LWHA Rules         

Regulations and League Operations

Upon completion of the draft, you will be assigned to a team that aligns with your skill level. Our goal is to form balanced teams while also accommodating as many requests to play alongside friends as possible. Each player in the Winter league will be provided with team jerseys.  Jerseys are property of the league and must be returned at the end of the season or you will be fined $40 for not returning it. Summer league players are provided with jerseys they can keep.

League Policies

Our league adheres to a strict no-tolerance policy regarding intentional attempts to injure including head shots. Any violation will result in immediate investigation by the board and could result in expulsion from the league without refund. Please keep in mind that this is a fun recreational league.

Each game will be officiated by two referees to ensure fair play.

Game Rules 20+ Division and Summer League

• Slapshots ARE permitted.

• 3 period stop time format. Period 1 and 2 are 10 minutes. Period 3 is 12 minutes. All games are curfewed.

• Blue line icing.

• A puck hitting a goalie's helmet will be blown dead immediately.

• Substitute players are allowed to score 1 goal each per game.

• To keep the game moving, if a team takes too long to line up, the ref will blow the whistle and drop the puck.  Multiple delays may result in a delay of game penalty.

• Referees may call any aggressive or potentially dangerous “accidental“ penalties to keep the games safe and fun.

• Referees may add additional misconducts or eject anyone that is verbally aggressive to officials or other players.

• No one from the opposing team is to have any part of their body in the blue paint of the goalie crease at any time. Any goal scored will not be counted if a player is seen in the blue at the time of the goal.

• CARHA rules apply.

 Game Rules for 35+(40+) Division

• Slapshots ARE NOT permitted.

• 2 period stop time format. Period 1 is 20 minutes starting in the opposite end. Period 2 is 22 minutes in your bench side. All games are curfewed.

• Blue line icing.

• A puck hitting a goalie's helmet will be blown dead immediately.

• Substitute players are allowed to score any amount of goals each per game.

• To keep the game moving, if a team takes too long to line up, the ref will blow the whistle and drop the puck.  Multiple delays may result in a delay of game penalty.

• Referees may call any aggressive or potentially dangerous “accidental“ penalties to keep the games safe and fun.

• Referees may add additional misconducts or eject anyone that is verbally aggressive to officials or other players.

• No one from the opposing team is to have any part of their body in the blue paint of the goalie crease at any time. Any goal scored will not be counted if a player is seen in the blue at the time of the goal.

• CARHA rules apply.

Body-checking

Body-checking is not permitted. Any excessive physical contact may lead to penalties. Repeat offenders could face a suspension until a disciplinary meeting is held with the LWHA organizing committee, which may lead to the player’s release from LWHA without any financial compensation. Players who commit repeated unsportsmanlike behavior or aggressive penalties such as slashing, spearing, roughing and cross checking will be subjected to progressive disciplinary action starting with an investigation by the LWHA Organizing Committee. Actions could include verbal warning, written warning and suspensions with possible expulsion from the league. 

Refund Policy

We may issue a refund of $15.00 per game remaining in the season, processed after the jersey has been returned and all other conditions from the LWHA are satisfied. Minus the player insurance paid to CARHA by LWHA. Minus $35 LWHA admin fee.

Medical refunds will be handled on a case by case basis after documentation is provided or other proof has been given to the satisfaction of the LWHA Board.

Player Replacement Procedure

If a player needs to leave the league, we will make every effort to fill their position from our waiting list (subject to availability). Should we secure a replacement, the new player will need to get their payment processed before we can proceed with the potential refund of the original player.

Officials

Our league's officials are dedicated to ensuring fairness and maintaining a safe game. Typically, in a standard hockey league, concerns are addressed by the coach, captain, or an assistant. However, since we currently do not have coaches, the responsibility now rests solely on the team captain as the designated representative to communicate with the referees. If you disagree with a call, please calmly and respectfully present your case or inform any spokesperson/captain. It is important to remember that arguing with a referee at any time is not permitted. Going forward, the referees have always had the power to issue a penalty for any verbal abuse or loud comments directed at them from the bench or on the ice. These penalties may be classified as Technical or Unsportsmanlike. If there is continued verbal abuse of our officials it will result in review by the LWHA board and may lead to suspension without refund. If you have strong concerns about a player or referee, please submit a formal written complaint to the LWHA Organizing Committee at

lwhainformation2024@gmail.com.   All concerns will be reviewed by all members of the LWHA Organizing Committee and be dealt with appropriately.

Team Forfeiture Policy

To prevent forfeits, each team must have a minimum of six players dressed and on the ice at the start of the game. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an automatic forfeit, awarding the opposing team a 1-0 victory. Any arrangements regarding forfeiting must be agreed upon before the puck is dropped and documented on the official game sheet at the arena. Please note that individual goals and assists will not be recorded in a forfeited game, although all major penalties and misconducts will be enforced.

Substitute Players (20+ Division)

Teams may utilize substitute players as long as they are registered with the league, paid their deposit and have signed a waiver before they play the first game. A substitute playing without permission or a waiver will result in a forfeit for that team. Those players from the LWHA substitute list will pay $20 per game. Teams may also ask registered players from other teams to substitute for no additional cost.  Each game can include up to four substitute players but cannot have more players than the opposing team. Substitute players are allowed 1 goal each per game. Assists will be counted in the individual stats. The purpose of substitute players is to avoid a forfeit not to win or lose a game. Substitutes must sign the game sheet indicating (SUB) beside their name for accurate records. Team captains should maintain open communication with players in advance of each game on forums such as bench app, messenger group, a team facebook page, email, whatsapp etc.

Injury Risk 

As hockey is a contact sport, there is a risk of personal injury during participation. Please ensure you are fully equipped with ice hockey gear before stepping onto the ice. Remember to wear helmets with complete facial protection and use proper hockey skates for optimal performance. While we strive to minimize these risks by prohibiting body checking, it is important to acknowledge that potential hazards exist. If you are pregnant during the hockey season, please contact us. While we do not recommend playing hockey while expecting, the final decision should be made after consulting your doctor.

Tie Breaker Rules (20+ Division)

In regular season play, a game that is tied after 3 periods will end that way. In the playoffs if a game is tied after 3 periods there will be a 5 round shoot out. The team with the most goals after those 5 rounds will win the game. If teams are still tied after the 5 rounds, sudden death, the next goal wins. In the playoffs there is a round robin. After the round robin the top 2 teams with the most wins make the championship game. If teams are tied (Win & Losses) after the round robin we will decide rank by goals for and goals against. If teams are still tied then we will then rank by least amount of penalty minutes. If teams are still tied then the tie-breaker will come down to strictly goals against meaning the team with the fewest goals against overall will advance.

Social Media

We offer a variety of social media platforms and encourage lively discussions and comments. If you do not wish to be pictured on our platforms or do not like a picture including yourself, please contact us to let us know and we will remove it. Any disrespectful remarks or instances of bullying may be removed, and the offending individual may be banned from the site(s). You can follow the league on facebook on the London Women's Hockey League page, LWHA 40+ page as well as Instagram @lwha2024 and Tik Tok LWHA.2024.