Code of Responsibility
Players are responsible not only for their actions on the ice, but also for being aware of the other players on the ice and being able to act in a responsible manner for the safety of all players.
Repeated violations of the standard of play in the NCWHL will be reviewed by the Board and could be subject to suspension. Repeated violations after suspensions and additional Board review could result in expulsion from the NCWHL.
The Breakdown: What this really means has 2 parts. First, there is a responsibility on the part of the player initiating the play. You are responsible for how you play and whether your actions are intimidating or aggressive. If you are going for a puck and there are 9 players in between you and the puck, it might not be a great idea to plow through them all just to get to the puck. If you are still learning how to stop, don’t use other players as your cushion. Skate with your head up so you don’t run into other players accidentally (which is really a good hockey play anyway – the skating with your head up thing). It really doesn’t matter if you get a penalty on the play or not. You are still responsible for how you play.
The second part to this Code is the receiving end of the play. When you have a player on the ice with you that is known to use other players as bowling pins, try to avoid putting yourself in a vulnerable position when they are on the ice with you. When you see someone bearing down on you and you know they don’t like to (or can’t) stop, try not to turn your back to them and skate out of their path to protect yourself. We fully recognize that the onus should be on those players to address their playing style, but
As players in this League, we should all value each other and recognize that we all need to go to work the next day with all our body parts functioning. This is in our waivers when you sign up to play. When you agree to play in the NCWHL, you agree to respect all players on the ice, including yourself.
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Injury Reporting
Injuries are an unfortunate part of sport. USA Hockey provides supplemental medical and dental insurance beyond what your own insurance covers. Information on USA Hockey supplemental insurance coverage is available from USA Hockey by calling 719-576-USAH or from any Board member.
Read and understand your coverage. Inform your division coordinator within 24 hours of the injury if you think you need to use USA Hockey supplemental insurance. She will instruct you on how to proceed with reporting the injury in order to assure that you are covered.
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Conduct at the Rink
NCWHL players are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous manner when dealing with any rink personnel. Players are expected to follow all rink policies.
Rink lobbies are considered public places, and nudity in rink lobbies is prohibited. Inappropriate behavior at league events reflects on the NCWHL and may jeopardize future ice rentals. Players acting inappropriately may be asked to resign from the league, or be subject to expulsion pending review by the Board.
Swearing and/or verbal harassment in locker rooms, hallways, players benches, or at any other sanctioned NCWHL event is considered inappropriate behavior, and such offenses will be disciplined at the discretion of the Board. Depending upon the circumstances, discipline could include game suspension and or expulsion from the NCWHL.
The conduct listed above is not intended to be exhaustive. The Board reserves the right to suspend or expel, for disciplinary reasons, any player at its discretion for misconduct not specifically listed here, based upon the incident and circumstances.
A player, coach, or goalie expelled from the NCWHL may not rejoin the league. No refunds will be issued to players who are suspended or ejected from the NCWHL.
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Game Suspensions
When a player or coach receives a game suspension, s/he shall not be eligible to participate in the next scheduled NCWHL game(s) for his/her team. A player/goalie may also not skate as a substitute for another NCWHL team while serving a suspension.
Any player who is assessed eight or more penalty minutes in the same game shall be immediately ejected for the remainder of the game with no further suspensions. Exception: If the final penalty occurs within the last five minutes of a game, the player shall receive an automatic one game suspension.
Appeals
All appeals must be submitted in writing to the NCWHL and will be considered by the NCWHL Board within 72 hours of the alleged incident.