Middle School League

• Each team MUST supply a scorekeeper (HOME TEAM 1st scorekeeper) and a (AWAY TEAM 2nd scorekeeper). The Home Team is responsible for uploading the game to the cloud.
• Games are to be scored in Game-sheets app on an iPad. Code is “ipad-ilmsl-cb”
• iPads maybe checked out at the front office at most rinks.
• Failure to supply a scorekeeper is a MINOR PENALTY starting each period one is not available. (Maximum of 3 penalties, one per period).
• The game is three 13 Minute periods. If tied the game ends as a tie.
• Penalties are 1 ½ -minute Minors, 4-minute Majors, and 8-minute Misconduct.
• USA Hockey rules shall apply.
• No Check Levels are No Checking and Slapshots are ALLOWED.
• Development Levels are No Checking and Slapshots are NOT ALLOWED.
  • ​Development American ONLY: No player may score more than 3 goals in the game. In the event a 4th goal is scored the offending team shall receive a bench minor and the goal will not count. NEW 24-25 SEASON - Tier 1 AAA players and 6th, 7th, 8th grade Tier 2 AA players are not allowed to play at this level. Each team is allowed ONE 5th GRADE TIER 1 AAA EXCEPTION to this rule.
• Mercy rule - At any time a team is trailing by 5 or more goals the trailing team MAY request a running clock. The running clock can be stopped by the trailing team after they have scored enough goals to get back down below trailing by five goals.
• MULTIPLE SWING PLAYERS are allowed without changing the USA Hockey roster but will be limited to three total in playoffs and they must be listed on both upper and lower USA Hockey rosters.
• SWING PLAYERS should be listed as TRANSITION in the position field on the game-sheet roster.
• If a coach wishes to protest a game, an e-mail or text must be submitted to the league commissioner on what is being protested before the team that causes the protest plays that team’s next game.
• EXCEPTION: If a team later finds out the other team used an illegal player against them. No protest will be accepted on a referee call/no call.
• If there is a conflict in jersey colors, the designated home team has 1st priority. If one team has two sets of jerseys, they are required to switch to a contrasting color.

• Except for petitioned exceptions, it is required that every player on a team attends one of that teams approved feeder schools
• Any player that attends the approved school in grades 5 through 8.
• Petitioned players are illegal until approved by the commissioner in writing. (A text message or Email will work)
• Petitioned players can be removed from the level of league they do not belong in with a coach’s quorum, or when called for by the League Commissioner.
• Players MUST play for their own school, unless released in WRITING sent to league commissioner. There are NO EXCEPTIONS.

• Any public intermediate school that feeds the sponsor high school.
• Any public elementary school that feeds an approved intermediate school.
• Any student living within the public school district boundaries that attends a private/parochial school in that district, only if there is not an approved private/parochial school team in the league.  If there is an approved private/parochial school team in the league “Private/Parochial Schools has priority”.
• Any Home-Schooled or Special Education child that lives within the sponsor high school’s school district.

• Any student within the public school district where the private/parochial school is located, only if there is not an approved public school team in the league.  If there is an approved public school team in the league “Public School has priority”.
• Each school team should submit a list of requested feeder schools changes to the league commissioner by AUGUST 1st.
• The commissioner will approve or disapprove each feeder school.  In order to list a school as a feeder part of the graduating class must go on to the Private/Parochial high school.
• A complete list of approved feeder schools for each team will be posted on this web site by September 15th.  Should an additional school need to be added between September 15th and December 1st of each year, it must be done in writing to the league commissioner and is not approved until a written response is received from the commissioner.
• Shanahan Approved feeder schools: St. Agnes, Assumption BVM, St. Basil, Coatesville Catholic/Pope John Paul II, Holy Family, St. Joseph, St. Max, St. Monica, St. Norbert's, Notre Dame Academy, Sacred Heart -Oxford, St. Elizabeth, St. Patrick's (Kennett & Malvern), St. Peter & Paul, St. Phillip & James, St. Simon & Jude, St. Thomas, and Villa Maria Academy.
• This list is subject to change based on future student high school movement.

