Professional Inline Hockey Association Pro Division

The Professional Inline Hockey Association Pro Division (PIHA Pro) is the highest division of the Professional Inline Hockey Association (PIHA), a league which operates an inline hockey league, of 15 franchised member clubs, all of which are located in the United States. The Founders Cup is awarded annually to the division playoff champion at the end of each season.

Game

Each Professional Inline Hockey Association Pro Division game is played between two teams and is 24 minutes long. The game is composed of two 12-minute periods with an intermission of two minutes between periods. At the end of the 24-minute regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time, overtime ensues. During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute, three-player on three-player sudden-death period, in which the first team to score a goal wins the game. If no team is able to score in the first overtime period, there is a second overtime of a three-minute, two-player on two-player sudden-death period. Previous to the 2008–09 season, if a game was still tied at the end of the first two overtime periods, the game would enter a two-minute, one-player on one-player, sudden-death period.

Beginning in the 2009 season, if the game is still tied at the end of both overtime periods, the game enters a shootout. One player for each team in turn take a penalty shot. The team which scores, while the other team does not, wins the game. If the game is still tied after the first shootout round, the shootout continues in the same manner. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one. Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.

Shootouts do not occur during the playoffs. In the playoffs, sudden-death 12-minute four-on-four periods are played until one team scores.

Inline hockey rink

Professional Inline Hockey Association games are played on a rectangular inline hockey rink with rounded corners surrounded by walls and Plexiglas. It measures 80 by 180 feet (24.38 by 54.86 meters). The minimum size is 65 by 165 feet (19.81 by 50.29 meters). The center line divides the floor in half into attacking and defensive zones. Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the floor, which is used to judge goals.

Rules

Main articles: Professional Inline Hockey Association rules

While the Professional Inline Hockey Association follows the general rules of inline hockey, it differs slightly from those used in international games organized by the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS) such as the World Championships. Infractions of the rules can lead to either the stoppage of play, or a penalty call for more serious infractions.

The main difference between PIHA and FIRS is how they differ in penalty rules:

Season structure

The Professional Inline Hockey Association Pro Division season is divided into an exhibition season, a regular season (from the second weekend in September through the first weekend of January) and a postseason (the Founders Cup playoffs). During the exhibition season, teams may play other teams from the PIHA. They may also compete against other clubs from other leagues. During the regular season, clubs play each other in a predefined schedule. The Founders Cup playoffs, which go from January to the end of February, is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win a series in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the Founders Cup champion.

In the regular season, with the current 15-team PIHA geographically split up into two conferences (one 8-team conference, and one 7-team conference), and each conference having two divisions of three or four teams apiece, each team plays 24 games. In the Eastern Conference, each team plays either; eight games at home, six games on the road and ten games at a neutral site; or six games at home, eight games on the road and ten games at a neutral site. Each team plays 14 games in its own geographic division—six games against one team and four games against the remaining two teams—and ten games against the remaining non-divisional intra-conference opponents—four games against one team and two games against the remaining three teams. In the Western Conference, each team plays all 24 games in its own geographic division—eight games each against each of their other divisional opponents in the Rocky Mountain Division and 12 games each against of their other divisional opponents in the Gateway Division.

The PIHA's regular season standings are based on a point system instead of winning percentages. Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation. The league's overall leader is awarded the Best Overall Record award.

The division regular season winner along with the next one or two teams in each division with the next highest number of points, for a total of two or three teams in each division, qualify for the playoffs. The division winners are seeded one, and the next one or two teams with the best records in the division are seeded two through three/four. The Founders Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament, where the teams are grouped in pairs to play a series, with the winners moving on to the next round. The first round of the playoffs, or division semi-finals, consists of the division regular season winner receiving a bye to the next round, and if there are three teams, the second playing the third in a best-of-three series. In the second round of the playoffs, or division finals, the division regular season winner, seeded first, playing the remaining team in the division, or the second seeded team if they received a bye, in a best-of-three series. In the third round, the conference finals, the two remaining teams in each conference play each other, with the conference champions proceeding to the Founders Cup Finals.

In the first two rounds the higher-ranked team is awarded home-floor advantage. All of the three games are played at this team's home venue—or a league determined neutral location. In the conference finals and Founders Cup Finals, the neutral location is determined by the league.

Teams

The Professional Inline Hockey Association Pro Division originated in 2002 with eight American teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations, the PIHA currently consists of 15 teams, all of which are based in the United States. The Pennsylvania Typhoon are the most successful franchise with three Founders Cup championships (all as the Tour/York Typhoon). The next most successful active franchise is the Colorado Springs Thunder with two Founders Cup championships. The Philadelphia Growl, also with two championships, are the most successful defunct franchise. The longest streak of winning the Founders Cup in consecutive years is three, held by the Tour Typhoon from 2002–2004; the Philadelphia Growl (2005–2006) and the Colorado Springs Thunder (2009–2010) have two-year championship streaks.

The current league organization divides the teams into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference has two divisions, and each division has three or four teams. The current organization has roots in the 2012–13 season when a league expansion added two divisions to bring the total number of divisions to four; the current team alignment began with the 2012–12 season when the league expanded with several teams.

List of teams

Trophies and awards

The Professional Inline Hockey Association presents a number of trophies each year. The most prestigious team award is the Founders Cup, which is awarded to the league champion at the end of the Founders Cup playoffs. The team that has the most points in the regular season is awarded the Best Overall Record trophy. There is also a trophy awarded to the players based on their statistics during the regular season; the Joe Cook Award is awarded to the league scoring champion (goals and assists).

The other player trophies are awarded by the board of directors. The most prestigious individual award is the Scott Rupp Award, which is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player, who is judged to be the most valuable to his team during the regular season.

In addition to the regular season awards, the Walt Frazier Award is awarded annually to the most valuable player during the PIHA's Founders Cup playoffs. Furthermore, the top coach in the league wins the Coach of the Year award.

Players, builders, and notable patrons who have had notable careers are eligible to be voted into the Professional Inline Hockey Association Hall of Fame.

See also

• List of PIHA seasons
• List of defunct PIHA teams
• List of PIHA records (individual)
• History of the Professional Inline Hockey Association
• List of PIHA records (team)
• List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
• PIHA Minor Division