US Inline Roller Hockey Rules

The rink must be as near as possible to 200 by 100 ft (61 by 30 m), and the minimum size is 165 by 65 ft (50 by 20 m). The rink can be wood, cement, ashphalt or plastic surface. The layout is similar to ice hockey, with two goals centred 12 feet (3.7 m) from the far ends of each court; four faceoff circles 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter; and one red centre line, 12 inches (305 mm) wide. The goals are 4 feet (1.2 m) high by 6 feet (1.8 m) wide.

The puck is plastic, 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter and weighs between 3.5 and 6.5 ounces (99 and 184 g).

There must be two referees and an additional linesman may also be used. Players can be sent to a penalty box for minor penalties (2 minutes), major penalties (5 minutes), and for misconduct (10 minutes). In this situation, the team that is penalised must play shorthanded and a power play exists for the other team. However, there must always be at least three players on the penalised team.

The game is four quarters of twelve minutes' duration. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, there is a shootout.

A goal is scored when a player shoots the puck into the net so that it crosses the goal line completely.

Collegiate Roller Hockey

The collegiate game is played with slightly different rules. In the 1990s, the Collegiate Roller Hockey League began the first attempt at a united American scholastic roller hockey league. The league was restructured into its current form and renamed the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association.

With eight regions and nearly 200 teams, the NCRHA is one of the largest hockey orginazations in the world. National championships are held every year with championships being awarded in three divisions determined by school size, and one B division. Rule changes in the college game include three periods of 12 minutes and no overtime.

College roller hockey uses a six ounce puck that glides on plastic or teflon coated rollers and is most often played on a plastic tile surface known as SportCourt. The penalty structure is expanded to allow for game misconduct penalties and mandatory suspensions assesed for particularly violent actions. Rink dimensions are closer to NHL regulation than in roller hockey.