Rules and Regulations Mid American Hockey Association Rules and Regulations June 2003

1. Membership and Team Registration Eligibility: An association/organization becomes recognized as a member upon submission of documentation to the Board, registration of a minimum of at least two (2) teams and payment of the required registration fee(s) which includes a membership fee to USA Hockey for participant and team and registration fee to Mid American Hockey Association (hereinafter MidAm). Associations contemplating membership shall be reviewed and received each year at the annual meeting of Mid Am Hockey. Applicants shall notify the President of their intention at any time prior to thirty (30) days before the annual meeting. Except for formal high school and college teams, as defined in the USA Hockey Annual Guide, single teams will not be recognized by Mid Am as an association/organization and cannot apply for membership as such.

2. Requirements of Membership: Membership shall renew annually upon receipt of annual registration fees and acceptance by MidAm and/or USA Hockey. All teams, coaches and players must be registered before the start of league or exhibition games. Registration deadlines will be consistent with those specified in USA Hockey Annual Guide. All organizations/associations shall comply with the MidAm Screening policy. All coaches shall comply with USA Coaching Education Program and will be in compliance with the Mid Am Coaching Requirements, which are reviewed annually and posted at MidAmHockey.com. once approved following the Midam annual meeting. A team intending to enter state or district play must submit proof of its coachs participation and compliance with the coaching education requirements. A member association/organization that does not register all of its teams shall be denied the right to enter state or district play. A registered team shall not play a non-registered team except as specified in the USA Hockey Annual Guide. A registered team shall not play a team under suspension by Mid American Hockey. A coach is responsible for his/her teams compliance with penalty enforcement and any player or team suspensions. Teams who do not adhere to USA Playing Rules and/or penalty service will be ineligible for State or District tournament participation.

3. Teams Players and Rules: All teams, their representatives and players in MidAm shall be members in good standing of USA Hockey. Each coach and assistant coach shall receive and carry, and show when necessary, a USA Hockey identification registration card which shall be issued by USA Hockey Member Services. Each player, coach and/or manager shall be expected to adhere to the word and spirit of the rules and regulations as published in the USA Hockey Official Playing Rules book and USA Hockey Annual Guide.

4. Managers and Coaches:

Managers and coaches shall consist of men or women to direct, instruct and train amateur players and promote amateur ice hockey. They shall respect the rules and regulations of USA Hockey/Mid American Hockey Association, their league, association and their team. They agree to accept any and all amendments which may be voted into the Rules and Regulations and By-laws, and also accept the directives of the Board of Directors of the Mid American Hockey Association. Mid Am recognizes these individuals as role models and expects that each individuals conduct will reflect their status as a role model for youth. They will approach hockey as a game emphasizing the basics of the sport, the qualities of good sportsmanship and the characteristics that will build our amateur athletes into responsible citizens.

5. Game Officials: Only duly registered officials holding USA Hockey referee cards shall be authorized to serve as referees or linesmen in any or all hockey games played within the designated areas of the MidAmerican Hockey District. Referees and linesmen must apply for registration through the USA national office. All referees and linesmen must complete the USA Hockey open book exam and attend an annual referees workshop and pay the required registration fee before being accepted as duly authorized officials. Specific questions regarding MidAm referees may be directed to MidAms Referee-in-Chief as identified on its web site at www.midamhockey.com.

6. Team, League, and Association Directors and Representatives: Each team, league or association registered with Mid American Hockey Association/USA Hockey shall have a Director/member or representative who shall be able to file the individual membership registration (IMR) forms for each player, coach, team representative together withteam roster form for each team. Registration will occur through MidAm District Registrar or designated associate registrar. The District registration personnel shall be identified in MidAms Annual Guide and on its website. The team registration representative should also be able to report to the Mid American Hockey Association Board of Directors on all information regarding his/her respective team(s)/league(s) or association.

7.Fees: Each team shall pay the necessary USA Hockey individual and team registration fee at the time of filing its Team Registration Application form with USA Hockey/Mid American Districts Registrars Office or the designated associated registrar. As electronic registration is available to teams, these rules are intended to facilitate and encourage electronic registration. For the years 2002 through 2004 individual USA registration fee has been set at $25 per individual. The Mid American Hockey Association membership fee shall be reviewed and determined on an annual basis. Such fee shall be on a per capita or per team basis, in an amount necessary to sustain the current budget, payable upon registration. Associations not current with the annual membership fee will be prohibited from state or district tournament play and would be considered members NOT in good standing. Mid Am does not commingle funds. A separate check must be submitted with registration materials for USA Hockey and MidAm Hockey fees.

