Minnesota Hockey’s Fair Play program, now in its 17th season, is designed to promote safety, sportsmanship and respect for opponents, officials, and the game itself.
Fair Play, which has been lauded as one of the top behavior influencing programs in youth hockey, rewards teams who display a set standard for behavior during games by allowing them to earn an extra point for their district or league standings. To qualify, the teams must stay under an established threshold for penalty minutes and avoid inappropriate behavior by coaches or spectators.
While Fair Play does not impact the outcome of individual games, consistently good (or bad) behavior can have a cumulative effect on league standings and playoff seedings, creating a valuable incentive for players, coaches, and parents to display positive behavior during games.
The official criteria for teams to earn their Fair Play point are listed below.
Level | Minutes | Level | Minutes |
---|---|---|---|
Squirt | 10 min | Girls 10U | 8 min |
Peewee | 12 min | Girls 12U | 10 min |
Bantam | 14 min | Girls 15U | 12 min |
Youth 16U | 16 min | Girls 16U | 14 min |
Junior Gold | 16 min | Girls 19U | 14 min |
Note: If a coach is assessed a Game Misconduct or Match Penalty, a spectator is requested to leave the arena by an official, or a player receives a Match penalty for an obscene gesture or offensive/hateful/discriminatory language, that team will not be eligible for a Fair Play Point regardless of their total penalty minutes.
Penalty Classification | PIM Equivalent |
---|---|
Minor or Bench Minor | 2 minutes |
Major | 5 minutes |
Misconduct (10) | 10 minutes |
Mouthguard Misconduct | 2 minutes |
Game Misconduct | 10 minutes |
Match | 10 minutes |
Penalty Shot | Equivalent to penalty assessed |
Two of USA Hockey’s rule changes going into effect this season may create some confusion on how Fair Play affects teams this year. To clarify, minor penalties are considered two minutes for all age levels, regardless of period length or penalty time served according to USA Hockey’s new pro-rated penalty schedule. In addition, all major penalties will now be accompanied by a game misconduct which means any major will be a 5 (major) + 10 (game misconduct), per the chart above.
To print or download the Fair Play program criteria and PIM equivalents, click here.