Head injuries in all levels of hockey are a major issue. Accordingly the OMHA has revised their rules on head contact for all minor hockey. Below is an outline of the new rules. You can download the official memo from the link below, and watch a video explaining how things will be viewed from here on out. Please take a close look as these rules have been put in place for everyones safety, and will be strictly enforced.
Thank you, PSMHA
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The 2011 Hockey Canada AGM has addressed the issue of Head Contact and continued commitment to zero tolerance measures in this area. The following Rule Changes will come into effect immediately for the 2011-2012 season:
Head Contact – Rule 6.5
a) In Minor and Female, a Minor Penalty shall be assessed to any player who accidentally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with his stick or any part of the player’s body or equipment.
b) In Minor and Female, a Double Minor Penalty or a Major and a Game Misconduct Penalty, at the discretion of the Referee and based on the degree of violence of impact shall be assessed to any player who intentionally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with her stick or any part of the player’s body or equipment.
c) In Junior and Senior, a Minor and a Misconduct penalty, or a Major and a Game Misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the Referee based on the degree of violence of impact, shall be assessed to any player who checks an opponent to the head in any manner.
d) A Major and a Game Misconduct penalty, or a Match penalty shall be assessed any player who injures an opponent under this Rule.
e) A Match penalty shall be assessed any player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent under this Rule.
Note: All contact above the shoulders (neck, face and head) is to be called Head Contact under one of the above (In minor and female).
THIS RULE CHANGE WILL COME INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY
The OHF Minor Council has endorsed the following enhancements to the minimum suspensions for head contact penalties for each of the following penalties assessed in the newly approved Head Contact rule.
• The Major Penalty will also be assessed a GM72 (game misconduct: plus three (3) additional games for first offence; plus four (4) additional games for second offence; and an indefinite suspension for the third offence in the same season). The OMHA has recommended that the sanction assigned in the case of any player who is assessed a 3rd GM72 in a season (Rule 6.5) be a minimum of six (6) games. This will be administered per current OMHA Regulations/Policy governing Suspensions.
• The Match Penalty will be assessed a Major Penalty and an MP72 (game misconduct: plus four (4) additional games for the first offence; and an indefinite suspension for the second offence in the same season).
Please note that the OHF Suspension List in the 2011-2012 OMHA Manual of Operations (page 247) includes M71 - Checking to the Head (Minor + 10 minutes) and GM71 – Head Contact (Double Minor + Game). Since the time of printing the manual, the OHF has removed these penalty codes and suspensions and they will not be in effect this season. These codes do not appear on the 2011-2012 OMHA game sheets.
Additional resources on the implementation of this initiative will be available through Hockey Canada (www.hockeycanada.ca/headcontactrule) and omha.net.
Commitment to player safety is the responsibility of all stakeholders in our game, and it is expected that all Referees, Team Officials, Players, and Parents will support this initiative.
Sincerely
ONTARIO MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION
Dave Garinger
Chairman, Development Committee
To download the official memo from OMHA click here.
Watch the video explaining the rules, and examples click here.
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