Article #1 THE USHL RULE BOOK [V 1.0]

[xELITEx Snipr]

Table of Contents
A. General Info
-A.1. Season Info
-A.2. Game info
-A.3. Playoff Game Info
-A.4. Playoff Special Rules
-A.5. Valid player positions
-A.6. Gamertag Changes
-A.7. Position Changes

B. Lobbies and Stats
-B.1. Hosting rules
-B.2. Lobby hosting
-B.3. Grace Period
-B.4. Recording Stats

C. Game Play Rules
-C.1. Mercy Rule
-C.2. Player Diving
-C.3. Computers
-C.4. Board Play
-C.5. Ragging the puck
-C.6. Disconnects
--C.6.1. Skater Drops
--C.6.2. Multiple Skater Drops
--C.6.3. Goaltender Drops
-C.7. Goaltenders
--C.7.1. Goaltender Interference
--C.7.2. Goaltender Fighting
-C.8. Time Loops
-C.9. Wrap Arounds
-C.10. Goal Line Glitching
-C.11. Glitching
-C.12. Ineligible Player

D. Rosters
-D.1. Owners
-D.2. General Managers
-D.3. Assistant Managers
-D.4. Players
-D.5. Roster Requirements
-D.6. Max and Min. games for Players
-D.7. Max Roster Size
-D.8. Training Camp
--D.8.1. Training Camp Players

E. Weekly Scheduling
-E.1. Lines
-E.2. Posting Lines Weekly
-E.3. Availability

F. Roster Moves
-F.1. Trading
-F.2. Player Releases
-F.3. Sending Down Players
--F.3.1. Waivers

G. Player adding
-G.1. Scouting
-G.2. Drafting
-G.3. Waivers

H. Salaries
-H.1. Skaters
-H.2. Defensemen
-H.3. Goaltenders

I. Code of Conduct
-I.1. Member Behavior
-I.2. Team Communication
-I.3. Chat Box
-I.4. In Lobby Chat
-I.5. Trade Requests

J. Suspensions
-J.1. Player Suspensions
-J.2. Management Suspensions

K. League Staff
-K.1. Founder
-K.2. Commissioner
-K.3. Board of Governors



A. General Info

A.1. Season Info
The USHL Beta Season will begin on July 28th. The regular season will run 4 weeks until August 22nd. The conference finals will be August 25th until August 29th, and the Stanley Cup Finals will be September 1st - September 5th.

A.2. Game info
Games are Sunday - Thursday @ 7:30pm EST and 8:30pm EST

They will be in lounges in the lobby on xbox live.


A.3. Playoff Game Info
Playoffs will be a best of 7 series with the higher seeded team having home ice advantage, the top 2 teams in each conference will face off, then the winners will go to the stanley cup.
The games will be Sunday @ 7:30 and 8:30, Monday @ 7:30 and 8:30, Tuesday @ 7:30 and 8:30 and Wednesday at 7:30.

A.4. Playoff Special Rules
For the beta season there are no special rules other than you may only play a player 3 times before game 7, if you play a game 7, you may use players for a 4th time.

A.5. Valid player positions
For the beta season, players may play any position they wish.

A.6. Gamertag Changes
If you change your gamertag, please fill out the gamertag form, or ask your teams management to do it for you, if you play a game with your new gamertag without notifying staff, you may be suspended, because we may not realize you are on your teams roster.

A.7. Position Changes
You do not need to fill out a position change form for the beta season, but after this season, you must fill out the form in order to change, because starting next season (most likely) forwards must play forward, defense must play defense, and goalies must play goalie. Also during next season, you will not be able to change position until the offseason.

B. Lobbies and Stats

B.1. Hosting rules
The home team must host the lobby, the away team must choose the home teams host, if the host they choose has issues with the teams players, the home team may ask for a host change.

B.2. Lobby hosting
Lobbies will be hosted under “Xbox Live” - “Community” - “Lobby” - “Lounges” and will be titled USHL (A) (H) [away abbreviation] [home abbreviation] so for example “USHL STL VAN”
All lobbies must have a password of “USHL”

B.3. Grace Period
Either team is allowed to ask for a 10 minute grace period for team members to show up, if the game lobby is not started before 7:40 or 8:40, the team that asked for 10 will forfeit the game. If both teams are missing an equal amount of people, the game will be rescheduled. If both teams are missing players, the team with more missing players will forfeit the game.

B.4. Recording Stats
Stats are recorded using mystatsonline, the password is included in your owners sheet. Stats must be imputed by 6pm EST the following day after said game is played.

C. Game Play Rules
All of these rules must have multiple complaints over multiple games to be brought into consideration with league staff. If you have video proof, it will instantly be brought into consideration. All suspensions will follow rule J.1. Player Suspensions.

YOU MAY NOT CONTACT A FOUNDER, COMMISSIONER or BoG during a game if one of these rules are broken. You must play the game out as best as you can. Once the game is completed, one member from your team (preferably your teams owner, gm or agm) must file a complaint found in the "Player Changes and Issues" section of the website. A league staff member will then determine whether or not to take action against the complaint if it has happened multiple times, if it is a first time, they will take note of the infraction, and notify the offending team.


