FAQs

• The following policies have been adopted by the District 4 council concerning associations and independent teams for the 2011/2012 season.

  New Associations: Per the MAHA Bylaws - "An association must have a demographic large enough to support it." The District 4 Council has defined the following:

  If 51% of the associations in District 4 did not have a waiting list for their house programs for most divisions for the previous season, there is not adequate demographics for a new association. 

  For the 2011/2012 season,
  there is not sufficient demographics for a new association within District 4.

  Independent Teams: There will be no independent teams approved for 2011/2012 season. A team has the right to appeal to the board by contacting the District 4 Director. Prep/JV teams are exempt from this policy.

  Independent Teams Associating with an Existing Association: Independent teams have been encouraged to affiliate with an existing association. Starting with the 2011/2012 season - these teams must play the majority (greater than 50%) of their home games on their association ice.  The association ice must be within District 4.  Teams that do not meet these criteria are not eligible for District 4 playoffs.  Associations may be subject to disciplinary action if an affiliated team does not meet these criteria.

• There are a lot of questions about the rule change concerning cross ice for U8 players.

• See this document for a compilation of questions answered by MAHA President George Atikinson. For the latest rule updates, see www.maha.org.

 

• I am coaching more than one team. Do I need to submit more than one Background Check?

  No, you only need to do ONE Background Check. You can make a copy of the confirmation form for each team.

   

• When can a team be rostered?

  Teams can begin rostering on August 15.

   

• When can a team begin playing games?

  The 2011/2012 season begins September 1. A team can not play games/scrimmages until they are fully rostered.

• How does the MAHA process work in regards to rule change proposals?

• Proposals for rule changes are submitted by December 15 to the Rules Committee Chairperson. At the Winter meeting, all proposals are read, and the Rules Committee makes a recommendation. A vote is taken. Any proposal that does not carry a majority of the Board Members voting at the Winter Meeting is rejected. Any proposal that does carry a majority is brought forward to the Summer meeting for final vote. A list of proposed rule changes and the result of the vote at the winter meeting is available a few days after the winter meeting at www.maha.org. For more information about MAHA bylaws click here.

 

What is the cell phone policy that I'm hearing about?

• Starting with 2010/2011 season, cell phones are not allowed in any locker room.

  With most kids having cell phones with cameras, there is a risk of inappropriate photos being taken and possibly being posted on the web.  Hopefully, by keeping the phones out of the locker rooms, this can be avoided. It is suggested that Associations prohibit any device that has a camera in the locker room.

• Suggestions - 1) leave them with their parents, 2) assign a parent to collect any phones that are brought into the rink and hold  them until the end of game/practice, 3) get a small bag and collect as players enter locker room.  They can be locked in locker room and returned as kids leave the locker room.

• How does the new rule governing independent teams effect Tier 1/2 teams?

  • There seem to be some teams that are trying to slip around the tougher enforcement taken against Tier 2 teams who have been rostering with too many out of district players in the past. This year an additional rule was passed at the summer meeting to plug existing holes in the language. All leagues require teams to be district and state eligible to participate. There are teams that are rostering as Tier 1 teams to avoid the out of district player requirement teams and then joining Tier 2 leagues. MAHA will not allow this to occur.

  • While a team may roster as an independent Tier 1 team and play an independent schedule with what ever teams they can schedule, a Tier 1 team can not join a Tier 2 league. That would be the equivalent of a Tier 2 team dropping down to House because they did not think they could compete at their declared level. If a team is rostered as a Tier 1 team, they must play in one of the recognized leagues below or play and independent schedule. They may not play in any other league.

  • The legitimate Tier 1 Leagues and Organizations are Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, Belle Tire, Compuware, Honey Baked, Little Caesars, Victory Honda, Northern Lights Hockey League, Capital Centre Pride, Marquette Electricians, Ojibwa Eagles, Soo Indians, West Michigan Hounds, North American Prospects Hockey League, Detroit Falcons, Lansing Capitals, Motor City Metal Jackets.

• Why do I have to give my social security number this year when I do my coaches background check?

To assure a thorough background check, a social security number is needed to do a national check.

• Where can I see the rule changes for the 2011 season?

  The rule changes will be posted at www.maha.org.