Telford Tigers were yesterday, Monday 22nd October 2017, notified by the NIHL LMC that the away game on the 22nd October 2017 has been awarded to Blackburn Hawks as a 5-0 win due to a bench staffing violation.
A statement from the NIHL LMC reads “In the NIHL North 1 (Moralee) game between Blackburn Hawks and Telford Tigers on Sunday 22 October, the Tigers breached the IHUK Coaching Protocols by failing to have a non-playing Level 2 coach in charge of the team bench. As a result the match is awarded to Blackburn Hawks 5-0. The league table will be updated to reflect this. The IHUK Coaching Protocols can be found on the EIHA website under resources. Para 10.3 covers the minimum requirements for a league game in the UK.”
The NIHL Rules of Competition (1718 NIHL RoC FINAL PDF 2) clause 7.1 states “Bench management requirements as laid out in the EIHA Coaching Protocol Document”, clause 7.1.1 “Failure to comply with the above rule will result in games being awarded 5-0 to the non-offending team. Failure by both teams will result in the game being awarded 0-0, with neither team being awarded points.” and clause 8.4.2. states that “Teams undertake to supply sufficient players and coaching staff for all league games, including games in the play offs and Cup competitions. Teams are required to have a non-playing coach in charge of the bench for all games. If a player coach has to take over in charge of a bench he must cease playing in the game from that point.”
EIHA Coaching Protocols – 1st September (V2 amended 3rd October 2017) states in section 10.3: “Where teams have player coaches: A non-playing Level 2 coach (or above) must be in charge of the bench.”
Tigers provided three level 2 coaches for the bench, unfortunately as all iced during the course of the game, this is classed as a breach of the above rules and protocols and as such the NIHL LMC have awarded the game 5-0 to the non-offending team.
