Men's Division 1 game protocol: the 60-minute clock
Rule numbers: NCAA 82.2 NCAA 82.3 ACHA Manual Part Four (M1 Game Day Requirements, item 10)
ACHA Men's Division 1 teams must post a game protocol for the officials and the visiting team, using either the NCAA 82.2 pregame protocol or the ACHA's alternate 30-minute M1 protocol, with warm-ups on clean ice, a 15-minute warm-up and 12- or 15-minute intermissions. Under 82.2 the clock starts at 60:00 exactly one hour before the game. Officials take the ice at 39:00, captains meet the officials at 24:00, eligible players and starting lineups go to the official scorer at 15:00, and officials go back on at 8:00. At 5:00 the starting lineups are announced and the officials check each starting goalkeeper's throat strap.
- Clock
- Pregame clock: 60:00 countdown under 82.2.
Example
At an M1 home game the pregame clock reads 15:00. The officials should have the eligible players and starting lineups from both teams by now.
Common mistake: Arriving on the ice on the officials' own schedule instead of the posted protocol, or not checking the starting goalkeepers' throat straps.
Sources
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 82.2-82.3, p. 97 (PDF p. 100)
- ACHA Manual, 2026-27 Season (FINAL 8-10-2026), Part Four, Art. I, Game Day Requirements item 10, PDF p. 45
- ACHA Manual, 2026-27 Season (FINAL 8-10-2026), Part Four, Art. III, Sec. 2(B), PDF p. 50
Verified