The Letter of Intent is in force from the date of signing until the end of the USARS/AAU Hockey league regular season, which is July 30th of each year.

No team can participate in any WIHA organized activities without proper registration with WIHA and USARS/AAU Hockey.

Each team shall be entitled to register fourteen (14) active players on or before the WIHA registration date. In order to compete in the WIHA season. 12 players and 2 goalies.

Teams having an over age players, player without proper release, or fictitious proof of age documentation, shall forfeit all games in which the ineligible player has participated.

Regardless of the number of teams an individual club field in a classification, a committee chaired and appointed by the Commissioner will decide the level of play for these teams. Regardless of classification by error or misjudgment of competition, the decision as to the level of play shall be final and not subject to appeal.

Current USARS/AAU Inline Hockey rules apply in all divisions.

Referee fees must be paid in accordance with the procedure established by the Board of Directors. It is the responsibility of the coach or manager to fill out the WIHA score sheet and to give it to the scorer or referee before the start of the game. Referees may not start the game if the scorer does not have the game sheet, however, the clock may be started.

Failure to meet minimum player requirements will result in forfeiture of game. Forfeiture fees to not apply if at least 3 players and a goalie player show up for a game. The game must be stopped if there are less than three (3) eligible players left on the teams.

No WIHA game shall be play with less than two (2) certified officials present. If there are less than two (2) certified officials present, the game will be rescheduled for a future date. In such an event, the Executive Committee will investigate the cause of the incident and the responsible parties will be required to pay the full cost of rink time and officials.

All Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches must have a current USARS/AAU Inline Hockey Registration and coaching certification as required by WIHA.

All Head Coaches or Assistant Coaches who are new to WIHA may start the season without coaching certification, but must have their appropriate coaching certification in place no later than December 31st of each season.

Those returning WIHA Head Coaches and Assistant coaches who failed to attain the minimum coaching certification in the previous season may not be rostered on any team until the minimum appropriate coaching certification for that level has been achieved.

All bench personnel must be properly rostered as a coach on the official roster. Managers and trainers are not considered coaches of a roster.

WIHA shall notify clubs of any bench personnel who are not eligible to participate. Any coach or assistant coach who participates after the club has been notified shall be subject to fines or suspension.

WIHA will ensure that all teams within the same division will have the same number of games count toward standings. However, WIHA does not guarantee that all divisions will play the same number of season games. The league will assure that all divisions will play no less than ten (12) regular season games. If the overall regular season game schedule for a division provides that some teams will be playing more regular season games than other teams in same division, the League Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, in the presence of the Executive Committee or Board of Directors, may select on a random basis (by lot or in some other manner which eliminates the possibility of a subjective selection) one or more games which will not count toward the standings for each team in division which is scheduled to play more regular season games than the others so as to assure that all teams will have the same number of games counting toward standings. The game or games which will not count toward the standings shall not be disclosed until after all the games so selected have been played.

Game protests based on an official’s decision will not be considered.

All protests must be filed in writing with the Deputy Commissioner within seventy-two (72) hours after the game and a protest fee of fifty dollars ($50) to be retained by the League must accompany the protest. The party or parties against whom the protest is made shall be notified by WIHA. One (1) copy will be sent to the Review Committee and one (1) copy to the opposing club. The protest shall set out the regulation and rules by number under which the protest is made and shall be a summary of the evidence submitted. Any protest not following this format will not be considered for review.

Upon receipt of the written official protest, the WIHA Review Committee shall arrange a hearing of the protest within fourteen (14) days at which time all those concerned shall be given an opportunity to present their evidence.

Players may only move one time during the year. Once a player is released to another team he/she must then finish the season with that team. This rule applies to the WIHA tournament series as well.

A rostered player may only drop to the next lower playing level once during the same season. All downward movement is permanent for the season.

A player wishing to change clubs after signing a letter of intent will be subject to the Permanent Player Release Guidelines.

After December 31st any player participating with a club other than his or her own club without a valid release shall be suspended and is automatically ineligible for any on-rink participation which includes games and/or practices until and unless, such a time as his/her status has been determined by WIHA (See Suspensions).

The season shall be 12 games in length.

The season shall begin Feb. 1st and end no later than the first week in June.

Teams will play 2 or 3 regular season games each weekend.

League fees for 12 game season is $1,500.

All teams will be eligible for AAU Nationals in their respective division AAA (elite), AA (competitive) and A (select).

Teams will be required to have matching jerseys (except Goalie).

Only players who are registered with WIHA will be allowed in WIHA playoffs.

Individual players must play a minimum of 6 league games to be eligible for league playoffs and championships.

Season standing and playoff eligibility will be determined by the number of points earned by each team in a division. Each team will earn two (2) points for a victory, one (1) point for a tie and one (1) for shoot out win and (o) points for a loss.

The team in a division earning the most points during the season will be declared the “WIHA Regular Season Champion.” The team in each division which wins the Post-Season Playoff Tournament will be declared the “WIHA Champion.”

.   Tie breakers in a division for purposes of determining the Regular Season Champion in each division and for purposes of determining advancement to the WIHA Post-Season Playoff Tournament at the conclusion of the regular playing season will be determined by:               Standings Most Wins Heat to Head Goals Against Coin Flip

In the event a team qualifies for the WIHA Post- Season Playoff Tournament but is otherwise ineligible or chooses not to participate, then the team with the next highest point total in the division will be invited to participate with the same tiebreakers to apply.

Select weekends will be chosen to host tournaments for league clubs and outside independent clubs. WIHA will host 12 tournaments, at each of the participating rinks.