South Jersey Middle School Sports League Field Hockey Regulations- 2026
Rich D’Alessandro, Commissioner
1. Regular season shall consist of 10 games.
2. The regular season will end on Friday October 16, 2026. All 10 games should be played by this date. Any rainouts should be made up on off days. Please do not reschedule beyond 10/16 without commissioner’s directive.
3. Playoff Dates are tentatively October 20 and October 22.
4. The Two Divisions of the SJMSL:
North South
Beck Glen Landing
Carusi Lewis
Rosa Mullen
Voorhees Deptford
5. The playoffs will consist of 4 teams. The winners of each of the two divisions will be seeded #1 and #2 and play the second place team from the other division in the semifinals at the division winner’s home field. However, if the second place team in one division does not have at least a .500 winning percentage and the third place team in the other division has a better than .500 winning percentage, the third place team will be seeded fourth and the second place team with a below .500 winning percentage will be eliminated from the playoffs. Also, if the second place team from one division and third place team from the other division have the same record. The final playoff spot will awarded to the team that won the head-to-head match-up. If the two teams tied, the second place team will be awarded the final playoff spot. The winners of the semifinal games will play each other at the home field of the remaining team with the best seed. Tiebreakers will be used to determine who is the host.
6. Tiebreakers will be used when winning percentages are the same.
7. Tiebreakers are:
a. head to head among all tied teams
b. best winning percentage in division games
c. best winning percentage versus division winners
d. best winning percentage versus other playoff teams
e. fewest goals allowed in division games
f. fewest goals allowed in all games
g. coin toss (if more than two teams, odd man is eliminated)
8. South Jersey Middle School Sports League Website:
https://sites.google.com/chclc.org/sjsl-fall/home
Find standings, schedules, results, news, etc. at anytime on the web.
9. Score Reporting: Both coaches should text Rich D’Alessandro the game score to 215-287-5022. Please specify which sport and send it to me as soon as possible after your game is finished. Also, please email reschedule dates for rainouts.
10. All games will consist of two- 25-minute halves with running clock. If a DIVISION game is still tied, “strokes” will determine the winner. “Strokes” consists of rounds of alternating attempts. If still tied after 1 round of 5 attempts per team, a sudden victory begins with a new player commences and so on until a winner is determined. The winning team is awarded a goal for scoring/goals against purposes and the final score is listed as such (i.e. 2-2 tie broken by “strokes” is listed as a 3-2 win.) IF “STROKES” IS INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY PLAYED IN ANY NON-DIVISION GAME, THE RESULT OF THE GAME SHALL COUNT AS A TIE FOR LEAGUE STANDING PURPOSES.
11. For playoff games that are tied after regulation, one (1) ten (10) minute 7 v 7 sudden victory overtime period will be played prior to the strokes tiebreaker described in #10.
12. League games take precedent over any non-league games that schools
have scheduled.
13. There will be no formal protest to the commissioner/league. All decisions will be determined on the field by the officials. Coaches may submit rules discrepancies or concerns to league for discussion at the annual meeting with a goal of clarification for the future.
14. The commissioner or his designee has complete authority to make decisions deemed to be in the “best interest of the league” in regard to any matters not specifically covered in these rules.
15. Weather shortened games are official if the second half has started and the official(s) declare the game cannot be continued. The team leading the game shall be declared winner. If the game is tied, it will be considered suspended and restarted from the spot of stoppage at the next mutually agreed upon date if a division game. If it is a non-division game, it will be declared a tie. If the second half has not begun, the game should be restarted from the beginning and no goals allowed count. PLAYOFF GAMES MUST BE PLAYED COMPLETELY.
16. All home schools are required to have an adult staff member who is not coaching be “on duty” to ensure the comfort and safety of players and spectators.
17. All NJSIAA eligibility rules apply and players must be on the team roster by September 30 to be eligible to play in the playoffs.
18. The league collects no fees. Therefore, all away teams are responsible for their transportation costs. All home teams are responsible for cost of official(s). A league trophy will be given to the league champion to hold for one school year. Any other recognition of team success are the sole responsibility of the schools as the league does NOT provide individual awards.
19. All high school rules of field hockey game play apply unless otherwise addressed in these rules.