Rink Dimensions:

1. Rink Length & Width = 200' x 85' (61m x 26m), with a corner radius of 28’ (8.5m).
2. Each goal line is 11’ (3.4m) from the end boards. USHL blue lines are 75’ (23m) from the end boards and 50’ (15m) apart.

Timing Rules:
1. Duration of the game is 3 18-minute periods.
2. Overtime periods:
1. There are no overtime periods during the preseason.
2. There is a max of 2 overtime periods per game during the regular-season:
1. The 1st period is a 3v3 (2 field players & 1 goalie) 5 minutes in duration.
2. The 2nd period is a penalty shootout with 5 players on each team each getting 1 shot:
1. Teams will attempt 5 alternating penalty shots from the center circle.
2. A coin toss (called by the visiting team) will determine which team will go on offense or defense first.
3. Whichever team has the most points after the 5 tries, or after one team gains an insurmountable lead, will be the winner.
4. If the teams are still tied after 5 attempts, teams play multiple rounds until one team scores, which wins it.

3. There are no limits for overtime periods during the postseason.

3. The length of the intermission periods is 18 minutes.

Timeout & Challenge Rules:

1. Each team gets 2 time-outs per regulation period, and 1 per extra period:
a. All time-outs are 60 seconds in duration, & they do not accumulate.
2. All timeouts can only be called by the head coach at the scorer’s table during dead-puck situations.
3. The time-out will be granted on next play stoppage or, if requested in time, after the next field goal scored against the team
that requested the time-out.
4. No time-outs are allowed once a set of free throws has started (puck at disposal of free thrower for first or only free throw).
5. All USHL teams have 2 official challenges per game:
a. If the coach's challenge is successful -- that is, the ruling on the court is overturned -- then his team isn't charged with a timeout.
However, if the second challenge is successful, the team retains its timeout but no longer has a challenge.

b. If it's unsuccessful, it costs the team a timeout. A coach can't challenge any ruling if he doesn't have at least one timeout
remaining.
c. An unused challenge carries over from regulation to overtime and from one overtime period to the next overtime period, but a
team out of challenges at the end of regulation does not gain a new or additional challenge.
d. Within these time constraints, a team’s head coach may challenge the following select NBA replay triggers:
i. Not reasonably certain whether a successful field goal was released or a called foul was committed prior to the expiration of the 24-
second shot clock.
ii. Not reasonably certain as to which team should be awarded possession after a puck goes out-of-bounds or whether an out-of-
bounds in fact occurred.
iii. Not reasonably certain whether a called common foul or called clear path foul met the criteria of a clear-path-to-the-basket foul.
iv. Not reasonably certain as to which player should attempt free throws on a called foul.
v. Not reasonably certain as to whether the defender was inside or outside the restricted area (after the referees called a block or
charge foul in the vicinity of the restricted area).
vi. Not reasonably certain whether a goaltending or basket interference violation was called correctly.
vii. Not reasonably certain whether an off-puck foul occurred prior to any of the following:
1. an offensive player beginning his shooting motion on a successful field goal if the off-puck foul is committed by a defensive player.
2. a defensive foul committed prior to the puck being released on a throw-in.
3. the puck being released on a successful field goal or a double-foul if the off-puck foul is committed by an offensive player.

viii. Not reasonably certain whether a team had an improper number of players on the court while the puck is in play.
e. Referees will possess the sole and exclusive ability to initiate the following replay triggers at any point during the game:
i. Player altercation.
ii. Not reasonably certain whether a called foul met the criteria of a flagrant foul.
iii. A field goal is made with no time remaining on the clock at the end of any period.
iv. A foul is called with no time remaining on the clock at the end of any period.
v. A play concludes (i) with no time remaining on the clock (0:00) at the end of any period or (ii) at a point when the referees believe
that actual time may have expired in any period; and the referees are reasonably certain that the game clock malfunctioned during
the play.
f. Referees will possess the sole and exclusive ability to initiate the following replay triggers during the final two minutes of the
fourth period and at any point during overtime:
i. Not reasonably certain whether a successful field goal was scored correctly as a 2-point or 3-point field goal, or in the case of a
called shooting foul, whether the player was attempting a 2-point or 3-point field goal; and
ii. Not reasonably certain whether the puck touched the rim and thus whether the shot clock should be adjusted.

