Stop Time – a Practical Guide for Timekeepers OFFICIATING at NZIHA SANCTIONED GAMES

STOP-TIME WILL BE PLAYED IN THE NORTHERN REGION CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION INCLUDING THE PLAY-OFF COMPETITION

IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 637

Application:

Stop-Time is played in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter of the game provided that the goal scores are equal or within 1 point of each other.

Stop-Time can begin at any point in time during the final 2 minutes of the fourth quarter of the game.

eg/. at the two minute mark the score might be 2-0 therefore No Stop-Time, however with

1 minute & 10 sec to go on the clock the other team scores a goal it is now 2-1 therefore

Stop-Time starts immediately at 1.10.

Stop-Time can begin during a stoppage in play provided that the game clock shows 2:00

(2 minutes) and the goal scores are equal or within one point of each other.

Stop-time once commenced must continue regardless of what the scores become for the remainder of the game.

Once Stop-time has commenced the game clock is stopped every time the whistle is blown.

Examples: (remember final two minutes of Fourth Quarter)

· The referee blows his whistle, the game is stopped, the game clock shows 2:10 (2 minutes 10 seconds remaining) the score is 1-1 (scores are equal) the clock runs down to 2:00 as the players are changing, the timekeeper is to STOP THE CLOCK at 2:00 and then restart the clock at the drop of the puck.

· The game is within the final 2 minutes, the score is 2-0, so therefore Stop-Time is not being played, the game clock shows 00:52 (52 seconds remaining in the game) and the referee indicates a goal to the team with 0 points, by pointing their hand at the goal and blowing the whistle. The scorer/timekeeper will know the goal scores are now within one point of each other,

STOP-TIME BEGINS IMMEDIATELY. Do not wait for the referee to advise a goal was scored – that is already obvious by their actions on the rink. Should a referee choose to then disallow the goal, the stopped clock will be restarted at the ensuing face-off and the delay will be written onto the game sheet as a referee time-out. In this case stop-time is not considered to have begun.

· Do not use stop time other than for the final 2 minutes in the fourth quarter of a game.

Other than for the application of Stop-Time during the final two minutes of the fourth quarter of the game DO NOT STOP THE CLOCK UNLESS ONE OF THE REFEREES ON THE RINK SIGNALS YOU TO STOP THE CLOCK.

ie/. do not react to the spectators yelling, nor the players, nor the team officials.