TOURNAMENT RULES

l rosters are FROZEN the first day of tournament, which is FEBRUARY 27, 2025 at 8:00am.
 

*** Teams must bring 2 sets of jerseys.  
 
GAME FORMAT:
 - Pre-game Warm up: 1½ minutes
 - (3) Seven Minute Periods with stopped time
 - No break in between periods
 - Referees have been instructed to drop the puck immediately
 - USA Hockey Rules Apply
 

PENALTIES:
- Minor Penalty - 1 minute
- Major Penalty - 5 minutes + DQ from game
- Misconduct Penalty - 10 minutes + Suspension from next game
 - Upon discretion of the tournament directors
- Fighting: Game and tournament disqualification
 - Any player charged with the infraction of intent to injure will be dealt with severely. 
  - Any player that decides to fight in a game  where his team is getting eliminated will be suspended the following  year for the first game.  If there are 2 or more fights at the end of a  game where your team is getting eliminated your entire team will be  suspended the next year. 
 

TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC RULES:
-  No time outs during preliminary games
-  No checking
-  5 minute Sudden Death 4 on 4 OT (Except Consolation Game, goes directly to 3 man shootout)
-  No slapshots EVER –  Stick below knee at all times or faceoff goes ‘All the way down’ in own  end.  No slap shots to clear the puck out of the zone. 
- Blue Line Icing
- There must be 5 skaters and a goalie to start the game
- No team pictures on ice before or after game (Sorry, it’s a tight schedule!)
- No A-Team Players...A-team player is guy that dresses in big game vs NYPD.
     - Some guys on A-team roster are on the practice squad and do not play in the big game vs NYPD at UBS Arena on 4/20.  These guys are eligible to play.
- A-Team Alumni can score as many goals as they score...no more 1 goal rule.
 

***JOB ID’s REQUIRED at Check- In***
 

FORFEITS & LOSING YOUR MONEY: 

- If you do not have 5 players and a goalie on the ice at starting time, you forfeit, and your $250 forfeit fee will go to the opposing team.
- If you miss both games, $250 forfeit fees will go to both opposing teams and be suspended the following year.  If you don't have forfeit checks and refuse to pay the forfeit fee, you will be suspended for 3 years or possibly more at the discretion of the Director and KOTI Committee.
- Have team at the rink extra early. 

- If you have an early game do not work the night before…get a MX off.

- If you have a late day game don’t work the day tour…get a MX off.

- Traffic sucks everywhere and you won’t make the game and we will not wait for you. 

- Your first game will start as scheduled! In the parking lot at scheduled starting time does not count. 
 

Do not enter the parking lot at start time. Our advice is to be in the rink 1 hour before scheduled start time.
 

All players need to check-in, & show FDNY ID. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PLAY? 

- IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ELIGIBILITY- CALL US BEFORE YOU MAKE THE POOR GUY DRIVE ALL THE WAY THERE – ONLY TO HAVE US KNOCK HIM.

- Just because a player drives 2+ hours to get there, doesn’t mean they can play!

- Player must be assigned to your house, or UFO. Even if players are late for the game they will not be allowed to check in unless they have their JOB ID.
- All rosters will be checked against official DISCO rosters and officer assignment sheets that we obtain.
- It is your responsibility, not ours, to have an accurate account of the players on your team.  

- Many teams have been caught with ‘discrepancies’ and they were DQ'd.  Ignorance is not an excuse.
- The number of players on each bench will be counted and noted during the game. If there is a discrepancy - it could mean forfeit and expulsion from the tournament, as well as suspension from next year’s tournament.
 

SINGLE HOUSE (RULE #65):
A single company can team up with any single company in the 5 boroughs.   There will now be a three-year minimum of playing together.  This rule will start for the 2020 tournament.  When you team up with a company you must play with that company for a minimum of three years before you can switch to another company.  This rule will start 2022.
 

Notes:
1. Deputy Chiefs must play with the house where their quarters are located, unless that unit does not have a team. In that event, the DC must play with the unit quartered with the Battalion from which they were promoted. If that unit does not have a team, they must play with the unit where they were assigned as Captain. 
 

2. Battalion Chiefs must play with the house where their quarters are located, unless that unit does not have a team. In that event, the BC must play with the unit where they were assigned as Captain.  Captain in a house without a team must play with the house they were a Lieutenant.
 