6. Procedures to Initiate a Challenge:

a. To initiate a challenge, the head coach must call a legal timeout in a timely manner:
i. For a timeout to be considered “timely”, the challenging coach must call the timeout prior to live play resuming including, for
example, prior to a referee handing the puck to the thrower-in, a referee handing the puck to a free throw shooter, or a referee
tossing a jump puck.
ii. Once these windows of opportunity have closed, any subsequent timeout no longer will be considered timely for purposes of
triggering a challenge; and, as a result, a team is no longer permitted to challenge a previous event.
b. Immediately after calling a timeout to initiate a challenge:
i. The coach shall press a button that will illuminate a blinking light positioned at the end of the scorer’s table closest to the challenging
team’s bench; and
ii. After the referee approaches the head coach following the stoppage in play, the coach shall explain to the referee the specific event
that he/she would like to challenge.
iii. If a team calls a timeout to challenge an event that may not be challenged, it will retain its challenge but will be charged with the
timeout.
iv. If a team calls a timeout to challenge an event but does not have any timeouts remaining, it will be charged an excessive timeout,
resulting in a technical foul, and no challenge review will take place.
 c. Standard of Review:
i. The Replay Center will help facilitate the review, but the on-court referees will make the final determination on all reviews.
ii. For each reviewable matter (regardless of whether it is triggered by a head coach or referee), the current reviewable matters as set
forth by USHL rules will apply.
iii. To overturn the call on the floor via a challenge, the visual evidence available on replay must be clear and conclusive. If the video is
inconclusive, the challenge will be deemed unsuccessful.
iv. If the replay equipment is not functional or the challenged event is not captured on video, the call on the floor will stand and the
challenging team will retain its challenge and timeout.

Substitution Rules:
1. A "substitution opportunity" begins when the clock is stopped and the puck is dead (i.e. after a whistle or after a field goal
in the last two minutes). It ends when the puck is placed at the disposal of a player making a throw-in, or placed at the
disposal of a free throw shooter for the first or only free throw. One major effect of this is to prevent substitutions during free
throws.
2. Either team may sub on any foul, violation, alternating possession situation or time-out.
3. Referee’s stoppages are included as substitution opportunities.

Season Structure:
1. Uniform Rules:
a. Both teams must wear their dark color uniforms during games (similar to rugby or this NAL Championship Game) unless either
of the following occurs (i.e. mandatory “Color Rush”):
i. The teams share similar colors.
ii. If someone is colorblind (i.e. teams with red or green uniforms will not participate).
iii. USHL Example: Green Bay Gamblers vs Indiana Ice.
b. If that is the case, the designated home team will wear their dark color uniforms and the away team will wear either of the
following:
i. Their lighter color uniforms.
ii. An alternative darker color uniform.

2. Each team will receive premier points for entry into the postseason:
a. 3 points for winning a game in regulation.
b. 2 points for winning a game in overtime or a shootout.
c. 1.5 points for drawing a game.
d. 1 point for losing a game in overtime or a shootout.
e. 0 points for losing a game in regulation.
f. .5 bonus points for losing by 3 points (or fewer) and/or in overtime.
g. .5 bonus points for scoring at least 4 points.
3. At the end of the regular season, the team with the best regular-season record (i.e. highest point total) is awarded the the
Anderson Cup:
a. For those who don't know, it echoes the practice of the top European soccer leagues in which the team with the best regular-
season record is the champion, similar to the Supporter’s Shield in MLS.
b. However, the award can just be a certificate in a frame.
c. Tiebreaker criteria when competitors are level on points:
i. The team that won the head-to-head match (if applicable) is ranked first.
ii. If this game was a draw, then the team with the more wins is ranked first.
iii. Point difference (PD) = is the number of points scored in all league matches minus the number of points conceded.
iv. Points for (PF) = is the total number of points scored by a team over the course of the regular-season.
v. Points against (PA) = is the number of goals scored against them by their opponents over the course of the regular-season.
vi. Fewest disciplinary actions.
vii. Strength of schedule = two-third (66 2/3%) for the opponent's record and one-third (33 1/3%) for the opponents' opponents record.
viii. Total number of points scored on the road.
ix. Road point difference.
x. Total number of points scored @ home.
xi. Home point difference.
 xii. If still identical, a play-off is required.
xiii. Coin toss (2 teams) or drawing of lots (at least 3 teams).

