YOOPER INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT RULES 2026

Gold Division all players and goalies must be of age 18 or older.

Silver Division all players must be of age 35 or older.  Goalies must be 30 and over.

Each player is allowed to play for only one team within a division. Every participant must meet the age requirements for their division as of the tournament's start date. Any violations may lead to the player's removal from the tournament and could also result in the team's disqualification.

Every participant takes part at their own risk. Helmets and appropriate hockey equipment are required for all players.

Each game will consist of two 23-minute periods with running time. Teams will be allotted a three-minute warm-up prior to the start of play, and a one-minute intermission between periods. Each team is permitted one timeout, lasting one minute, per game.

Should a team remove their goalie within the final five minutes of the game, the clock will transition to stop time. Once the goalie is reinstated in the net, the clock will resume running following the puck drop that restarts play.

If the game remains tied after two periods, a sudden death five-minute running clock overtime will be played with three players per side. Should the score still be tied at the conclusion of overtime, the result will stand as final. For championship games only, if necessary to determine the winner, a shootout will occur, requiring each team to designate a minimum of three shooters until the tie is broken.

All games will be completed in accordance with Tournament rules. If a game remains tied at the end of regulation, and tiebreakers could affect which team wins, loses, or advances in the overall standings, the game will proceed to overtime prior to applying any tiebreakers. Standings will then reflect the outcome of the game once tiebreakers are considered.

Games follow USA Hockey rules with these exceptions: slap shots and checking are not allowed, icing uses the center redline, and play continues if out-of-play pucks immediately return to play. If a puck remains out or gets stuck in netting, play stops with a whistle.

Since the clock keeps running, minor penalties will be 3 minutes, and major penalties will be 6 minutes. The “Jailbreak” penalty format applies: if either team scores during a penalty, that penalty ends immediately—except for major penalties, which continue even after a goal. Any player who receives three penalties in a single game may be ejected at the referee's discretion. Serious misconduct or a major penalty can lead to removal from the rest of the tournament, as determined by the referees and the Tournament Board.

The Tournament Board will handle any unexpected events during the tournament as efficiently and promptly as possible.

Alcoholic beverages are prohibited outside of the locker rooms. Violation of this policy may result in forfeiture of the game.