3.  Assigned Captain in a house without a team must play with the house they were an assigned Lieutenant. 
 

4. Retired Officers must play with the house from which they retired. If that house does not have a team, they are allowed to play with the house of their next lesser rank, back to firefighter following the above guidelines. 
 

5. Assigned Lieutenants must play for the house where they are assigned. Officers that aren’t UFO, meaning only SA officers, must play with house they were promoted from. 
 

6. UFO Officers must play in the house they are UFO at.  If they do not have a team, you, cannot play. 
 

7. Short term details (1-year details) must play where they are permanently assigned.  The exception is the battalion aide helping out the battalion if they are from another house in that battalion.  Battalion aide must play for the house they are assigned to.
 

8. Firefighters that left the FDNY to join another agency (ie, Sanitation, NYPD, SCPD, etc.) are no longer eligible to play in this tournament, unless you retired with 20+ years.
 

9.  Marine Unit members must play with the Marine Unit if you are assigned there or on a long term, detail, NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!  Summer details do not count.
 

10. Fire Marshal's must play with the Fire Marshal's team, NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

11. Probation Firefighters and New Rotation Program - Any Probies assigned after the date of 3/1/2023 are not eligible for King of the Ice 2023.  New Rotation details are to play with the house they were assigned out of Proby School.

12. Promotions and Transfers - Any Promotions or Transfers (Fireman or Officers) are only eligible to play for the house they were assigned as of 2/29/2024.

- It is the entire team’s responsibility to maintain the integrity for your firehouse. There is a list of teams that have been caught & suspended.

- Please keep it on the level and don’t make us get involved. It is your tournament, not ours.
 

- THE BOTTOM LINE: The tournament directors will resolve all rules and/or conflicts and their decision is final.
 

WHO MAKES THE PLAYOFFS?
- Days of the Preliminary Games are divided into brackets of 4 teams.

- Win both round robin games and you are playoff bound. 24 teams will advance to the playoffs on March 25th and 26th.

- Playoff dates and start times will be posted at the rink so that all teams will know when their next game is scheduled. 

PLAYOFFS:
The playoff format will be the same with the following exceptions:

- One Time Out allowed per team, per game.
-  At the end of regulation with a tied score there will be a 5-minute sudden death overtime of 4 on 4.
-  In the even there is still no winner at the end of overtime, there will be a 3-man shootout to determine the winner.
- A-Team Alumni can be used in all shootouts, even if they have already scored in that game.
 

SEMI-FINAL PLAYOFF ROUND:

- Six teams will compete on Thursday, March 30th to see which two teams will play for the final game on that same day. 

- These six teams will be seeded by your second playoff game, which is worth 5 points:

- 2 POINTS FOR WIN

- 1 POINT FOR EVERY PERIOD WON

- HALF POINT FOR PERIOD TIED

- TIE BREAKERS:

  1. MOST POINTS

  2. LEAST GOALS ALLOWED

  3. MOST, NUMBER OF SHUT - OUT PERIODS

  4. MOST, NUMBER OF WINNING PERIODS

  5. +/- (NOT TO EXCEED 5 PER GAME)

  6. LEAST NUMBER OF PENALTY MINUTES

  7. IF NECESSARY, A COIN TOSS.

- TOP TWO SEEDS WILL RECEIVE A BYE.

- #3 SEED WILL PLAY #6 SEED.

- #4 SEED WILL PLAY THE #5 SEED.
- #1 SEED WILL PLAY THE LOWER OF THE REMAINING TEAMS.
- #2 SEED WILL PLAY THE HIGHER OF THE REMAINING TEAMS.
- REMAINING TEAMS WILL PLAY FOR CHAMPIONSHIP.
 

FINAL - THE KING OF THE ICE GAME:
- Final will be played at 3:00pm on March 30...same day as semi-final.
- There will be three 7 minute periods with stop time.
-  One time out per team.
-  If, at the end of regulation, the score is tied there will be a 5 minute sudden death overtime period of 4 on 4.
-  If, at the end of 4 on 4 overtime, the score is tied there will be a 5 minute sudden death overtime periods of 3 on 3, until someone scores. 

ANY QUESTION...PLEASE EMAIL
FRANK HEAL at FDNYkingoftheic@gmail.com@GMAIL.COM