OFFICIAL BOLD AND BRIGHT POND HOCKEY TOURNAMENT RULES AND PROCEDURES
Team Registration - $300 per team. Nonrefundable unless the tournament is cancelled by Bold & Bright. Due to any reason. If the tournament is cancelled by the organizers, a full refund, minus $50 administration fee, will be returned to the original form of payment.
Must be 18 years of age or older. Valid identification will need to be provided at check in.
Game play is 4X4 with a max of 6 people per team.
Double elimination - each team will play at least two games.
Two rinks will be used, 64 feet wide, 128 feet long.
Nets are 2'x4' goals in true pond hockey fashion.
Games will be composed of two 20-minute halves with a 5-minute halftime. Teams playing are responsible for clearing the snow at the beginning and middle of their games. Shovels will be provided.
To begin the game, teams can elect to have a face-off or give possession to one team to start. The other team will start the second half.
All players must wear hockey helmets with a fastened chin strap and hockey skates. Additional protective equipment is optional but highly recommended. All safety equipment is the responsibility of the players to provide.
No goalie equipment or goalie sticks permitted.
There will be one off-ice official/referee to monitor the play (scoring, time, puck reset, and penalties).
The referee will have the discretion to also award a "penalty shot" to the opposing team when a minor penalty is flagrant and/or a team is consistently playing in a reckless manner. Penalty shots will be taken from center ice and must be attempted within 30 seconds of the penalty being called. Anyone on the opposing team can take the shot. The team that is awarded the penalty shot will also be given possession of the puck following the penalty shot attempt (regardless of the outcome of the shot).
Any major penalty, which includes any action that could possibly injure another player, will result in that player being ejected from the tournament. The off-ice pond official will determine major penalties in consultation with the tournament organizer(s).
Abuse of officials will be considered a major penalty. This includes yelling, swearing, or arguing about calls. Games will be overall self-regulated, but an official will be onsite for oversight. No checking is allowed. Such action will result in a minor penalty unless deemed serious enough to be a major.
No slapshots allowed. Such action will result in a minor penalty.
Players cannot fall or lay on the ice in an effort to protect the goal area. Such action will result in a minor penalty.
Goaltending is not allowed. A player may not patrol, "camp out" or remain stationary in the crease area and act as a goaltender. A defender may deflect the puck in the crease area, but the defender must do so while continuing to move through the crease area. The crease area is defined as an imaginary box extending out four feet from the outside corners of the goal. Goaltending also applies to offensive players in the offensive zone/goal as well.
For the first violation of the goaltending rule, it will be a warning. For any subsequent violation of this rule, a penalty shot will be awarded. If in the referee’s opinion the goaltending violation prevented an imminent goal, the referee can award the goal at their discretion.
Contacting the puck with a stick above the waist will result in a loss of possession.
Saucer passes (i.e. pucks that are lifted low, below the knee) are acceptable.
If a puck goes out of bounds, the last team to touch it loses possession. During restart, the defender must give his opponent 2-stick lengths of space.
There are no off-sides or icing calls.
Goals can be scored from any area of the rink.
Players should call out the score after each goal. This includes goals scored by players or awarded from minor penalties.
Teams must give their opponents 1/2 ice after a goal is scored or an infraction takes place.
In the event of a tie:
During games, play will move to sudden death format. After the horn sounds, play will stop. A stick tap face-off will take place at center ice and play will continue for up to 3 minutes of overtime or until a goal is scored. If no goal is scored, the game will move to a sudden death shootout. Players will take turns taking penalty shots from 20 feet from the goal. During any round where one team makes a shot, and the other team misses, the game is over and the team who made the shot wins. If both teams miss, or if both teams make the shot, in any round, rounds continue until the game is over. A player may not take another penalty shot until all other players on their team have taken a shot.
During the championship game, there will be no shootouts. The sudden death overtime format will be used until we have a winner.
All games are running-time and substitutions can be made during play ("on-the-fly") or while a puck is being retrieved. Substitutions must take place in the vicinity of the player’s bench. There is no stoppage of play after a goal is scored, or after a penalty is awarded. It is up to each team to ensure that there are only four players on the ice.
It is the responsibility of the team captain to ensure the correct game score has been logged on the scorecard. By signing the scorecard at the conclusion of the game, your team captain is acknowledging that they agree with the final score. Teams cannot contest scores/results after they have signed the scorecard.
In the event of a forfeit, the team who did not forfeit will receive a win.
Delay of game - Teams should plan to be at their assigned rink 10 minutes prior to the scheduled game start time to allow enough time to shovel their half of the rink. If a team arrives late and/or delays the start of the game, 1 goal will be awarded to the opposing team for every minute the game start is delayed. After a 10 minute delay, the game will be forfeited. Time will be determined by the official game clock / official’s stopwatch.
Team sign up and registration ends January 19th, 2026, at 12pm central or until the event is full.
The schedule will be released 5 days prior to the tournament date through email.
Refunds - No refunds will be allowed other than if the tournament is canceled by the tournament organizer. If the event is cancelled by the organizer, a refund minus $50 administration fee will be returned to the original form of payment.
Travel expenses - The tournament may not be liable for travel expenses, such as airfare, lodging, or car rental.
All Rules and Procedures are subject to change to better suit the tournament.