8. Budget and Expense: A proposed budget is presented each year at the Annual Membership meeting. Expense and reimbursement policies are reviewed annually and modified as necessary. The Board of Directors may amend the budget as appropriate at meetings where a quorum is present.

9. Playoffs: State and District playoffs shall be under the jurisdiction of the President and the Board of Directors. Properly

registered and classified teams in good standing, only, shall be eligible to enter and participate in playoffs sanctioned by the Mid American Hockey Association. Playoff rules promulgated by and contained in the current USA Hockey Annual Guide, and any supplements, together with the USA Hockey Official Playing Rules shall be adhered to. Sanction to organize and hold any tournaments shall be secured from the Board of Directors through the USA Hockey Mid American District. Written intention to bid should be forwarded to the District Registrar at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the annual meeting so that appropriate time for any prospective association may be reserved on the agenda of the annual meeting. Applications are received on an annual basis and considered at the annual meeting of MidAm. Awards for tournament play are announced at the Mid Am annual general membership meeting. USA Hockey Rules and Regulations, as published in the USA Hockey Official Playing Rules book or the USA Hockey Annual Guide shall govern all regular season, exhibition, playoff, and tournament games. The Mid American Hockey Association Board of Directors may establish certain additional rules for state and district playoffs. Associations are responsible to communicate with the USA Hockey Directors to be certain they comply with all rules and play off requirements. A team hosting a district or national tournament may not participate in a lower level, state, district or regional tournament. Host teams/ are responsible for knowledge of and compliance with USA Regulations for District Playoffs & National Championships promulgated by USA Hockey, contained on its website (USAHockey.com) and updated annually.

10. National Bids: USA Hockey awards national tournament sites two years following the annual meeting at which the application is considered, i.e, application considered and decided at the 2003National Meeting will be for tournament 2005. Local associations interested in bidding on a national tournament are encouraged to contact any USA Hockey District Director for further information and the USA Hockey website for a copy of the application.

11. Playoff and Tournament Entries: State champions or representatives as otherwise determined must advance to the district playoffs. District champions or representatives as otherwise determined must advance to the national tournament.

12. Failure to Advance Rule: Any team that fails to advance to district or national competition will sustain serious consequences to its team and association. Penalties will include: a. The association may be prohibited from hosting any USA sanctioned tournament for one (l) year. b. The offending team will pay their prescribed entry fee to the association hosting the tournament promptly. c. A Disciplinary Hearing may occur and the Mid Am Board may impose additional sanctions. All Tier I and Tier II teams (Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget) must notify the Registrar or Associate Registrar by December 15 of the teams intention to participate in State, District and National Championships. To insure financial stability of the playdown process, upon submitting the playdown designation, the team (for 2003) must submit a check in the amount of $600 that will be applied to the Teams District Fee. Failure to submit the designation form (found on the Midam website) or to submit the check representing the teams deposit will EXCLUDE the team from participation. Beginning hockey season 2003/04 both Tier I and Tier II state playoffs will be held to determine the team from each state that advances to District championships.

13. Playoff Sites and Dates: Mid American Hockey Association Board of Directors or the designated Playoff Committee, which shall be appointed by the President, shall select: A. Suitable district tournament locations. Playoff games shall be played on dates designated by USA Hockey. B. State Playoff Committees shall be established in each state, which may consist of the State Vice President, Mid American Hockey Association/USA Hockey officers or directors residing in that state, a representative of the District Referee-in-Chief and others to be appointed by the Mid American Hockey Association President. The State Vice President shall be the chairman of the committee.

14. Insurance: A. USA Hockey provides excess accidental insurance coverage for all players and coaches registered and participating on all youth teams, including womens midgets and high school teams. For those participating on any team other than a youth team, the same coverage is available for purchase and is strongly recommended. B. Liability and catastrophic insurance requirements and coverage as defined by USA Hockey will be adhered to by Mid American Hockey Association and Mid American Hockey Association teams. C. The Mid American Hockey Association recommends, but does not make mandatory, the procurement of Directors and Officers liability insurance coverage.

