The game count is in place to provide a proper balance between competition and also factors into a team's eligibility to participate in their league or in the MAHA State and National Tournament.
Individual Player Game Count
National Bound Teams: Player must participate in 10 USA Sanctioned games before Feb. 1st or before the first game of District Playoffs with their team.
Non-National bound teams: Individual players need to play in 7 games before Feb. 1st or before the first game of District Playoffs with their team.
Team Game Counts
National Bound teams: must play at least 17 games in its classification, category and division before the earliest of Feb. 1st or before the regularly scheduled first game of District Playoffs
Girls Classification and Non-National bound teams: must play at least 14 games in the classification, category and division before the earliest of Feb. 1st or before the regularly scheduled first game of District Playoffs.
National Bound Classifications - Boys 14U Bantam AA and older; Girls Tier 2 14U and older
ALL games played in MGHL, including playoffs, are included in the game count
ALL scrimmages with a referee are included in the game count
All Tournament games shall count four (4) games maximum (10u and older), regardless of the actual number of games played
District, State, and National games do not apply to the maximum game count.
The following game counts shall be adhered to by players and teams in the classification in which they participate or roster.
| Age | AAA|Tier I | AA|Tier II | B & BB|Tier III |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10U | 50 | 45 | 40 |
| 12U | 55 | 55 | 40 |
| 14U | 60 | 60 | 45 |
| 16U | 65 | 65 | 50 |
| 19U | 65 | 65 | 55 |
Girl's hockey has no in-out of district limitations, but you cannot have more than three (3) players who reside outside of the state.
Beginning in the 2018-2019 season, no player 12 years of age or younger (as defined in the age classification chart for the current season) is eligible to play on a team intending or declared to compete in the District or National Championships or playoffs leading thereto except as follows:
No more than 3 players that are 12 years of age (as defined in the age classification chart for the current season) to be Rostered on a girls 14u Tier II team intending or declared to compete in the District or National Championships or playoffs Leading there to, if the Affiliate finds all of the following circumstances apply:
The younger player(s) are needed to field a team with a roster size recommended by the ADM for the 14U age classification or there is not an age appropriate 12U girls team available in the local geographic area and the players that are requesting to play up are not out-of-affiliate players.
From page 30/31 of the MAHA By-Laws Section V Girls Age & Division Classifications, Section B, # 1(a) and # 5
A team cannot have more than three (3) out of state or import players (example: 1 import + 2 out of State = Maximum number allowed). An import player is an out of state player that lives in Michigan with a Michigan address whose parents have assigned guardianship to a family in Michigan. Import players must produce documentation from school/district they are attending.
From page 31 of the MAHA By-Laws Section V Girls Age & Division Classifications, Section B, #6
10. Girls Rostering Exception
a. Female players (ages 19 & under) may roster either with a youth team or with a girls’ team by following the rostering procedures for that classification. Additionally, under the circumstances below a female player may petition to dual roster:
i. When the female player’s intent is to play for her youth team but would also like to participate with a rostered girls’ team for tournament play (limited to two tournaments per season up to 12/31 of the current season, excluding a State tournament). A female player who is on a youth Tier II primary (travel) roster cannot dual roster on a Tier III girls team for 2 tournaments. Female players who wish to dual roster under this condition must request permission to roster with the girl’s team by notifying the Vice President of Girls/Women in writing and provide a letter of support from the coach of her youth team and the coach of the girl’s team prior to the request being considered by the MAHA Girls/Women Committee. The committee’s written approval must be presented to the District Associate Registrar(s) at the time of rostering on the girl’s team. All games played by the female player in the aforementioned circumstances will be included in the total game count as it applies to all Youth classifications.
ii. A female player playing on a Youth Tier III team may dual roster on a girl’s Tier III team within the same Association. In the absence of a girls team in their Youth B team Association a female player may roster on a girls Tier III team that is offered in another local Association. Under these circumstances the female player is limited to 10 games on the girls team and the games played will be included in the game count as it applies for all Youth classifications. These games shall not include State playoffs.
iii. A female player registered on a Girls Tier III team in an Association that has two or more such teams at an age level may also roster on a second Girls Recreational “Development” team from the same Association. The Development team must be comprised only of players from the Girls Tier III teams in the Association and the team shall not be formed by a tryout process. The Development team is limited to a maximum of 20 games and the games played will be included in the game count as it applies to all girls classifications. (b) Players who wish to dual roster under the above conditions must notify the Girls’/Women’s Vice President in writing and provide a letter of support from both the youth team coach and the girls’ team coach prior to the request getting consideration by the MAHA Women’s Committee. Players must request dual rostering permission before rostering with their second team. The dual rostered player must present the District Associate Registrar(s) with the Committee’s written approval at the time of her registration.
From page 31 of the MAHA By-Laws Section V Girls Age & Division Classifications, Girls 10U-19U Tier II #10
8. Girls Rostering Exception
Female players (ages 19 & under) may roster either with a youth team or with a girls’ team by following the rostering procedures for that classification. Additionally, under the circumstances below a female player may petition to dual roster:
a. When the female player’s intent is to play for her youth team but would also like to participate with a rostered girls’ team for tournament play (limited to two tournaments per season prior to December 31). Female players who wish to dual roster under this condition must request permission to roster with the girl’s team by notifying the Vice-President of Girls/Women in writing and provide a letter of support from the coach of her youth team and the coach of the girl’s team prior to the request being considered by the MAHA Girls/Women Committee. The committee’s written approval must be presented to the District Associate Registrar(s) at the time of rostering on the girl’s team. All games played by the female player in the aforementioned circumstances will be included in the total game count as it applies to all Youth classifications.
b. A female player playing on a Youth Tier III team may dual roster on a girl’s Tier IIIteam within the same Association. In the absence of a girls team in their Youth Association a female player may roster on a girls Tier III team that is offered in another local Association. Under these circumstances the female player is limited to 10 games on the girls team and the games played will be included in the game count as it applies for all Youth classifications. These games shall not include State playoffs.
c. A female player registered on a Girls Tier III team in an Association that has two or more such teams at an age level may also roster on a second Girls Recreational “Development” team from the same Association. The Development team must be comprised only of players from the Girls Tier III teams in the Association and the team shall not be formed by a tryout process. The Development team is limited to a maximum of 20 games and the games played will be included in the game count as it applies to all girls classifications.
(d) Players who wish to dual roster under the above conditions must notify the Girls’/Women’s Vice President in writing and provide a letter of support from both the youth team coach and the girls’ team coach prior to the request getting consideration by the MAHA Women’s Committee. Players must request dual rostering permission before rostering with their second team. The dual rostered player must present the District Associate Registrar(s) with the Committee’s written approval at the time of her registration.
From page 32 of the MAHA By-Laws Section V Girls Age & Division Classifications, Girls 10U-19U Tier III #8
In the event of an injured goalie, a team may pick up a substitute goalie from within its own association or District if it does not already have a spare goalie registered.
For a non-national bound category, the substitute goalie must be registered in the current season on a team of equal or lower age classification and equal or lower team classification.
For the national bound category, the substitute goalie must be registered in the current season on a lower classification team.
A substitute goalie, under such circumstances, may be used only in the case of an injury to the regular goalie. If a team elects this method for a substitute goalie, the team may have only 19 players registered at any time so as not to exceed the maximum number of players allowed.