Coin Flip – The game starts with a flip of the coin to determine which side of the table each team stands on
Face Off – The table will drop a puck down the center of the ice rink to begin each game
Players – Players can not control more than three hockey players (including goalie) at a time
Tilting – No player shall lift, tilt or move the dome hockey machine
Stalling – Because bubble hockey is a timed game, players cannot hold the puck to cause a stalling or delay in the game. If behavior is detected, the scorekeeper shall announce a 5 second countdown. If 5 seconds is over and the player still has possession of the puck by the same hockey man, a one goal penalty will be enforced on the infraction
Stuck Puck – If a puck lands in a dead zone where it cannot be reached by either team, a timeout should be taken. Then, players should tilt the table towards the team with the nearest player. If the puck falls closes to the wrong team, the puck should be pushed towards the right team before the game starts again
Spinning & Distracting Players – Players are permitted to spin their men for a maximum of one second per instance. Men cannot be moved rapidly from side to side in order to distract or shake the surface of the table. Excessive spinning or side to side movements will result in a warning or potential disqualification
Goals – In order for a goal to count, it must fall down the chute and be registered by the machine. Pucks that hit the net and bounce out should not count and the game should continue.
Tournament Play Scoring – If one team is ahead by two goals at the end of regulation, the game is over. If regulation time ends in a tie, or a team is losing by one goal, then the game will be played until one team is up by two goals. For regular, non-tournament games, a team can win by a single goal either at the end of regulation or in a sudden death after the end of the third period. Most tables allow the puck to stay in play and score after the end of the third period in order to determine the winner
