. Any sort of social media comments made in the form of a verbal threat or bullying by players, coaches or parents is subject to suspension.
SUSPENSIONS
All suspensions will be communicated to the team coach. It is then the coach’s responsibility to notify the appropriate player/s. ALL DECISIONS ARE FINAL.
If you are playing JV and Varsity and are suspended you must serve your suspension for whatever game you have next.
For example: if you are suspended from a Varsity incident on Friday night and have a JV game Sunday you will have to serve your suspension for that game.
PLAYERS WITHOUT TEAMS
Please contact us if you would like to join the league.
COMMUNICATION:
Coaches communicating with their team are vital throughout the season. Whether they choose to use email, phone apps, texting or phone calls it is imperative that they be the conduit to get players and parents’ information. If we relay a message coaches it is then their responsibility to make sure the team is aware of what is going on. We do not call teams to give them news and information, but we do mass emails to communicate schedule changes, game cancelations, or any other league news.
MOVING GAMES:
All teams are urged to submit a list of three to five non-playable blackout dates before the schedule is made. Such examples would be ice hockey tournaments, school functions or other important events. If you do not tell us prior to making the schedule we do not switch games once the season begins.
