2009 NEMHL PLAYOFF RULES

League regular season play ended on March 1, 2009. The three divisions will play in a round-robin format within their own division and the champions will be decided by a divisional championship game. Determination of the seeding for all three playoffs will be based on a simple points per game average as tabulated on the NEMHL website (http://www.NEMHL.org).

It is the responsibility of all team coaches and team officials to be familiar with the League Rules and Regulations prior to the start of the playoffs. Accountability for the team and enforcement of these rules are the sole responsibilities of the Head Coach. Failure to enforce league rules may result in game forfeiture.

The following procedures will be instituted for the upcoming NEMHL playoffs:

1. All players must furnish photo ID prior to stepping a blade on the ice in any game. If a player does not own a photo ID, the parent of that player will furnish his/her photo ID and vouch for the player.

2. All players and coaches must sign their respective names on a sign-in sheet prior to each game in the playoffs.

3. Both photos and signatures will be verified by representatives of the NEMHL.

4. All players must have NEMHL patches on their home and away jerseys.

There will be no exceptions to the above procedures.

Teams will be given 2 points for a win and 1 point for a tie.

The top two teams of each division at the end of the round robin games, as determined by game point total and the tie breakers as outlined from those games, will qualify as finalist in their respective divisions. 

The tie-breakers for qualification into the finals are as follows:

1. Head-to-head play
2. Least penalty minutes during playoffs.
3. Least goals against during playoffs 
4. Goal differential (6 max) during playoffs 
5. Lowest average penalties per game during regular season.

For final games, in the event of a tie, all games will continue with a 5-minute 5-on-5 sudden death period, followed by a 5-player shoot-out and then per player sudden-death shoot-out after each team has shot.  No player can repeat in the shoot-out until all skaters (excluding goalies) have participated in the shoot-out.  Order of shooters is at the discretion of the Head Coach for each team.

Sportsmanship Rule: At any time in the game that one team holds an 8 goal lead over their opponent, the game will immediately switch to running time. If that 8 goal differential lessens, then the teams will go back to stop time at the discretion and agreement of the two Head Coaches. In the third period, teams will go to running time whenever one team has a 5 goal lead over their opponent. If that 5 goal lead is diminished, then teams will return to stop time at the discretion and agreement of the two Head Coaches. The League was founded on the tenant of sportsmanship and this will continue throughout the playoffs.