WCC Rules
2022 WESTERN CHALLENGE CUP "RULES"
1. RANKINGS
Rankings for the current year will be based on results from the previous year at the Western Challenge Cup. Gold will be ranked as #1, Silver # 2, Bronze # 3 and 4th place team as #4 ranking. Numbers five onwards will be based on round robin standings with teams that did participate in the previous WCC. New teams or teams that did not participate in the previous tournament in that division will be part of the draw.
2. SCHEDULING
The schedule for the Western Challenge Cup will be done by the tournament host. The schedule will then be distributed to all member leagues.
a) The Western Challenge Cup needs to be based on a format that includes 6-7-8-9-10-12 teams in each group/division. 11 teams results in an unbalanced schedule and should be avoided. The fair system is to make sure teams play a balanced schedule.
b) The host center is required to provide 100 to 120 game slots which would allow the championships to be run at its capacity of 5 divisions of play.
c) The host center is required to have game slots booked by January 1st of hosting year at the latest. They must be prepared to give final floor time bookings to their local facilities by February 28th of the hosting year.
d) The Championships will be based on 3-4 days of competition, Thursday thru Sunday or Friday through Sunday. Every effort should be made to book the Championships on the second or third weekend of July based on availability of hotels and floor time.
e) AT NO TIME WILL AN ASSOCIATION OR LEAGUE ASK FOR SPECIAL CONCESSIONS TO HAVE THE SCHEDULE CHANGED FOR THEIR BENEFIT. ALL TEAMS SHOULD BE READY TO PLAY ON THE THURSDAY MORNING (NO EXCEPTIONS).
3. BUDGET & ENTRY FEES
The budget for the Championships and team entry fees needs to be in place by the host by January of the year of hosting. The budget should be based on 100 to 120 game schedule, 5 divisions of play with 50 team maximum in total. All member leagues should come to this meeting prepared to commit to how many teams from their league will participate and in which levels of play. The host center will set the entry fee deadlines but it must be approved by the CBHA. The final proposed budget must be released to all member leagues by April 15th of the current year.
4. AGE GROUPS
Western Challenge Cup age groups will be as follows (birth year based on full calendar year):
U11 Division (players born in 2011, 2012, 2013)
U13 Division (players born in 2009, 2010)
U15 Division (players born in 2007, 2008)
U17 Division (players born in 2005, 2006)
U19 Division (players born in 2003, 2004)
5. ROSTERS & BIRTH CERTIFICATES
The first copy of team rosters should be turned into the Tournament Chairperson no later than July 1st of the current year as this is needed for the program. If you miss this deadline your team roster may not be included in the program. Final rosters will be declared at the Coaches Meeting at the Championships. Photocopies of all players’ birth certificates, government issued picture ID or passport must be turned in at this time as well.
6. FORMAT
Every effort should be made to run a 40-50 team tournament each year with 5 divisions of play. If a member league is unable to send a team, we should then ask other member leagues if they would be willing to send a second team in that level if required to meet one of the following formats of play.