C.1. Mercy Rule
If a team is up by 6 goals going into the 3rd period, or gains a 6 goal lead during the 3rd period, the team that is losing may choose to put the mercy rule in effect, gather stats, and leave, but the team may also choose to just play out the game, it is the losing teams choice.
If they decide to call the mercy rule, all players must leave except for the stat taker on both teams.

C.2. Player Diving
Players may not dive or kneel anywhere but in the defensive zone, if they choose to dive in the defensive zone, it must not be for any purpose other than to block a shot, or a pass, and it may not be for more than 5 seconds

C.3. Computers
Computers may not score, unless the computer is an extra attacker, ie. the goalie is pulled, and the computer is replacing him, or a delayed penalty is in effect, the goalie has skated to the bench, and the computer has come onto the ice. Any other computer such as a lagged out skater, computer replacing a fight, or a computer replacing a game misconducted player, may not score, if they do, it will not count. If a game is played 6v5, 6v4, 5v4, 4v4, 5v5 computer goals may not count.

C.4. Board Play
Players may board play other players anywhere on the ice, however you may only board play yourself behind your own net.

C.5. Ragging the puck
Ragging the puck or playing keep away to kill time is not allowed. You may go behind your net to reset a breakout but you may not begin to skate backwards after this breakout has begun, you may also only stay behind your net for 10 seconds.

C.6. Disconnects

C.6.1. Skater Drops
If one skater on your team drops before 5 minutes in the game has been played:
The game will be completely restarted with no stats being taken.

If one skater on your team drops after 5 minutes in the game has been played:
The game will continue, the skater may not be permitted to rejoin the game unless it follows stuff listed in rule C.6.2, or C.6.3

C.6.2. Multiple Skater Drops
If multiple skaters drop, the game will be played until the end of the period, and then restarted from the next period. If a skater is found quitting in order to get his teammate back into the game, he will be suspended

If a player cannot return, a team has 10 minutes to find a replacement player from their training camp or roster. If a lobby is not started before that 10 minutes, the team that had their players lag out, will receive a forfeit loss.

C.6.3. Goaltender Drops
If a goaltender lags out, the game will be paused next whistle, and stats will be taken, then the game will be restarted from that exact time.

If a goalie is found quitting in order to get his teammate back into the game, he will be suspended.

If the goalie cannot return, a team may find a replacement player. If the game lobby is not started before 10 minutes has elapsed. The team that had their goalie lag out, will receive the loss.

C.7. Goaltenders

C.7.1. Goaltender Interference
Goalies are allowed to play the puck, but if they intentionally try to get in the way of a skater to draw a penalty, the goalie must take a penalty right away, the skaters penalty will not be counted in stats, and the goalie may face suspension

C.7.2. Goaltender Fighting
Goalies may fight players anytime they wish, but may not fight the other goalie until the 3rd period

C.8. Time Loops
If the game loops, any goals scored will still count, if a penalty was taken, the team must retake the penalty.

C.9. Wrap Arounds
Teams may wrap around anyway they want, but they are not allowed to wrap around slap, in order to take a slapshot you must come out further than the hash marks, or go to the corner boards.

C.10. Goal Line Glitching
Goalies may not goal line glitch. The term goal line glitch is determined as “a goalie who sits butterfly on the goal line in his net, making as little movement or no movement as possible, this includes just moving back and forth” A goalie must come off his goal line and challenge the shot. The goalie must come out to at least the edge of the crease at some points.

C.11. Glitching
A player may not glitch the game in anyway. This includes looping the game and penalty glitching. If you do either of those things, you are subject to a minimum 1 week suspension

Juicing your player will result in a permanent ban from the USHL.

C.12. Ineligible Player
Playing an Ineligible Player is described as:

Playing a player while they are suspended or banned
Playing a player who is not on your roster
Player has exceeded games limit (not applicable to the beta season)

Will result in an automatic forfeit of the game the player was played in, as well as the player and the teams management that was responsible for scheduling / getting the player to play being suspended. A player may be blacklisted for playing ineligibly.


D. Rosters
All teams are required to have an Owner, GM, and AGM and atleast 9 other players.

D.1. Owners
Owners are the head of their respective NHL teams, the will also in the future oversee their respective AHL teams below them.

Owners are required to do lines, gather availability, and get the team together before games, they may also designate their GM or AGM to do these jobs

D.2. General Managers
GM’s may do anything on a team and must work with the owner, his or her owner may choose to designate multiple things for the GM to do, or none.

D.3. Assistant Managers
AGM’s may do anything on a team and must work with the owner, his or her owner may choose to designate multiple things for the GM to do, or none.

D.4. Players
A player is a basic member on a roster, they may be added by draft, bidding, trade, or random assignment, they are required to post their availability, and play the minimum amount of games per week. A team must have at least 9 players + their 3 mgm’t spots at any point in the season.

