Intramural Sports

ICE HOCKEY RULEBOOK: Updated February 4, 2026

OVERVIEW:

Intramural Ice Hockey follows standard 5 v 5 ice hockey rules with full pads and goalies. However, this is a non-contact league.

Fall Hockey

Four weeks of random pool play with an 8-team Invitational Tournament at the end of the semester. Teams will be selected by staff based on sportsmanship and record.

Spring Hockey

Three weeks of pool play with one game a week on the day and time a team has signed up for. Regular season will be followed by two weeks of single elimination playoffs at varying days and times.

All games will be played on the ice at the Whittemore Center. It is expected that players will bring their own necessary equipment. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before scheduled game time to check in with the supervisor using UNH ID and get your locker room assignments. You MUST bring your UNH ID.

PLAYER AND ROSTER REQUIREMENTS:

Teams should be 5 skaters and a goalie, 6 total on the ice. You may start a game with only 4 skaters if you do not have enough of your team in attendance. There is only ONE “coach” allowed per bench. This is an open league meaning there are no gender requirements. You may add players to your roster on site and on Fusion Play all season until playoffs. They must bring their UNH student ID to be added at check in. If your team does not have enough players, you may temporarily borrow players from another team or bring temporary players for that night. This is ONLY during regular season. Rosters become locked at the start of playoffs.

ROVER RULES:

You may rover multiple times, but only once per team. Exception: Goalies may rover without restriction until playoffs. Rovers (including goalies) must check in again for each game.

Club and Division 1 Athlete Eligibility

Division 1 hockey athletes are not eligible to play intramural hockey. Division 1 athletes from other sports may play intramural hockey.
Club hockey athletes are eligible to play. However, there may be no more than 3 club players (men or women) on their intramural team roster.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

For all players (skaters and goalies):

Ice hockey helmet with a securely fastened chin strap and full-face mask with a foam chin guard Masks cannot allow room for a stick blade to enter
Mouthguard
A protective cup or pelvic protector

Required equipment for goalies: goalie specific helmet and mask, glove, blocker, hockey skates, stick, throat guard, leg pads, hockey chest protector, and hockey pants

Required equipment for skaters: hockey gloves, hockey skates, stick, shin and knee guards, hockey pants, hockey chest protector, and elbow pads

Required equipment must be worn by players and goalies at all times, including during warm-ups, before the game, during, and between each period. All equipment must remain on while in the penalty box.

A WARNING will be issued to a player attempting to take the ice without all required equipment and will be sent back to the locker room to correct the improper equipment. If a player attempts to return to the game without the correct equipment, they will be assessed a GAME MISCONDUCT. A player whose helmet has been dislodged must skate immediately to their team bench where they can be replaced by a substitute. If a player does not, they will be assessed a MINOR PENALTY.

RULES:

Games will be 3 12-minute periods, running clock, with 90 second intermissions. If a losing team is within 2 points within the last 2 minutes of the third period, the clock will stop on whistles. There will be no overtime for regular season games. Each team is allowed one 1-minute timeout per game. Timeouts must be taken during a normal stoppage of play.

For the most part, intramural hockey will follow rules and procedures outlined by USA Hockey.

POINTS OF EMPHASIS:

Absolutely no contact. Any contact will result in a penalty.
Automatic icing is in play
Delayed offsides

PENALTIES:

TYPES OF PENALTIES:

MINOR – One minute and twenty seconds (1:20)
MAJOR – 3 minutes (3:00)
MISCONDUCT – 6 minutes (6:00)
GAME DISQUALIFICATION – a major penalty, ejection from the current game, and suspension from the following game

Penalties will be called based on the USA Hockey protocol. Penalties shall be served by the offending player. The severity of a penalty is up to the discretion of intramural staff. When a player receives a major and a minor penalty at the same time, the major penalty shall be served first.

GAME DISQUALIFICATION:

A game disqualification penalty is assessed when: A player or bench personnel is continuously disrespectful toward other players or officials
A player or bench personnel intentionally physically or verbally harasses a referee
Fighting, spearing, butt-ending, kicking, grabbing of the face mask or other acts which deliberately injure or attempt to injure
A player continues retaliation
A non-involved player joins an altercation
A player leaves the team or penalty bench and becomes involved in an altercation
A game disqualification penalty consists of a major penalty and a suspension from intramurals at the discretion of the intramural coordinator.
The offending player or bench personnel will exit the playing surface immediately and return to the locker room. A substitute, other than a spare goaltender, shall serve the major penalty in place of the disqualified player.
When coincident game disqualification penalties are assessed to an equal number of players of each team, the penalized players shall leave the game and each team shall thereafter be permitted to place a substitution on the ice for each of its disqualified players.

