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FORMS

2007 FIELD HOCKEY GUIDE

I. SEASON

1. Field hockey has been classified as a fall sport by the V.P.A. According to the V.P.A. definition of the fall season, the fall season may open August 13th and conclude Saturday, October 27th.

2. No school shall schedule more than fourteen games exclusive of playoffs sanctioned by the V.P.A. A maximum of three scrimmages are allowed from the first day of practice until the tournament pairings.

3. If a varsity team receives more than two ejections or disqualifications(of athletes or coaches) during the course of the season, the coach, AD and/or Principal of the school must meet with the Activities Standards Committee before the school will be admitted to or allowed to continue in the VPA past season tournament. The meeting will occur regardless of a teams standing in the regular season or tournament. The intent of this meeting is to discuss the situations that occurred and the steps being taken to address the situation. Failure to meet with the ASC would result in the school/team being ineligible to participate in the VPA tournament.

II. RULES
1. The official National Federation Rules will be used. Please look at the new rules changes on the inside cover of the NFHS rulebook. Please note especially the rules changes for 2007 found on the inside cover of the rulebook. **Of these changes, please note 1-2-1e (broken line 5 yards outside hitting circle) and 1-6-4 (stick requirement beginning January, 2009). **

The following are exceptions:

Field Hockey Overtime Procedures

Tied games: The following overtime procedure shall be used during the regular season when a game is tied at the end of regulation play.

a. There will be a five-minute intermission between the end of regulation and the start of the ten-minute SUDDEN VICTORY overtime period. The HOME team will call the coin toss and the winner of the coin toss shall have the choice of possession or direction of attack. The team not winning the toss shall have the remaining choice.

b. A team will consist of SIX PLAYERS AND A FULLY EQUIPPED GOALKEEPER.

All game rules apply with the following modifications:

1. On penalty corners, the defending team is permitted to have only four players behind
its goal line (goalkeeper and three field players). The penalty corner will be played out
as it is during regulation play.

2. No team will start the overtime with less than seven players; the other team will
maintain the numerical advantage, if applicable. (i.e. A blue team’s player receives a
yellow card during the overtime. The blue team will play with only 6 players for the
length of the blue team’s player’s suspension —5 minutes.)

A player or players shall be added to maintain the numerical advantage in overtime.
(i.e. A blue team’s player was red carded in regulation; therefore this player-cannot
play for the remainder of the game and overtime. The red team held an 11 v 10
advantage in regulation, which becomes an 8 v 7 advantage during overtime.)

3. Any player who has been issued a yellow card during regulation play is eligible at the
end of the five-minute suspension. (A blue team’s player was yellow carded with two
minutes left in regulation, therefore this blue team player cannot play until three  minutes have elapsed in the overtime period.) *

4. If overtime is started with 8 v 7, when the penalty expires, the remainder of that  OT period will be 8 v 8. If an additional OT period is required it will revert back to 7 v 7.

5. Regardless of time outs left or used during regulation, EACH TEAM IS  PERMITTED ONLY ONETIME OUT DURING OVERTIME PLAY.

6. The game is completed as soon as a goal has been scored. During regular season
play, if the score is tied at the end of the sudden victory period, the game will end in a
tie.

a. See tiebreaker for tournament play.

2. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR SUITABLE FIELD HOCKEY FIELDS:
a. The field shall be rectangular area 100 yd x 60 yd. See Rule 1-2-1
b. The entire playing surface shall be TURF or grass of no longer than 1 1/2 inches per NFHS Rule 1-2-1.. Exceptions can be made for small balding areas due to grass dying.
c. No part of the grass playing field shall contain outstanding field markings for any other sport, football, soccer, softball or baseball infield areas or any other unnatural obstacles. Although a field may be satisfactory for seasonal game use, it may be judged unsuitable for tournament play.

Determination and rationale shall be identified by the V.P.A. Field Hockey designees.

NOTE: FROM THE RULE BOOK: It is recommended that playing fields and
surrounding areas be kept in such condition to enhance good play and insure safety, i.e. grass cut short, holes and ruts filled in, etc.

d. The slope of the field shall not be too extreme.
e. Field markings shall follow the rules set down in the National Federation Rule Book, 1-2-2 Also, 1-3-1 on Goals and Nets. NOTE: Pay particular attention to correct circle measurements and construction.
f. The officials are required to check the book at half time with the scorers and timers who will be at midfield. THE OFFICIALS MUST SIGN THE BOOK.
g. At all interscholastic field hockey games the coaches are restricted to the bench area, which will extend beyond the 25-yard line and the mid stripe on the team's side of the field.
h. The V.P.A. strongly urges that restraining facilities be used at regular season play.
i. An administrator or his/her designated assistant must be present at all home games and introduced to the game officials.

III. TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

1. To qualify for tournament consideration, a team must have completed at least an eight game schedule with three different schools by the time of the pairings and submit an application.

2. FINAL, COMPLETED APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ELECTRONICALLY TO THE VPA OFFICE NO LATER THAN 10A.M. OCTOBER 15.