15. Disputes or Protests: Copies of all correspondence relevant to a dispute between teams, leagues or associations, coaches and/or managers of the Mid American Hockey Association shall be filed with the Secretary and the applicable State Vice President or USA Director of the Mid American Hockey Association in cases regarding disputes and protests. Correspondence pertaining to dispute resolution shall be provided in hard copy. It shall be the responsibility of the party bringing the matter to the Mid American Hockey Association to provide complete documentation of the issue requiring resolution.

16. Suspensions: A. All players, teams, leagues, associations, coaches, managers or referees suspended by the Mid American Hockey Association shall remain suspended for the prescribed length of time or until such suspension is lifted by USA Hockey. B. The President reserves the authority to suspend, for an indefinite length of time, any representative, player, team, league, association, or off-ice official who violates any Mid American Hockey Association or USA Hockey Rule or Regulation.

17. Appeals Protest: A. Any team, player or member of any league or association in the Mid American Hockey Association may appeal a disputed case or matter or protest to the Mid American Hockey Association Board of Directors only after it has had a hearing and a decision or been refused a hearing within its own league or association. The Appeal shall be mailed to the President of the Mid American Hockey Association by certified mail setting forth the issue in dispute and any written documentation of the incident/hearing/decision giving rise to the appeal. B. Whenever possible, the Appeals Committee shall have a minimum of four members consisting of the State Vice President, Mid American Hockey Association/USA Hockey Officers or Directors residing in that state or others to be appointed by the Mid America Hockey Association President. They shall follow the procedures as outlined in the current USA Hockey Annual Guide under the Section entitled Resolutions of Disputes, Arbitration, and Suspensions.

Recognizing the wide geographical area our district encompasses, telephonic conference calls may be utilized. C. Only two representatives from each team, league, or association shall be permitted to appear before the Appeals Committee to state the appeal and request its decision. D. When a request for appeal is made to the Mid American Hockey Association, a sum of $100 shall be posted with the filing of each appeal or in the case of a protest, with each protest. The total sum shall be refunded if the appeal or protest is granted by the Appeals Committee. If the Appeals Committee upholds the ruling being appealed or protested, the sum of monies shall be retained by Mid American Hockey Association. Unless the filing fee is received, no hearing will be scheduled. E. This procedure shall also apply to appeals of suspension made by the President. F. Decisions of the Mid American Hockey Association Appeals Committee may be appealed to USA Hockey using the procedure described in the USA Hockey Annual Guide.

18. Legal Actions: (Court of Law) - In order to preserve the integrity of amateur ice hockey, any recourse to the courts shall not occur by an individual member, team or association before exhausting policies and procedures and complying with the Mid American Hockey Association Constitution, By-Laws, Rules and Regulations and USA Hockey appeals process. Such conduct shall be considered unacceptable entailing the immediate suspension and disqualification of any such member, individual, team or association.

19. Financial Release: When a player leaves a member organization of the Mid American Hockey Association, a financial release must be obtained by the accepting member organization. This will state that the player has no existing financial obligations, which have not been satisfied. If the accepting member organization fails to obtain such a release and such financial obligation exists, the accepting organization will be suspended from the Mid American Hockey Association until the debt is satisfied. The obligation to inform the Mid American Hockey Association of such a situation rests with the organization that is owed the debt. That organization will be responsible for informing Mid American Hockey District Registrar by letter. A player may be denied playing privileges until the debt is satisfied. The association from whom such financial release is requested may not, without good cause, withhold such release.

20. Coaching Requirements: Coaching requirements are considered by the MidAm Board on an annual basis. The Coaching Education Guidelines for the MidAmerican District will be posted on its website (www.midamhockey.com.) as soon as practical following its annual meeting.

21. Hockey Season: The Mid American District will recognize separate and distinct Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer hockey seasons to accommodate those teams who desire to extend their normal and customary season. The regular Fall/Winter season will begin on September 1st and conclude on April 1st except for teams that are still competing in games leading to the USA Hockey National Championship. The Spring/Summer season will begin on April lst, except for teams that are still competing in games leading the USA Hockey National Championship, and conclude on August 30. Teams that wish to play after the conclusion of the regular Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer season, must register as a new team. Only one individual player membership is required each year, but each team (whether Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer) must complete the required forms and pay the specified registration fees prior to practice or competition.