12 TEAM FORMAT (28 GAMES)
- 4 teams in three divisions... rankings based on last Championships
- Division "A": leagues ranked 1-4-7-10, Division "B": leagues ranked 2-5-8-11, Division “C”: leagues ranked 3-6-9-12
- Teams would play a round-robin, playing a total of 3 games
- The three division winners and the three second place teams plus the 7th and 8th teams with the best record advance to the Quarter-Finals
- Advancing teams are then ranked 1 thru 8 based on round robin results
- Quarter-Final games would be 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5
- Teams 9 through 12 will play a final placement game - 9 vs 10 and 11 vs 12
- Semi-Final games would be 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
- Winners will advance to the Gold Medal Game, Losers go to the Bronze Medal Game
- Under this format every team is guaranteed to play 4 games, and 4 teams will play 6 games
11 TEAM FORMAT (30 GAMES) - to be used only if there is no other option
- All teams will be placed in one division. Rankings based on last Championships, with new teams added to the end randomly
- Teams would play a round-robin, playing a total of 4 games. Games will be played based on team rankings using the CBHA 22 game, 11 team schedule
- Quarter-Final games would be 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5
- Semi-Final games would be 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
- Winners will advance to the Gold Medal Game, Losers go to the Bronze Medal Game
- Under this format every team is guaranteed to play 4 games, 8 teams will play 5 games, and 4 teams will play 7 games
10 TEAM FORMAT (24 GAMES)
- 5 teams in two divisions... rankings based on last Championships
- Division "A": leagues ranked 1-3-5-7-9, Division "B": leagues ranked 2-4-6-8-10
- Teams would play a round-robin, playing a total of 4 games
- The two division winners and the two second place teams advance to the Semi-Finals
- Semi-Final games would be A-1st place vs B-2nd place, B-1st place vs A-2nd place
- Winners will advance to the Gold Medal Game, Losers go to the Bronze Medal Game
- Under this format every team is guaranteed to play 4 games, and 4 teams will play 6 games
9 TEAM FORMAT (22 GAMES)
- All teams are in one division
- Teams would play a round-robin, playing a total of 4 games according to the following match-ups (based on rankings from the previous year): 1st vs 6th, 8th vs 2nd, 7th vs 3rd, 4th vs 9th, 8th vs 1st, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 9th, 5th vs 4th, 9th vs 1st, 2nd vs 6th, 3rd vs 5th, 4th vs 8th, 1st vs 7th, 9th vs 2nd, 4th vs 3rd, 6th vs 5th, 5th vs 8th, 7th vs 6th.
- The four teams with the best overall record advance to the Semi-Finals
- Advancing teams are then ranked 1 thru 4 based on round robin results
- Semi-Final games would be 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
- Winners will advance to the Gold Medal Game, Losers go to the Bronze Medal Game
- Under this format every team is guaranteed to play 4 games, and 4 teams will play 6 games
8 TEAM FORMAT (20 GAMES)
- 4 teams in two divisions... rankings based on last Championships
- Division "A": leagues ranked 1-3-5-7, Division "B": leagues ranked 2-4-6-8
- Teams would play a round-robin, playing a total of 4 games including 1 cross-over game
- The two division winners and the two second place teams advance to the Semi-Finals
- Semi-Final games would be 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
- Winners will advance to the Gold Medal Game, Losers go to the Bronze Medal Game
- Under this format every team is guaranteed to play 4 games, and 4 teams will play 6 games
7 TEAM FORMAT (23 GAMES)
- All teams will be placed in one division
- Teams would play a round-robin, playing a total of 6 games
- Gold medal game will be the 1st place team vs the 2nd place team and Bronze medal game will be the 3rd place vs 4th place
- Under this format every team is guaranteed to play 6 games, and 4 teams will play 7 games
6 TEAM FORMAT (17 GAMES)
- All teams will be placed in one division
- Teams would play a round-robin, playing a total of 5 games
- Gold medal game will be the 1st place team vs the 2nd place team and Bronze medal game will be the 3rd place vs 4th place
- Under this format every team is guaranteed to play 5 games, and 4 teams will play 6 games
5 TEAM FORMAT (12 GAMES)
- All teams will be placed in one division
- Teams would play a round-robin, playing a total of 4 games
- After the round-robin, there would be 2 medal games only, no other playoffs
- Gold medal game will be the 1st place team vs the 2nd place team and Bronze medal game will be the 3rd place vs 4th place
- Under this format every team is guaranteed to play 4 games, and 4 teams will play 5 games
7. DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE & APPEALS
The CBHA along with the Host Association will create a tournament Disciplinary Sub-Committee who will deal with all aspects of the Championships themselves. That Sub-Committee would include the following people:
• 1x Provincial Rep from one of the attending association (BC/Alberta/Manitoba/Saskatchewan)
• 1x Canadian Ball Hockey Association Executive Member (if one is attending tournament)
• 1x Referee-in-Chief of the Championships
This sub-committee will be picked and announced at the Coaches Meeting at the start of the Championships. All decisions by this group will be respected and final.
Traveling Provinces must send referee's to officiate at the Championships and the traveling referee’s will be funded by their home association or organization. Where applicable the WCC budget will assist with expenses. The local leagues sending referees must be prepared to cover the referee's travel and hotel costs. The final decision on referees will be made by the tournament Referee-in-Chief. Game fees for referees will be set at $35 per game and will be paid at the end of the tournament. Should a referee require payment sooner they must discuss this with the RIC to make arrangements.
