End of the season Tournament seeding & Tie breaker rules

**Understanding Points and Seeding in Our League**

We’re excited to present the points system that will guide our league standings this season! Teams will earn points for every game played, encouraging them to make up any missed games and complete their schedules. Here’s how it works:

 **Win:** 2 points
 **Tie:** 1 point
 **Loss:** 0 points

**Seeding Criteria:**
1. **Total Hockey Points:** The team with the highest points secures the top seed.
2. **Head-to-Head:** If teams are tied on points, we’ll look at their match-up to see who came out on top.
3. **Capped Run Differential (+/- 5):** To promote sportsmanship, no team can earn more than a +5 in the standings for winning by over 5 runs. For example, if a team wins 15-2, it’s recorded as +5 for the winners and -5 for the losers.
4. **Coin Flip:** If all else fails, a coin flip will decide.

The capped run differential aims to keep games competitive and fun, ensuring teams are motivated to fight back for a tie rather than run up the score on opponents.

Here’s how we envision the conclusion of games:

**Game 1:** The last inning begins with the home team leading 7-4. If the away team doesn’t score, the game ends there, and the final score is recorded as 7-4. If both teams agree, the home team can bat for extra reps, but if one team is ready to conclude, that’s the final call.

**Game 2:** The away team is up 9-5 and scores to make it 11-5. The game ends due to the 5-run rule, but coaches can choose to finish the inning if they wish. However, the official score will remain 11-5.

We’re committed to promoting a positive atmosphere and encouraging development throughout the season. Let’s make it a great one!