Hello ARL Players,

I just wanted to reach out because we have had a couple of issues this weekend that will result in suspensions and ideally we want to stop things before they escalate.

In a division 3 game a player who was playing too aggressively rode a less experienced player into the boards which has resulted in a serious leg injury. The injured player may not play again. The offending player will be dealt with. A player in a division 2 game felt the need to swear at a referee after the ref admonished him for slamming his stick against the boards following a goal. The player was ejected him from the game and will be dealt with.

We have had a handful of complaints from players and goalies about screening and crease violations. The referees have done a great job enforcing this but the concern has been raised so we will be approaching the referees about keeping an even closer eye on these violations because we need to protect the goalies as well as possible.

Pointing out these things is in no way a commentary on the refereeing or the great job they do. The referees have been asked to crack down on any and all infractions over the next couple of weeks because we need to remind the players of the ARL style of play.
This enforcement will include what has always been considered an ‘ARL penalty’. The kind of penalty that is not a penalty in a true hockey sense but is an example of a more experienced player dominating a less experienced player. This is important to our league mission. Especially in Division 3-5.

It is the hope of the Committee that such an enforcement will bring the level of aggression down among violating individuals and teams. By posting this on the website, Facebook as well as through the captains this should be common knowledge by Friday’s games.

Please spread the word and let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Ted Lindsay
On behalf of the ARL Committee