01USA Hockey Coaching Ethics §2.1
Coaches & evaluators cannot score their own children
Any individual serving as an evaluator must recuse themselves from scoring players who share their last name, household, or direct family relationship. A club that allows a coach to score their own child is in immediate violation. This is the single most common violation we see in Western Pennsylvania tryouts.
How to checkCross-reference the evaluator list with the roster posted after tryouts. If any last name matches — screenshot both and start a claim.
02WHA Manual §4, Mid-Am District Policy
Neutral, outside evaluators must be present at every session
At least one evaluator at every session must be someone with no coaching, board, or family relationship to any player. "We only had our own coaches" is a violation on its face.
How to checkAsk your club (in writing) for the list of evaluators and their affiliations. No written answer = violation.
03USA Hockey Coaching Ethics
Evaluation criteria must be published BEFORE tryouts
Parents and players are entitled to know exactly what they will be scored on — skating, passing, positional play, etc., with weights — before the first skate. Hidden criteria are not legal criteria.
How to checkCheck your club website and the tryout info packet. No rubric published = violation.
04PA Nonprofit Corporation Law §5508
Written evaluation scores must be produced on request
Clubs are Pennsylvania nonprofit corporations. Members (parents) have a statutory right to inspect written records — including evaluation scoresheets — upon written request.
How to checkSend the formal request letter (Fair Ice generates this). If they refuse or produce nothing, that refusal IS the case.
05USA Hockey Coaching Ethics Code / Mid-Am Governance Policies
Separate makeup evaluation sessions are prohibited for all registered coaches
No coach may arrange a private or separate evaluation session for a specific player after official tryouts conclude. USA Hockey defines a "Tryout" as any process on or off-ice that evaluates a player for team placement — including private sessions, skills clinics, or open skates. The Coaching Ethics Code requires equal, objective evaluation of all participants. Mid-Am Section II.C requires coaches to place player development first in all decisions. Important: The "no makeup tryout" language on Mid-Am's Development Tryouts page specifically governs national/district camp selection (14U+, Tier I). The applicable standard for ALL age groups is the USA Hockey Coaching Ethics Code requirement for equal, objective evaluation.
How to checkDid a player who missed official sessions receive a private evaluation? If the coach communicated this in writing — text, email, or message — screenshot it. That document is your case.
06PAHL Roster Rules
No more than 25% of any roster may be play-up players
Only one-quarter of the final roster may be skaters playing above their birth-year division. Rosters exceeding this cap are non-compliant and subject to review.
How to checkCheck each player’s birth year against the division. More than 25% playing up = violation.
07WHA Manual
Parents must be in the stands — not at ice level
During evaluations, parents must be seated in the stands only. Not on the bench, not at the glass, not in the locker room. Clubs that allow board members or coaches’ families closer access violate this.
How to checkPhotograph who was at ice level or on the bench during evaluations.
08League Rules Section III.3.A
No tryout activities until after all Western PA playoff tournaments
Clubs may not hold tryout skates, evaluations, or "optional clinics" that function as tryouts while playoff tournaments are still in progress.
How to checkCross-reference your club’s tryout schedule with your league playoff bracket.
Frequent Questions
Who enforces these rules?
PAHL at the league level, Mid-Am District above that, and USA Hockey at the national level. Your club must comply with all three simultaneously.
Do I need a lawyer?
No — Fair Ice is designed to work without one. The letters we generate cite PA Nonprofit Law §5508, which compels clubs to respond in writing. Most cases resolve at that stage.
Will my child be retaliated against?
Fair Ice is anonymous through the portal. Clubs can’t retaliate against someone they can’t identify. Once you’re ready to sign the formal letter, that’s a decision you control.
What does the $8/month subscription include?
Everything: AI Rule Bot, Letter Assist, Appeal Assist, Rule Evaluator, Situational Analysis, Stat/Form Analysis, Escalation Steps, plus up to 5 children on one account and a per-child My Organization page. Cancel anytime. 10% of every subscription goes into the Family Assistance Fund.