4. The 1-game (1h or 1a) preseason is a domestic exhibition game that starts on the first Saturday of October:
a. All USHL players must play in the game.
b. There must be a 3-day break between the end of the preseason & start of the regular-season.
c. All preseason tickets (including national team exhibitions) must not cost more than 2017 US$15 (must be adjusted for inflation).
5. The regular-season is a 48-game (24h/24a) season that starts in Early October and ends in Late February:
a. The season starts on the Friday after the 1st Saturday of October & will run to the 4th Saturday of February.
b. Central & Midwest = Each team plays 4 games (2h/2a) against all of the other 16 teams in their division.

c. Northeast = Each team plays 4 games (2h/2a) against all of the other 11 teams in their division, & 4 games (2h/2a) against 1
random team.
d. South = Each team plays 3 games (2h/1a or 1h/2a) against all of the other 13 teams in their division, & 9 games (5h/4a or 4h/5a)
against random teams).
e. Western = Each team plays 3 games (2h/1a or 1h/2a) against all of the other 15 teams in their division, & 3 games (2h/1a or
1h/2a) against 1 random team.
6. The post-season is a 10-team two-stage tournament:
a. There must be a 2-day break in-between the end of the regular-season and the start of the postseason.
b. The 1st round is a single game between the 5 divisional champions & runner-ups.
c. The 2nd round is a 5-team round robin tournament. Each team gets 2 home games & 2 away games.
7. Order of Season (# of Games):
a. USHL Preseason (1).
b. USHL Regular Season (48).
c. USHL Postseason (5).
d. Total Games = 54.
8. Promotion & Relegation:
a. The top 4 teams in each division in USHL League 2 will be promoted to League 1.
b. The bottom 4 teams in each division in USHL League 1 will be relegated to USHL League 2.
c. All of the USHL teams are eligible to be promoted and/or relegated.

Roster & Salary:

1. The USHL Draft:
a. The USHL Draft is an annual event conducted in two "phases" during the second week of May:
i. The first phase is an eight-round draft of U-17 players for the upcoming season.
ii. The second phase of the draft is open to all players up to age 20 eligible to play junior hockey who are not already protected by a
USHL team.
b. The number of players drafted varies, as each team will draft until they have filled the 45 spots available on their roster.
c. Each team also has local tryouts in early September for undrafted players, and at least one player from the tryouts must be
assigned to the team. Undrafted players are open to try out for any team as a try-out player.
2. All USHL teams must have 45 total players, but no more than 23 players on the active roster:
a. All USHL teams must carry 18 additional players on an affiliate/reserve list.
b. All USHL affiliate/reserve players must play in at least 1 home game & 1 away game over the course of the season.
3. The Salary Cap:
a. Teams do not charge players to play and also provide players with uniforms, team clothing and select equipment such as sticks,
gloves and helmets.
b. The league does not pay a stipend to its players, who thus retain amateur status and are eligible to play in the NCAA:
i. The league will pay a monthly stipend to host families (for both local & non-local players) to help cover food and other costs.
ii. Players without local family live with billet families in their area and
iii. All players must either continue school or work part-time jobs.
c. All teams may have no more than 4 overage skaters (players who have turned 21 in the first year of the season).
d. USHL Teams are still bound to USA Hockey rules regarding import players, and presently each team is allowed to have 5 non-
American players on their roster:
i. Non-American goaltenders will count as 2 import players in a move designed to give more development time to
American goalies, who are also exempt from the overage rule.
ii. Import players may also apply for an exemption from being counted as an import, but only if they have played hockey
in the United States for four years prior.