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MYHA Participation Rule and Waiver Requirements

Instructions for Waivers

All players that live outside of Minnetonka School District 276 and open enroll into School District 276 (or another school located within the district's boundaries) need a waiver to play for MYHA. Contact your home association's Registrar to start the waiver process.

If your residence is located outside of School District 276 and you open enroll into School District 276 you may be restricted from making the top team at a level per Minnesota Hockey rules. Players must attend school in the Minnetonka School District for one full year before they are eligible to avoid this restriction. (This restriction does not apply to 9th graders).

If you live in School District 276 and are waiving out of MYHA, contact Mandy Whiteside at registrar@tonkahockey.org to start the waiver process to play in a different association.

If your player is not a United States citizen they will need to complete a Youth Player Transfer form in accordance with USA Hockey rules prior to playing a regular season game. A Youth Player Transfer form is required prior to every season. For more information and the form please go to the USA Hockey website under Youth Transfer Forms. The forms are submitted and completed through USA Hockey. 

 

Minnesota Hockey (MH) Participation Policy

A. PARTICIPATION POLICY - Minnesota Hockey (MH) is a community-based amateur hockey program. Members in good standing are to participate on teams from their local association (local affiliate) based on the residence of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). The boundaries of the geographical area served by each local association are determined by MH and recorded in the Affiliate Agreements. In some circumstances, players may participate in another association by requesting a formal waiver from this policy. 

B. PARTICIPATION RULE.

1.  Players must register and participate with the association whose boundaries incorporate the player’s residence. To participate on any other association's team, the player must obtain a waiver.

a. All waiver requests must be submitted on a current Waiver Form provided by MH.

b. The Waiver Form must indicate the reason for the waiver request. (school attendance, opportunity to play on travel team, co-op team, etc.).

c. The releasing and receiving associations may add conditions or restrictions to the waiver. Conditions must be indicated on the Waiver Form and initialed by all parties executing the waiver.

d. Waiver Forms must be signed by the releasing and receiving association presidents before being submitted to the District Director for approval. If the releasing and receiving associations are in two districts, the waiver form must be submitted to both District Directors for approval.

e. Non-Minnesota residents desiring to play for MH must follow the Inter-Affiliate Transfer Protocol.

2. Definitions

Residence – the legal dwelling of the player’s parent(s) or court-appointed legal guardian(s) having custody of the player as substantiated by sufficient evidence to establish the location of the legal dwelling such as a valid driver’s license, lease, property tax bill, utility bills or other persuasive evidence as to where the player lives. A pending relocation is not considered to be the player’s residence unless the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have completed the purchase or executed a lease and moved into the new residence. In the case of foreign exchange students, the place the player resides while in the USA shall be considered the player’s residence. Players moving after tryouts begin can be assigned to teams on a space-available basis.

Association of Residence – the association whose boundaries include the player's residence.

Association of School Attendance – the association whose boundaries include the location of the school the player attends.

Note: A player attending a public school that encompasses the boundaries of more than one youth hockey association has the following options:

• Participate in his/her Association of Residence

• If the player doesn't live within the boundaries of the associations the school feeds, the player may pick one of the associations as his/her Association of School Attendance on a one-time-choice basis.

Home Association – either the Association of Residence, or the Association of School Attendance to which a player has been properly waived and continues to attend school. School – the primary educational provider of the student to achieve progress towards a high school diploma, the equivalent of a high school diploma, or any post high school degree. If the provider does not instruct the student at a physical facility, the location of the school shall be the student’s primary residence. High school students taking post high school classes shall not be deemed to be attending school at the post high school provider’s location.

Mandatory Waiver – neither the releasing nor the accepting association can decline to approve a school attendance waiver that meets the requirements as described below.

Discretionary Waiver – an agreement between associations to transfer a player for reasons as agreed to by the affected associations and District Director(s). Any of the approving parties have the authority to reject such a waiver.

3. A Mandatory Waiver shall be granted to any player in good standing, without conditions except as described below, who wishes to participate in the MH association whose boundaries incorporate the school in which the player is enrolled and is attending, as follows:

a. For schools with multiple campuses, the "main" campus shall prevail unless agreed otherwise by the affected District Director(s).

b. Players waived based on school choice shall be deemed to be members of their Association of School Attendance and shall have full rights and privileges accorded to all members of that association, including voting rights. (Exception – see "Changing Schools" below.)

c. Players receiving a waiver based on school attendance shall register with their Association of School Attendance for as long as they are qualified students of that school (including the first year). If they stop attending school in that association's area, they revert back to their Association of Residence for participation or waiver.

4. Players waived for non-school attendance reasons are subject to the receiving assn's policies in accordance with MH governing documents (may not be eligible for highest team, may be assigned to 25 lowest team, etc.). They shall remain members of their Home Association, not the assn. they were waived to, with full rights and privileges accorded to all assn. members including voting rights.

5. Changing Schools

a. Players not living in the attendance area of the school they attend shall elect one of the following:

1. Have full eligibility to compete at any division in their Association of Residence; or

2. Be eligible at all except the highest division in their Association of School Attendance for one year beginning with the first day of attendance in the new school, with full eligibility thereafter.

Exception: Players enrolling in 9th Grade for the first time are immediately eligible to compete at any division in their Association of School Attendance.

b. Players who have participated in their Association of School Attendance and desire to return to their Association of Residence without a related change of school shall elect one of the following: 1. Have full eligibility to compete at any division with their Association of School Attendance for one (1) year beginning with the first day that they notify in writing both involved associations of their intent to return to their Association of Residence; or

2. Be eligible at all except the highest division in their Association of Residence for one (1) year beginning with the first day that they notify in writing both involved associations of their intent to return to their Association of Residence.

c. For purposes of this rule, a team that is eligible to participate in "AA" level playoffs at the end of the season will be considered a higher division than a team within the same association that is eligible to participate in "A" level playoffs.

d. Submit unusual circumstances to the District Director for a decision, which is final.

6. A waiver must be obtained before a player can participate outside of their Home Association. During a season, a player that registers or participates with one assn. can't participate with any other assn. without a waiver. Trying out in an association is considered participation. A player that participates without a necessary waiver is considered an ineligible player. Refer to the Section entitled Eligibility Provisions.

7. Players denied a waiver or given a waiver with conditions by their Home Association may appeal in writing to the Home Association's District Director. The Director's decision is final.

8. Players having dual citizenship, one being the United States, must conform to this participation rule.