D.5. Roster Requirements
All teams must have 9 players on their roster, there is no certain amounts per position this season

D.6. Max and Min. games for Players
There will be no maximum or minimum games for players this beta season, however, if a player posts their availability, we kindly ask you to play them for at least 2 games that week.
If you do not play an active player, you will be talked to.

D.7. Max Roster Size
Rosters are capped out at 3 management positions plus 14 player positions, a teams training camp is infinite

D.8. Training Camp
Training camp this season will be used for inactive players, or players that have been randomly assigned to you, at any point you may call up a training camp player as an ECU, or bring them up to your full time roster.

D.8.1. Training Camp Players
Training camp players are not required to play, however, if we gain enough training camp players, we will run training camp games, with one or 2 teams from each conference facing off against each other

E. Weekly Scheduling

E.1. Lines
Lines must be posted in your locker room, and in the NHL lines section, there is no required way to post them, but there will be an article in the rule book “Scheduling Procedures” on how to post them in a way that looks good.

LINES MUST BE POSTED BY Midnight Saturday Night (So the night before games start - sunday) [So inbetween saturday and sunday]

E.2. Posting Lines Weekly
The lines that are posted must include all of your games, and every position, if you ECU a player, you should make note of it on the rosters to avoid confusion.

E.3. Availability
It is a teams managements responsibility to post an availability thread, this you may do in anyway you choose, if a player responds, you must play them

F. Roster Moves

F.1. Trading
Any trade that is made, must be put through a commissioner or a founder before any moves are made, draft picks WILL NOT be traded for the beta season. You may use your owners sheet to keep track of trades. The trade will then not go through until the next day, or after the next games, if a player is traded before a game, they are not eligible to play until the following day

F.2. Player Releases
A team may only release a player if they have been inactive, any active player must stay on the roster, unless there is a serious reason that needs to be dealt with.

F.3. Sending Down Players
A team may send down players, but only if there is a good reason, such as temporary incativity, example: going on vacation, or another important reason. Any player this beta season that was drafted must go through waivers, which means for 24 hours, any team may claim the player

F.3.1. Waivers
A player that is sent down, if they were drafted, must go through waivers, they will then be added to the waivers page, and any team will have a period of 24 hours to claim them, the team will then instantly get the player if their team is salary cap compliant.

A player claimed by waivers will only take 75% of his salary to his new team, the old team will retain 25% of the players salary as a penalty for putting down through waivers.

G. Player adding

G.1. Scouting
Scouting will go on all season until the trade deadline (end of week 3) and will begin for any team once they are eliminated from the season / postseason.

G.2. Drafting
Each team gets the oppurtunity to draft 10 players, for this season, it is all for 1 year contracts, and no players will be allowed to remain on the roster for the next season

G.3. Waivers
A team may claim anyone off of waivers, and if the claiming team is salary cap compliant, they will automatically gain the player onto their roster

H. Salaries

H.1. Skaters
For this season and season 1, will be based on draft position, or bidding price.

H.2. Defensemen
For this season and season 1, will be based on draft position, or bidding price.

H.3. Goaltenders
For this season and season 1, will be based on draft position, or bidding price.

I. Code of Conduct

I.1. Member Behavior
Members must present themselves in an appropriate manner, they must be kind towards other members, team management and league staff. Players must also not threaten to hack other players, management or league officials, doing so will result in a minimum 4 game suspension.

I.2. Team Communication
Teams should communicate with each other both in the game, and outside of the game, in practices, or in their locker room

I.3. Chat Box
The chat box is fair game, but anything extreme such as harassing another person, or using racial slurs towards other people, may result in said player receiving a suspension.

I.4. In Lobby Chat
The chat box in the lobbies follow the same rules as the website chat box.

I.5. Trade Requests
All trade requests by players must have a valid reason such as being under played, other players disrespecting you (which you can just file a complaint for and they may be suspended) and or management disrespect

J. Suspensions

J.1. Player Suspensions
Players may be suspended if they break a rule, blacklisted, or just given a warning. The length is up to league staff, and repeat offenders, will receive a longer suspension, or a greater punishment

J.2. Management Suspensions
Team management may be suspended for not running their team, or many other things, such as mistreating their team, insulting the league / commissioner or many other things, this will also be up to league staff. (If a league staff member commits an offense, the suspension will be up to the other league staff members)

K. League Staff

K.1. Founders
The league founders are the people that created the league, and put a lot of effort into making things. They are the head of the league, and they have the final decision on any super important things. They edit the site and the google docs.

K.2. Commissioners
Commissioners run the league, and keep it going, they like the founders, handle many things, such as suspensions, complaints, changes, and website issues. They communicate with the founders on most decisions, and they also edit the site and the docs.

K.3. Board of Governors
BoG members for short, do the same things as commissioners, they help with decisions, but anything important must at least be brought to a commissioner, the only difference is they do not edit the site, or the google docs.