For Levels With Two Teams:

• Best-of-3 series
• All games tied after regulation will play one, 5:00 minute sudden-death 4v4 overtime period
• Any game still tied after overtime will proceed to a shootout
• Shootout will follow IIHF format:
  • Three different shooters per team
  • If still tied, sudden death round-by-round shootout
  • Shooters may be reused after first three rounds as often as desired

For Levels With Three Or Four Teams:

• Each team plays prelim games against all other teams
• Top two seeds advance to one-game championship
• All prelim games end in tie – no overtime
• Ties broken as follows:
  • Head-to-head
  • Buffalo 5-point
    • Each period is worth 1 point, each game is worth 2 points
    • All periods or games tied are split (0.5 points for tied period, 1 point for tied game)
  • Best goal differential
  • Fewest goals against
  • Fewest penalty minutes
  • Coin flip
• For three-way ties, proceed with tiebreakers until one team is separated at any point
• If two teams remain tied at that point, return to first tiebreaker and repeat the process
• Championship game overtime follows format outlined in two-team breakdown above

For Levels With Five Or More Teams:

• Each team plays two prelim games
• Top four seeds advance to semifinals
• All prelim games end in tie – no overtime
• Ties broken as follows:
  • Head-to-head
  • Buffalo 5-point
    • Each period is worth 1 point, each game is worth 2 points
    • All periods or games tied are split (0.5 points for tied period, 1 point for tied game)
  • Best goal differential
  • Fewest goals against
  • Fewest penalty minutes
  • Coin flip
• For three-way ties, proceed with tiebreakers until one team is separated at any point
• If two teams remain tied at that point, return to first tiebreaker and repeat the process
• Championship game overtime follows format outlined in two-team breakdown above