PENALTY SHOTS:

A penalty shot is awarded when: An extra player attempts to stop a breakaway toward a goal (misconduct is also assessed)
A stick or equipment is thrown to stop a reasonable scoring opportunity in the attacking zone
A defending player other than the goaltender traps or covers the puck in the goal crease
A player deliberately displaces the cage to prevent a goal
A player fouls from behind an opponent who is in the possession of the puck in the offending player’s defensive zone when there are no defending players except the goaltender between the attacker and the defending team’s goal.
The penalty shot shall be taken by the player fouled. If no player has been fouled, then the shot may be taken by any player of non-offending side who is not serving a penalty when play is stopped for the penalty shot (Captain’s choice).

PLAYOFFS AND TOURNAMENTS:

The fall season will be followed by an 8-team invitational tournament to teams selected by staff based on sportsmanship and record. This will be single elimination.

In the spring league, playoffs will start week 4 of the season. Games will be scheduled at different times than regular season to accommodate seeding and facility schedule. Single elimination bracket. Schedule is subject to change. Check Fusion Play daily. ROSTERS ARE LOCKED. Champion teams will be awarded shirts and a Domino's pizza party. Only players who have played in the final game will get shirts.

OVERTIME

Tied games advance to one 5-minute 3-on-3 sudden death overtime period. If teams remained tied after this overtime period, the game advances to a sudden death shootout.
A sudden death shootout means that if Team A scores, Team B must score, or the game is over, and Team A has won.
During a sudden death shootout, teams cannot repeat shooters until every player on the team with the least amount of players has attempted the shootout. Both teams will then start from their first shooter and continue in the original order unless the team with more players wishes to continue until every player has made an attempt.

FORFEITS:

If a team forfeits in week 1, they will be removed from the league. Week 1 is considered commitment week.

When a team forfeits a game, they will be emailed by the intramural staff. It is required that the team captain replies to the email within 24 hours. If intramural staff does not receive a reply within 24 hours, the team will be removed from the league and replaced by a team on the waitlist.

A team that forfeits twice will be automatically removed from the league.

If your team is unable to play and must forfeit, please email unh.intramurals@unh.edu by noon on game day so we can try to find another team to fill your spot.

Teams with any number of forfeits ARE NOT ELLIGIBLE FOR PLAYOFFS.

Don’t have enough players? There are options! You can play down players, bring new players on the night of your game, and/or borrow players from another team when you get to your game. New players should check in like any other player would with intramural staff.

If a team fails to have the required number of participants at the scheduled game time, the opposing team who is present will have the following options:

Choose to wait 10 minutes until the opponent arrives to compete with the official game running as scheduled. The game will start once the opponents arrive with whatever time is remaining on the clock. The waiting team has the option to lead by 3-0.
If the opposing team is still not ready to play 10 minutes after the scheduled game time, the intramural staff will declare a forfeit win for the waiting team. No game will be played.
If both teams do not have the minimum number of players at game time and/or arrive late but get enough players within ten minutes of the scheduled game-time, the game shall commence with whatever game time is left and a starting score of 0-0.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

Following each game, the intramural staff will rate each team on their sportsmanship with a 0-5 score. The default score for all teams successfully completing a game is 4. Teams receiving a 0, 1, or 2 rating twice in the same season, will be removed from the league or playoffs. Depending on the severity of the incident, a team may be removed from the league and/or face additional sanctions for only one unacceptable rating (0-2).

Teams will receive a 0 rating for a game that is forfeited. This includes for reasons of no-show, disqualification, or misconduct.
Teams are required to have an average sportsmanship of 3 or higher to be considered for playoffs.
Scores are given based on the discretion of intramural staff and cannot be contested.

Good sportsmanship is required of all participants. Players and spectators are always to conduct themselves Updated: February 4, 2026 respectfully. UNH Campus Recreation reserves the right to suspend or disqualify groups or individuals for unsportsmanlike conduct at any time. Unsportsmanlike conduct before, during, and/or after a game will not be tolerated.

By participating in intramural sports, players agree to follow all Campus Recreation policies and those outlined in the UNH Student Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities. Prohibited behavior includes but is not limited to: consuming or being in possession of alcohol, nicotine, and other prohibited substances, physical or verbal altercations, vandalism, theft, or unauthorized participation.

The decision of an official or intramural staff member to eject a player or spectator for any unsportsmanlike conduct (be it verbal or physical) will be firmly upheld by UNH Campus Recreation. All ejected players must leave the playing area/facility. Individual players’ conduct may impact team eligibility to remain in the league.

If you have any questions regarding intramural policies or rules, please contact unh.intramurals@unh.edu or Gabby Merrill (Intramural Sports Coordinator) Phone: (603) 862-2038 or email: gabby.merrill@unh.edu