The league is divided into up to three divisions — AA (mostly club players), A (mix of experienced/club and novice players), and B (predominantly novice and/or few club players).

• Preseason games do not count toward standings and are played within an AA/A or A/B grouping. Teams are placed by their preseason scores.
• The regular season is 8 games per team and determines divisional standings. All teams are eligible for the playoffs within their division.
• Team trophies and individual medals are awarded to champions and runners-up in each division.
• Division Movement: Up until a team's 5th regular-season game, the Commissioner may move a team up or down. After the 5th game, teams are locked for the rest of the regular season and playoffs.

• Every player on a team must attend one of the club's approved feeder schools (public elementary schools that feed the sponsor high schools, listed above).
• Players in grades K through 5th are eligible. 5th graders must be approved by the Commissioner in writing, are ineligible until approved, and must play on the club's highest-level team.
• A 5th grader who has never played a year of organized hockey is eligible; one who has played a year of organized hockey is not.
• Feeder eligibility (determined by the Commissioner) also covers students within a sponsor district who attend a private/parochial school where no approved private/parochial team exists, and home-schooled or special-education children living within the sponsor high school's district.
• Any player who plays a regular-season game and is found not to attend the submitted elementary school renders the team ineligible for league playoffs.

• Non-district players attend a public elementary school that does not feed a league high school.
• They register through the Ice Line website as a non-district player and enter a player pool.
• Clubs short on numbers notify the Commissioner, who places non-district players accordingly. Clubs may not recruit non-district players directly.
• A non-district player found not to attend the submitted school renders the team ineligible for league playoffs.

• Rosters (with jersey numbers) must be on an official Ice Line ESL roster form, due by the team's 1st regular-season game. Final rosters are due December 31 and frozen after that date.
• Adding a player before Dec 31 must be done in writing and approved in writing by the Commissioner before the player plays.
• Clubs with multiple teams must lock stronger players (and one goaltender) to the club's higher-level team. The Commissioner may lock a player to the highest-level team at any point; this decision is final.
• After the season starts, a club may move a player between its teams but must notify the Commissioner.
• Players must play in at least 3 regular-season games to be playoff-eligible. Swing players must play 3 regular-season games for the lower team to be eligible for that team's playoffs.

• Three 12-minute periods after a 4-minute warm-up. No coaches on the ice during warm-up or play except to attend an injured player. No curfews — all games played to completion.
• Teams must be ready 10 minutes before game time. Ice Line rosters must be completed and given to the scorekeeper before the warm-up clock starts; players not playing must be marked as not playing or no players receive game credit.
• Automatic offsides in all divisions.
• No running up the score: any player scoring more than 3 goals in a game receives a minor for Unsportsmanlike Conduct for each goal above 3, and those goals do not count (including overtime).
• Games are scheduled with two officials; if only one shows, the game is still official and is played.
• Score sheets are official once submitted — no scoring or penalty changes after. Protests must be noted on the score sheet before both coaches sign, with a follow-up letter to the Commissioner; no protests on a referee's call/no-call except a Major or Match penalty.
• Penalties: 1 minute minors, 3 minutes majors, 6 minutes misconducts. Match penalties carry over to the ESL and all USA Hockey teams the player is rostered with; other-team majors do not carry over.
• All games are played under USA Hockey rules unless stated otherwise; all players should be registered with USA Hockey.
• Points: 2 for a win, 1 for a tie, 0 for a loss.