22. Tier I, Tier II and House/Recreational Levels: No state tournaments are authorized or permitted at the mite or squirt level. The Mid American District, consistent

with USA Hockey, will recognize teams in the Pee Wee, Bantam, and Midget 16 and 17 age classifications at Tier I or Tier II level and will be eligible for State, District, and National competition. Team Membership Application Forms (USA FORM 2-T) for teams that wish to compete at the Tier I or Tier II level must be submitted to and approved by the Registrar or Associate Registrar no later than November 15th. The current Affiliate fee for Tier I shall be $35 and the Affiliate fee for Tier II teams shall be $30. The Tier I, Tier II, and House/Recreational level designations do not apply to teams in any other age classification.

23. Tier I/Tier II Certification Method: All teams competing in the Major Division of a recognized AAA and/or Tier I League must play at the Tier I level regardless of team record or standing. A Tier II team that competes in a Tier I playdown tournament will then be ineligible for Tier II playdown competition. Teams competing in the Minor Division of a recognized AAA and/or Tier I League will be evaluated by the Board at the Mid American District midyear meeting. Placement of these teams will be based on records and performance. Teams playing an independent schedule will be evaluated by the competition level of its opponents in addition to records and performance. This evaluation will be conducted by the Mid American Board. All teams playing in a recognized AA and/or Tier II League will be allowed to participate at the Tier II level. State and District tournaments are conducted by the Mid American District to determine advancing teams.

24. Fiscal Policies: All funds collected by Mid American District will be deposited to the general treasury account (i.e. checking or money market). This would include, but not be limited to team registrations, tournament sanctions, all camp registration and tryout fees. All programs sponsored by Mid American Hockey, which will cost in excess of $1,000 must have a preliminary budget and be Board approved. All expenses incurred in the course of transacting business for the President, Secretary, Treasurer and Directors and any others who are approved by the President are reimbursable to these said individuals provided receipts are attached for all expense. All long term legal retainers must be approved by the Executive Board and signed by the President. The fiscal policies of the MidAm Board will be reviewed periodically and reduced to writing, and upon written request to the Mid Am Treasurer are available for any members review.

25. Screening: Mid American District has adopted a screening policy patterned after the USA policy that will not authorize or sanction in its programs any volunteer or employee who has routine access to children (anyone under the age of majority) who refuses to consent to be screened by USA Hockey or its affiliate before he/she is allowed to have routine access to children in USA Hockey programs. For the current year (2003-2004), personnel who must be screened are: All new coaches (head or assistant), association Board members, managers and trainers who have not been screened by Mid Am Hockey. All designated individuals must complete and sign a screening application form and waiver. Those previously screened will be pooled by vendor and 25% of the previously screened individuals will be rescreened annually. Work screening does not qualify; screening must be done by Mid Am vendor to comply with Mid Am policy. Mid Am web site will contains forms, contact person and complete policy statement within two weeks (14 days) following the annual meeting.

26. Physical and Sexual Abuse: Mid American Hockey Association complies with policy statements of USA Hockey regarding definition of and prohibition of abuse. Refer to USA Hockey Abuse and Screening Policies.

27. Skating Up: The Mid American Hockey Association Policy on skating up is that a player cannot be moved up more than one year in age. For example, a first year squirt cannot be moved to the PeeWee level. A second year squirt may advance to Pee Wee provided the following criteria is met: Your board must have a defined policy relative to the procedure that the players parents must follow in order to request that their child play up. Only requests that have been made in writing to your immediate governing board should be considered. Players must have demonstrated the skill and the mental maturity required to move up. Your Board should have an evaluation team of coaches (or coach in chief) making the determination and should not include coaches of the teams that are losing or gaining the player. Your Board must reserve the right to reverse its decision in the event that the player experiences difficulty with the move.

28, Web Site: MidAmerican District Hockey Association, Inc. has designated its web site www.midamhockey.com as it primary communication link with its membership. Meeting notices will be posted to the site, contacts for the association and other pertinent information, which will change periodically. In addition, Mid Am will undertake to publish an Annual Guide to facilitate communication between associations and provide readily available association contacts.