*Last game to count, Oct.13. No exception to this date [ASC, Feb. 2001]
*Pairings - October 15 Noon
*First round playoffs – October 17/18
*Quarterfinals – October 19/20
*Semi Finals - October 23/24
*Finals - October 27 – UVM

Order of Finals:

TBA-Division II
TBA-Division III
TBA-Division I
*For the finals, the tournament director shall be responsible for making the decision, in case of inclement weather, whether or not the game will be played, or continued if play has started.

IV. TOURNAMENT PROCEDURE

1. No double headers are to be scheduled on a school day. Play downs, quarterfinals and semi-finals will be played on the field of the higher seeded team if the field is suitable. If the higher seeded team's field is unsuitable, the higher seeded team will have the right to find another suitable field presently not on the VPA unsuitable list, to play and notify the VPA by October 3. If they can't solidify another field, they go to the lower seeded field. To host a field hockey tournament game, the field must be played on a minimum of three (3) times. If both fields are unsuitable, the VPA will assign a neutral field. On a neutral field schools will share expenses. The championship field (UVM) cannot be used, or practiced on, during the tournament.

2. During play downs, quarterfinals, and semi-finals, when a game ends with the score tied, the teams will play UP TO TWO 10 MINUTE SUDDEN VICTORY, 7 V 7 OVERTIME
PERIODS. (Regular season 7 v 7 overtime rules will apply.) There will be a 5-minute
intermission between the game and first overtime period. If a second overtime is needed, there is to be a 2 minute intermission with the teams switching ends and the team NOT
getting the first ball possession will start with the ball. If the teams are still tied after the two sudden victory periods, the tie shall be broken with PENALTY STROKES. During the championship, two 5 minute sudden victory (7 vs. 7) will be played. In case of a tie, refer to 3d. and 3e below.

3. Penalty Strokes

a. There is to be a 5-minute intermission between the sudden victory overtimes and the start of the penalty strokes. The HOME team will call the coin toss and the winner will choose whether to attack or defend the goal. The officials shall choose which goal will be used during the penalty strokes.

b. Each team shall choose 5 players to take the penalty strokes and set the stroking order. If a player has been red carded during the game or overtime, she is ineligible for the strokes. If a player has been yellow carded with less than 5 minutes remaining in the second overtime period, she is ineligible for the strokes.

c. The teams will alternate taking the strokes in the order listed (1-5). If a player strokes out of order, that attempt is over and no goal (if scored) is awarded. (Red #3 strokes in place of  Red #2 and scores, the official shall rule no goal. Red # 2’s stroke is over and Red #3 will stroke in her correct order.)

d. The first set of strokes ARE NOT sudden victory, but if there is a numerical
impossibility for one team to overcome, the strokes are done and the game is ended. (The red team’s first three strokers make their shots but the blue team’s first three miss their strokes, it is impossible for the blue team to win.)

e. If the score is tied after the first set of strokes, there will be a 2-minute intermission and SUDDEN VICTORY PENALTY STROKES will be taken. The team not stroking first in
the first set shall stroke first in the second set. The strokers and/or order of strokers may be changed prior to the start of the second set. The team awarded more goals than their opponent, after an equal number of strokes have been taken, shall be declared the winner.
Only the coaches and remaining team members may be on the field behind the 25-yard line.

f. The teams shall move towards the sidelines, opening up a space in front of the goal area.

g. The adult scorekeeper should be on the field to assist with the recording of the order of the strokers and any goals scored.

h. If the score remains tied after the first set of sudden victory strokes, sets of 5 sudden
victory strokes with 2-minute intermissions between them will continue until there is a
winner. The teams shall alternate stroking first or defending the goal throughout the penalty stroke sets.

4. If the game is interrupted due to darkness during the overtime procedures,
the game will be resumed at the point of interruption on the next
available playing date.
5. In the championship game, if the score is tied after the regulation 60 minutes, up to two 5 minute sudden victory 7 v 7 overtime periods will be played. In case of a tie during the
championship penalty strokes will be used. Please refer to 3d and 3e under the tournament procedure.

6. The home team will pay the officials through the semi-finals (fee, plus mileage), unless a neutral site is used. If a neutral site is used, the two teams share expenses (officials' fees and mileage).

7. In any games through the semi-finals assigned by the VPA, it will be absolutely essential that an experienced, reliable, non-student adult statistician will act as scorer and be at the table at the mid stripe,  and an experienced, reliable non-student adult timer will be at the table at midfield. The home team will provide the timer, official scorer, clock, stopwatch and game balls.

8. At the finals, the officials will be responsible for a scorer and timer. These officials are to wear identifying pinnies or colored bib.

9. There are to be no spectators allowed in the general goal or bench area while the game is going on. The officials will have the right, and must stop the game, until school authorities clear the goal area.

10. The maximum size of the squad will include 22 eligible players, plus
manager, plus coach and an assistant coach for a total of 25.


UNSUITABLE TOURNAMENT FIELDS

Any fields using multiple lines are considered unsuitable unless the non-field hockey lines are greened out. These schools' fields are currently unsuitable for tournament play and they have until September 17, 2007 to inform the VPA office that changes have been made to bring the field up to tournament standards (See Rules, 1B):
Brattleboro
MSJ
Rice

A representative of the VPA Field Hockey Committee will meet with the Athletic Director and Varsity Field Hockey Coach to inspect the field. If the field remains on the list as unsuitable, be aware of #1 Under Section IV, Tournament Procedure.


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