MECHANICALLY REFRIGERATED
OUTDOOR YOUTH HOCKEY FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS
WEEKEND SCHEDULES ARE EMAILED TO TEAMS
AND POSTED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
ANNUALLY SANCTIONED BY USA HOCKEY
KEY INFORMATION
General:
Please keep in mind that this is not a youth tournament. If you are looking for a tournament or tournament structure, than this is not the event for you. This event is about offering kids the unique experience of playing outdoor hockey and incorporating additional activities and entertainment with that hockey experience. We will have games, live music, fireworks, and other activities to make for a fun and memorable weekend for players and spectators.
Divisions:
For this event, the divisions will mostly follow the same structure as the USA age brackets for youth hockey. Players must play in the appropriate division relative to their birth year, no exceptions, however we are combining certain age groups into combo divisions.
The divisions are:
8u co-ed division
10u + 12u combo co-ed division
14u + 16u combo co-ed division
Regardless of the USA Hockey rules regarding body checking for each of the age groups, there is NO BODY CHECKING permitted at ANY level in this event.
Teams:
We recommend having no more than 10 players per Pond Fest team so that all the participants get significant ice time. Remember, all games are played 3 on 3 except for 8u games (8u is 4 on 4 gameplay).
Accommodations:
We do not force our teams to stay in specific hotels at inflated prices the way some other events do, but we have local hotel partners that we work with to help teams have a great weekend.
Sign up:
Please click the REGISTER A TEAM button. Once you have processed payment your team(s) is locked into the event.
If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]
Please keep in mind that this is not a youth tournament. If you are looking for a tournament or tournament structure, than this is not the event for you. This event is about offering kids the unique experience of playing outdoor hockey and incorporating additional activities and entertainment with that hockey experience. We will have games, live music, fireworks, and other activities to make for a fun and memorable weekend for players and spectators.
Divisions:
For this event, the divisions will mostly follow the same structure as the USA age brackets for youth hockey. Players must play in the appropriate division relative to their birth year, no exceptions, however we are combining certain age groups into combo divisions.
The divisions are:
8u co-ed division
10u + 12u combo co-ed division
14u + 16u combo co-ed division
Regardless of the USA Hockey rules regarding body checking for each of the age groups, there is NO BODY CHECKING permitted at ANY level in this event.
Teams:
We recommend having no more than 10 players per Pond Fest team so that all the participants get significant ice time. Remember, all games are played 3 on 3 except for 8u games (8u is 4 on 4 gameplay).
Accommodations:
We do not force our teams to stay in specific hotels at inflated prices the way some other events do, but we have local hotel partners that we work with to help teams have a great weekend.
Sign up:
Please click the REGISTER A TEAM button. Once you have processed payment your team(s) is locked into the event.
If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]
OUR TEAMS
8u
Gameplay: 4 on 4
BLUE
WHITE
RED
OTHER
|
10u + 12u
Gameplay: 3 on 3
|
14u + 16uGameplay: 3 on 3
SPECIAL HOCKEY TEAMSGameplay: open style
|
LIST OF YOUTH HOCKEY ORGANIZATIONS
THAT HAVE ATTENDED POND FEST
- Southern Tier Hockey Association
- Binghamton Blizzard
- Rome Grizzles
- Troy Albany Engineers
- Geneva Generals
- Salmon River
- Cortland Flames
- Utica Jr Comets
- Finger Lakes Region youth hockey
- Camillus
- Rochester Jr Americans
- West Point Jr Black Knights
- Ice House Hawks (special hockey)
RULES
REMEMBER THAT THIS WEEKEND IS ABOUT A FUN EXPERIENCE FOR THE KIDS
- All games will take place at Chenango Valley State Park.
- Games are 40 minutes long consisting of two 20 minute halves with a 5 minute break between halves.
- We recommend having no more than 10 players per youth Pond Fest team so that all the participants get significant ice time. Remember, all games are played 3 on 3 except for 8u games (8u games are 4 on 4). There are no goalies in the games, although players that usually play as a goaltender are welcome to skate out as a player to join their team.
- All participants must be the appropriate age for their division. There are NO exceptions. Any player found to be in violation of this rule will be removed from the event and banned from any future participation in the event at any age level. The offending team will also be completely removed from the event.
- All players are required to be registered and roster by USA Hockey.
- All teams and all players play at their own risk.
- Teams will not be officially accepted into the tournament until full payment of the entry fee is received.
- All games are played running time. Player substitutions are made “on-the-fly." Some coaches in the past have agreed to do line changes on a coaches whistle signal for younger age groups and this is fine with us, but Pond Fest will not coordinate these line changes and they must be done in agreement between the teams playing each other.
- Players can play for only one team.
- Each team will play three games. If games are canceled we make no promises that they will be rescheduled, but we do make all reasonable efforts to get teams their games.
- Event officials reserve the right to determine schedule and competitive divisions based upon age, player ability, experience or other factors.
- Game starts, intermissions, and endings will be signaled by one horn which will regulate activities on all rinks simultaneously.
- All players are required to wear proper hockey skates and HEC approved helmets AND face shields, along with full hockey protective equipment.
- Teams need to be ready to play at their designated start time. If a team does not have players ready to play at their start time then no missed ice time will be made up.
- A mix of players, coaches, and parents are needed to help with rink shoveling.
- Teams switch ends after the first half.
- Minor penalties: hooking, holding, tripping, interference – typical hockey penalties — result in possession of the puck for the offended team.
- Major penalties: all offenses of a physical nature – including, but not limited to high sticking, cross-checking, elbowing, roughing, body checking ECT – will result in possible ejection for the remainder of the game.
- Abuse of on-ice or off-ice officials – including, but not limited to – yelling, swearing or physicality – will simply not be tolerated.
- No goalie equipment or goalie sticks are allowed, although goalie skates are allowed. No player can serve as a designated goalie. Each player on ice is expected to play the entire surface.
- Teams should have light AND dark team jerseys/hoodies/pinnies to avoid any duplicate colors by teams playing each other.
- Off-ice officials may be present to assist in game scoring, penalty calls, puck replacement etc. Off-ice officials will have final say in all game play decisions. Off-ice officials reserve the right to award goals-against to teams whose play is detrimental to the “spirit of our games.” In the event of “player-called” game play, players are expected to behave in a manner that is reflective of the “spirit of our games and event."
- There will be no fighting. Players, coaches, parents or spectators involved in on or off ice fights will be removed from the park without replacement and no refund of any fees.
- There are no slapshots.
- Players shall not fall or lay on the ice in an effort to protect or block the goal area or any part of the ice surface. This is a danger to the player and all other players in the game.
- Lifting the puck above knee level is prohibited. A violation results in the loss of possession. This is a matter of safety.
- Making contact with the puck using your stick above the waist will result in a change of possession. This is a matter of safety.
- If the puck goes out of bounds, the last team to touch the puck losses possession.
- No offside calls.
- No icing calls.
- During all restarts of play, there will be proper spacing by the team without possession so as to allow the team with possession an opportunity to restart the game in a fair manner.
- While we will make our best efforts to conduct the event as planned, the event director reserves the right to cancel or modify the event at his sole and absolute discretion for any reasons he sees fit. Due to the nature of such an event, the event director also reserves the right to determine the number of teams that will participate in the event.
- Entry fees are absolutely nonrefundable.
- Teams or individuals that do not show up, forfeit, or are otherwise disqualified, will not be refunded any portion of the entry fee under any circumstances.