• In the event a team feels it is imperative to swing a player up for one game due to illness, injuries, or shortage of players, that team must add this player to the roster sheet and given to scorekeeper.
• Players and goaltenders cannot swing down. Player(s) swinging must be listed on the roster sheet.  Swing Players shall be listed on the lower team roster.
• All teams must have their players register and sign a waiver to play in our league.
• Players can only play on and be rostered on ONE CLUB for playoffs (Goaltenders excluded) NEW - Your USA Hockey roster SHALL be the playoff roster for every team in the league.
• NEW - Each team rep/coach will be assigned a sign on to enter rosters.
• Players are permitted to play and be rostered for the middle school league as long as they are in 5th thru 8th grade. Special circumstances are allowed for approved 4th graders.
• Teams may only dress up to 20 players per game.
• After the season has started, a club may move a player from one team to another team, but they must notify the league commissioner of the roster change, and once done, the change is permanent. This is for permanent DOWNWARD or UPWARD roster movement. Swinging up is not changed by this guideline.
• Player movement will not be permitted after rosters for the playoff are set.  Player movement from one club to another club shall be done on a case-by-case basis.
• Players must play in half of our regular season LEAGUE games to be eligible for playoffs. Currently that number is seven. GOALTENDERS EXCLUDED.
• Players that are injured can provide a Medical note stating time out and back and receive credit for all of the team’s games they missed due to the injury. If the team played 3 games he will get credit for 3 games.
• All teams must be USA Hockey registered.  Registration questions should be directed to Karen Fund, USA Hockey Atlantic District Registrar at Karen.Fund@usahockey.org
• NEW - All teams must supply a USA Hockey link to their rosters. This link will be shared with all club members.
• All coaches must be registered with USA Hockey.  They must have the correct level coaching credential.  Registration questions should be directed to the current Atlantic District Coaching Program Director. http://www.atlantic-district.org/coaching.php

• All games will consist of THREE 13-minute periods following a 4-minute warm-up. There is not any Overtime in regular season games.  No coaches are permitted to be on the ice during warm-up or at any time during the game except when attending to an injured player.
• No curfews, all games played to completion when possible. If a major delay happens, ice problem, injury delay etc., both teams may ask the game to end any time after the 2nd period has been played.
• All teams must be prepared to play 10 minutes prior to scheduled game time.
• Slap Shots are allowed in No Checking Levels but not at the Developmental levels.
• Mercy rule - At any time a team is trailing by 5 or more goals the trailing team MAY request a running clock. The running clock can be stopped by the trailing team after they have scored enough goals to get back down below trailing by five goals.
• A team will have 5 skaters and a goalie or 6 skaters to start a game.  If a team is unable to field a starting line-up within 10 minutes of the scheduled starting time, a forfeit will be awarded to the other team, and both teams are permitted to use the remaining ice time for practice.
• No players may swing down. Teams swinging players down may be subject to forfeits. This includes Goaltenders NO SWINGING DOWN. (For the purpose of this goaltender rule. There are two conferences. Development, No Check) With Development being the youngest and No Check being the oldest.
• Goaltenders: If a team does not have a goaltender for a scheduled game. That team may bring a goaltender up from their club’s lower division ILMSHL team. If the club does not have a lower division team in the ILMSHL, they may borrow a goaltender from another team in the same division or from a lower division (see guideline above). The team borrowing the goaltender must obtain approval from the borrowed goaltender’s club or parent, and also notify the league commissioner in writing. (Email or text message is good for all approvals). This is more to keep stats correct.
• All games will be scheduled with 2 refs.  In the event only 1 ref shows up, the game will still be considered official and must be played.
• Please have coaches check the iPad copy of the score sheet at the end of a game for penalties, scoring, etc.  Once the score sheet is submitted, it will be considered official, and no scoring or penalty changes will be accepted. Changes if needed can only be authorized by head coach or team rep. Parents cannot request stat changes.
• If a coach wishes to protest a game, it must be stated on the score sheet or immediate email or text to commissioner.  A follow-up e-mail or text must be submitted to the league commissioner on what is being protested before the team that causes the protest plays that team’s next game. No protest will be accepted on a referee call/no call.  
• Penalties will be 1.5 minutes for minors, 4 minutes for majors and 8 minutes for misconducts.
• All games will be played by USA Hockey rules for 14U and below. Icing shall be called while a team is shorthanded.
• After 4 penalties the player is SUSPENDED, USA Hockey Rules apply and a GAME MISCONDUCT with a suspension will be accessed.
• NEW - Video use of game footage shall only be used
  1. To justify clearing a player or a coach. For example, a penalty was called on the wrong player the video can show which player should have the penalty. This is not to be used as an overruling of the referees, just to get the penalty assigned to the correct player.
  2. to access a MATCH penalty that should have been called. Before, During or After a game.
• Match penalties do carry over to the ILMSL as well as all USA Hockey teams that player is rostered with.

If there is a conflict in jersey colors, the designated home team has 1st priority. If 1 team has 2 sets of jerseys, they are required to switch to a contrasting color.