Disciplinary measures are to be dealt with by the sub-committee and governing bodies can raise the disciplinary decision but they are not allowed to weaken the suspension.
All protests and appeals must follow the guidelines handed out at the Coaches Meeting before the tournament starts.
8. REFEREE-IN-CHIEF
Each Championship will have the CBHA Minor Technical Director, or his delegate, as the Referee-In-Chief. This individual will be responsible for assigning 2 referees per game and supervising officials during the tournament in order to help decide which officials will work in the playoff rounds and medal games.
9. REFEREES
Traveling Provinces must send referee's to officiate at the Championships and the traveling referee’s will be funded by their home association or organization. Where applicable the WCC budget will assist with expenses. The local leagues sending referees must be prepared to cover the referee's travel and hotel costs. The final decision on referees will be made by the tournament Referee-in-Chief. Game fees for referees will be set at $35 per game and will be paid at the end of the tournament. Should a referee require payment sooner they must discuss this with the RIC to make arrangements.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
All games will be played under CBHA and Western Challenge Cup rules and no-touch flooring (icing) will be used.
Only players on the final team roster (as submitted at the Coaches meeting) will be allowed to play. All team staff must be listed (Coaches, Managers, and other bench personnel). You may list a maximum of 5 "team staff" that will be allowed to be on the team bench. They must be listed on your official tournament roster.
The home team will be responsible to change jerseys if there is a conflict in jersey colors.
All games will be two 20 minute stop-time periods with a 3 minute break at the half. **
The games will be played stop-time. If the score differential is 7 goals (+), the clock will then change to running-time. Until the goal differential becomes less than a 7 goal difference, at which time it will return to stop-time. Coaches may ask to end Round Robin game in second half.
For Playoff games (Consolation, Quarter Finals, Semi Finals) when a 7 goal spread is reached in the first half of the game, it will revert to run-time. If there is a goal scored to reduce the 7-goal spread, the time will go back to stop-time. When a 7-goal spread is reached in the second half, the game will end at that time.
For Medal games (Bronze and Gold) with a 7-goal spread the games will be played in their entirety with stop-time unless both coaches agree to finish the game with run-time.
There will be no overtime games in round-robin. Teams receive 2 points for win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for loss.
“Overtime” in the playoff rounds or medal games will be sudden-death, a first goal wins situation. The overtime period(s) will be 10 minutes in duration, with a 3 minute break; teams will NOT change ends this first overtime period, but will change ends if there is a second overtime. If after two overtime periods the game remains tied, a three-man shootout will be held to determine a winner with the visiting team shooting first. If after the first three shooters, the score is still tied, the shootout (first team to win a round of shootout wins) shall continue until a winner is determined. All players on the bench are required to shoot before a player may shoot for a second time.
Any player receiving a fighting major or match penalty will be suspended for the remainder of the Championships.
All suspensions will be reviewed by the tournament referee in chief.
To clarify the high-sticking rule: contacting the ball with a stick over shoulder height results in 2 minute minor. All stick infractions, including contacting a player with a stick over height of shoulder, will result in 4 minute minor penalty. If an injury occurs, or if the intent was deliberate, a 5-minute major and game misconduct may be called.
TIE BREAKER RULES FOR CBHA TOURNAMENTS
If two (2) or more teams are tied within a group or division, then the tie is broken in the following order:
- Most wins in round robin schedule;
- Head to Head between the tied teams in round robin schedule;
- +/- from all round robin games involving only the tied teams;
- Overall +/- from all round robin games;
- Most goals scored in round robin games involving only the tied teams;
- Overall most goals scored in all round robin games;
- Least penalty minutes in all round robin games involving only the tied teams;
- Overall least penalty minutes in all round robin games.
In the case of more than two tied teams the “Head to Head” above would refer to all the games involving only the tied teams. Tie Breakers will always continue to work down the numbered list and never revert back to the top for any reason.
NOTE: For the purpose of the plus/minus ratios, a team cannot achieve more than plus seven (7) in any one (1) game.
2018 WCC Rules (pdf)
