Summary of Rules

This summary covers the key rules and procedures that players must follow, including the types of penalties and their enforcement, general gameplay rules, and rules regarding fighting, as outlined in the Official MASHA Rulebook.

General Gameplay Rules

1. Game Structure:
   • Periods: Games consist of three, 15-minute periods. This duration remains constant throughout the season and playoffs.
   • Clocks: Play will use a running clock. If the score is within two goals or tied, a stop clock is employed during the last three minutes of play.
   • Timeouts: Each team is allowed one 30-second timeout per game. Teams do not get an additional timeout for overtime. Teams may only call a timeout for injury with less than five minutes left in a game with a 6+ goal differential.
   • Points: Teams receive 2 points for a Win, 1 point for a Tie, and 1 point for an OT loss. No points are received for a regulation loss.
2. Overtime:
   • Regular Season: If the game is tied after three periods, a five-minute overtime period is played. The first team to score wins the game and is awarded an additional point. All penalties from the third period carry over into overtime. If no one scores the result is a tie. There is no shootout.
   • Playoffs: Overtime periods are of regulation duration and continue until one team scores. A normal intermission is allowed between periods, and teams change ends for each overtime period .
3. Offsides:
   • Once the attacking team legally crosses the opponent’s blue line with the ball, the blue line is eliminated, and the attacking zone is now the area from the center line in (this is referred to as “Floating Blue Line”)
   • A player is offside if both feet are over the opponent’s blue line before the ball, and the player or his teammate causes the ball to enter the attacking zone. 
4. Icing:
   • Icing occurs when a player shoots the ball from behind their own team’s blue line across the opponent’s goal line without the ball being touched by another player. Play is stopped, and a faceoff occurs in the offending team’s defensive zone. Exceptions to icing include if the team committing icing is short-handed, the ball touches an opponent before crossing the goal line, or the goaltender plays the ball prior to the ball crossing the goal line.
5. Equipment
   • Helmets: All players must wear helmets approved for street or ice hockey.
   • Gloves: Padded gloves must be worn by all players (no gardening/work/football gloves).
   • Shin Pads: Required for all players (soccer shin pads are allowed).
   • Shoes: Vinyl or rubber-soled shoes must be worn (no rollerblades or skates).

Penalties

1. Minor Penalties:
   • Players are ruled off the playing surface for two (2) minutes. A bench minor involves removing one player from the team for the penalty duration.
2. Major Penalties:
   • First major penalty results in five (5) minutes off the playing surface. The second major penalty in the same game results in a game misconduct, a minimum one-game suspension, and notification to the League President.
3. Misconduct Penalties:
   • Players are ruled off the playing surface for ten (10) minutes, but the team does not play short-handed. A second misconduct penalty in the same game results in a game misconduct and a one-game suspension.
4. Game Misconduct Penalties:
   • Players are suspended for the remainder of the game but can be immediately replaced. The substitute player will serve any of the suspended player’s penalties. Reported to the League President for potential further suspension. Two game misconducts for abuse of officials result in an automatic one-game suspension, increasing by one game for each subsequent misconduct.
5. Gross Misconduct Penalties:
   • Assessed for behavior critically detrimental to the game, including physical harm to officials or deliberate damage to the playing facility. Involves suspension for the balance of the game and a minimum one game suspension. The offending team must play short-handed with a substitute player serving a minimum ten (10) minute penalty. The player may not play in any subsequent games until the League President makes a ruling in regards to further suspensions.
6. Match Penalties:
   • Involves suspension for the balance of the game and barring from the entire playing area. The offending team must play short-handed with a substitute player serving a minimum ten (10) minute penalty. Minimum three-game suspension for the first offense in a season; second offense results in a season-long suspension. The player may not play in any subsequent games until the League President makes a ruling in regards to further suspensions.

Infractions and Associated Penalties

1. Slashing:
   • Swinging a player’s stick at an opponent, whether contact is made or not. A minor or major penalty, at the discretion of the referee, is imposed for slashing .
2. Body Checking:
   • Using the body to bump an opponent out of position using shoulders or hips. A minor or major penalty, at the discretion of the referee .
3. Boarding:
   • Checking or pushing an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently into the boards. A minor or major penalty, depending on the degree of violence .
4. Charging:
   • Violently checking an opponent after taking two or more strides before contact. A minor or major penalty, with a game misconduct if injury results .
5. Butt-Ending:
   • Using the end of the shaft of the stick in a jabbing motion. A double minor, major, or match penalty depending on the severity .
6. Checking from Behind:
   • Checking a player who is not aware of the impending hit, unable to defend himself. A major and game misconduct penalty .
7. Spearing:
   • Stabbing an opponent with the point of the stick blade. A double minor, major, or match penalty depending on the severity.
8. Tripping:
   • Using the stick, body, or equipment to cause an opponent to fall or lose balance. A minor penalty, with a major penalty and game misconduct if the action leads to an injury.
9. Hooking:
   • Impeding an opponent’s progress by using the blade of the stick to hook their body or stick. A minor penalty, with a major penalty and game misconduct if the action is severe or causes injury.
10. Interference:
    • Impeding the progress of an opponent who does not have possession of the ball. A minor penalty, with a major penalty and game misconduct if the action is severe or causes injury.
11. High Sticking:
    • Carrying or using the stick above the shoulder height of an opponent in a manner that risks contact, even without making actual contact, is prohibited. A minor penalty is assessed at the discretion of the referee if there is a risk of contact, a major penalty if injury results, and a match penalty for deliberate or attempted injury.
    • Batting the ball above an opponent’s shoulder height with a stick is also prohibited. If the ball is struck with a high stick and subsequently comes into possession of a teammate, play is stopped, and a face-off is held in the offending team’s defensive zone. If the ball goes to an opponent, play continues. Exceptions apply during shooting or goal celebrations.
    • Goals scored with a high stick are disallowed, except when caused by a defending player.

Fighting

Fighting in MASHA games is strictly prohibited. 

• A match penalty is imposed on any player involved in a fight, whether on or off the playing surface, before, during, or after the game.
• A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation shall be assessed an additional Minor penalty. 
• A game misconduct penalty is imposed on any player or goalkeeper who is the first to intervene in an ongoing altercation or who leaves the bench to participate in an altercation.
• Any player assessed a Match penalty will be suspended a minimum of 3 games. Immediately after the game in which such Match penalty is imposed, the Referees shall deliver a report to the League President for potential further disciplinary action, which could range from a full one-year suspension or banishment from MASHA activities.
• Any closed fist bare knuckle punch thrown will result in an automatic 10 game suspension at a minimum.

The Referee is provided very wide latitude in the penalties that he may impose under this Rule. This is done intentionally to enable him to differentiate between the obvious degrees of responsibility of the participants either for starting the fighting or persisting in continuing the fighting. The discretion provided should be exercised realistically.