Age divisions for the 2025 IHAAZ season
The age cut off for the 2025 season is January 1st, 2025.
Age Division | Birth Years | Eligibility Exceptions |
| 18U | 2006 & younger | Female players 2005 & younger * |
| 16U | 2008 & younger | Female players 2007 & younger * |
| 14U | 2010 & younger | Female players 2009 & younger * |
| 12U | 2012 & younger | Female players 2011 & younger * |
| 10U | 2014 & younger | Female players 2013 & younger * |
| 8U | 2016 & younger | Female players 2015 & younger * |
* Female players are allowed to play one extra year in each age group. This exception is made to allow for female players to have an extra year in each age group to develop. Teams are encouraged to have female players who are able to compete within their actual age division only play at that level. Female players of a higher skill level playing down their extra year may cause their team to be asked to play up.
AGE GROUPS OFFERED AND THEIR TARGETED SKILL LEVELS
- In the 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, & 18U age groups, multiple tiers (Silver/A or Gold/AA) may be offered based on the teams that registered for each event.
- The 8U division is classified as "development" age group with special rules in place to incentivize parity and prevent blow out scores. Stronger or more experienced 8U players and teams are advised to play/enter in the 10U division.
The goal for the 2025 Season is to once again make parity the priority.
The goal of IHAAZ is to offer fun and challenging divisions for all teams participating. If a team is too strong or too weak for a division, this will not occur. In scheduling each event, teams will be placed in divisions with parity in mind first, not age (within reason).
This is done to encourage those building teams to do so at a specific skill level. If a team wants to "stack up", they should be doing so with the goal of playing in the top division of their age group, but with the understanding that if the rest of the age group is far below their skill level, they will be asked to play up.
Silver/A and Gold/AA levels (defined)
Silver teams are centered around those without a high level or roller hockey experience, of players new to roller coming from Ice hockey lower levels of play. The goal for Silver teams is for them to have competitive games and not be matched up against Gold teams when possible. At this level some players may be more skilled or experienced than others, however no one player or couple players on a Silver team should be able to single handedly change the outcome of a game consistently.
Gold teams are the higher competitive teams. A Gold team could be a Silver team with 1-2 Gold players who tip the scales in games. Teams with those players may be moved to Gold. In the event a team is too strong for a Gold division in their own age group, they may be asked to play up an age group in either Gold or Silver to better compete.
All teams are be required to submit rosters at the time of registration. IHAAZ will review each roster to determine where the best parity for them will be at each event. Each IHAAZ event may have different teams participating. Skill level designations will be made based on the competition at each event.
For example a team may be classified as a "Gold" team at one event, and a Silver team at the next event, based on which teams are entering each event.
