Adult Leagues Disciplinary Information

Adult Leagues Disciplinary Information

Keeping our adult leagues safe, fair, and enjoyable requires clear standards and consistent enforcement. This page outlines how suspensions, team fines, and disciplinary follow-ups are handled across Ballhockey.com adult programming.

Suspension Standards

Major and/or Misconduct Suspension Offences Chart
A suspension minimums chart is used to guide discipline decisions (you will see it posted on this page). The chart provides baseline standards, and league management/discipline may increase penalties depending on severity, context, or repeat behaviour.

Infraction 1st Offense (minimum number of games) 2nd Offense (minimum number of games) 3rd Offense (minimum number of games)
Fighting 5 games Indefinite
Fighting (instigator) 6 games Indefinite
Fighting (non-instigator) 3 games 6 games Indefinite
Fighting (before/after game) 10 games Indefinite
Roughing 2 games 4 games Indefinite
Head Contact 2 games 3 games 6 games
Spearing / Butt-ending 2 games 3 games Indefinite
Gross Misconduct 2 games 4 games Indefinite
Gross Misconduct (discriminatory language) 5 games Indefinite
Third Man In 3 games 6 games Indefinite
Leaving bench to enter fight 3 games 6 games Indefinite
Failure to go to penalty box 2 games 4 games Indefinite
Molesting an official Indefinite­­­­­
Checking from behind 2 games 4 games Indefinite
Major or Misconduct in 3rd period 1 game 1 game 1 game
Match Penalty 5 games Indefinite

These guidelines are subject to review by the Ballhockey.com Discipline Committee and serve as minimum suspension standards. The committee reserves the right to increase suspensions upon further review and reassessment of the incident.

Offence tracking & season resets

  • Offence tracking resets at the end of each season (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter).
    If a suspension carries into the next season, any remaining games must still be served before the player is eligible to return.

Serving a Suspension

  • Suspended players are not permitted to attend games they are suspended from.
  • If club management grants an exception for attendance, the suspended player may not participate in warm-up or be on the bench.
  • If a player is suspended while playing for one team, the suspension applies to all teams they are rostered on within the league.

Suspension Fines

To support program integrity and administrative enforcement:

  • Any suspension over five (5) games is subject to a $100 fine, charged to the player committing the offence.
  • Fines must be resolved through league administration and may impact eligibility until addressed.

Team Fines & Forfeits

Forfeits affect competitive balance, scheduling, and the game-night experience for opponents and officials. Teams may be subject to fines when a forfeit occurs. See Ballhockey.com Official Rule Book for more information.

Procedure (how it’s handled):

  1. Forfeit recorded by game staff/league administration.
  2. Team representative notified (typically within 24–48 hours).
  3. Fine issued (if applicable) and added to the team/account record.
  4. Escalation may occur for repeat forfeits (additional fines, scheduling restrictions, or further discipline at management discretion).

Game Reports, Reviews, and Discipline Decisions

League management may review:

  • Referee incident reports
  • Score sheets / match penalties
  • Video evidence (if available)
  • Statements from team reps or involved parties

Minimums vs. final decisions: The posted chart is a baseline. Discipline outcomes may be adjusted based on:

  • Severity and intent
  • Injury risk
  • Prior incidents (within the same season)
  • Escalation (third-man in, leaving the bench, discriminatory language, etc.)

Questions

If your team has questions about a disciplinary decision or needs clarification on eligibility:

  • Contact league management ([email protected]) with game date, division, team name, player name (if applicable), and a short summary.
  • Management may request additional details or written statements.