Here's my annotated interpretations of the new Participation Rule. (My annotated explanations are in bold.) I think my interpretations are correct, but are they?
IV. PARTICIPATION
A. PARTICIPATION POLICY
MH is a community-based amateur hockey program. Members in good standing are to participate on teams from their local affiliate (local association) based on where they attend school and the established MH affiliate boundaries as defined in the Affiliate Agreements. Mite-aged players are allowed to participate based on residence.
By its terms, this provision means that hockey "community" for a child playing at or above the Squirt or U10 levels is now defined by where the child goes to school, even if the child's school is located outside the geographical boundaries of the nearest local association covering the child's permanent residence. Mite-aged players can skate for their local association, i.e., the association they would play for under the old rule.
B. PARTICIPATION RULE
1. Youth Hockey players must play within the affiliate boundaries as defined by MH. If a player desires to play on a team outside of the player's affiliate boundary, the player must obtain written permission (waiver) from the president of governing body of both the releasing and receiving organization and receive the approval of the responsible district director(s). A player that participates without a necessary waiver is considered an ineligible player. Refer to the Section entitled Eligibility Provisions. A waiver must be obtained before a player can participate outside their affiliate boundary. A player that registers or participates with their affiliate cannot participate with any other affiliate without a waiver.
By its terms, this provision means that a child needs a waiver if he or she would like to play for an association other than his or her newly defined "community" association. See above for definition of hockey community.
2. Starting with the 2009-2010 season, Affiliate Participation for Squirt-aged players and above is redefined as players attending school in the Affiliate's geographic area, rather than those who are residing in the Affiliate's geographic area.
By its terms, this provision means that, beginning this season, 2009-2010, for any child playing at or above the Squirt or U10 level "community" association is now generally determined by the location of the child's school, not the location of the child's permanent residence.
a. Mite-aged players may choose to register in either their Affiliate of School Attendance or their Affiliate of Residence.
By its terms, this provision means that mite-aged players can choose to play for an association based on where they go to school or where they reside.
b. For school districts with multiple High Schools and multiple MH Affiliates, participation for Squirt-aged players and above shall be defined by one of the following:
i) A player attending an elementary, middle or junior high school whose geographical attendance area is completely within the geographical attendance area of a single high school is a member of the MH Affiliate covering that high school's area.
By its terms, this provision means that if you live in a large school district with multiple high schools and multiple Minnesota Hockey affiliates (e.g., Anoka Hennepin Independent School District No. 11) and your child plays at the Squirt or U10 level or above and the child's elementary, middle or junior high school geographic attendance area is completely within the geographical attendance boundaries of a SINGLE high school, your child must play for the association covering that high school's geographical area.
ii) A player attending an elementary, middle or junior high school whose geographical attendance area overlaps the geographical attendance areas of multiple high schools is a member of the MH Affiliate covering the location of the residence of the player's parent(s) or legal guardian(s).
By its terms, this provision means that if your child's elementary, middle or junior high school overlaps the geographical boundary lines of MORE than one high school, your child must play for the association that "cover[s]" the child's permanent residence. This requirement is consistent with the old residency requirement.
c. Changing Schools; A player who newly enrolls in a school outside of the geographic boundary of their current Affiliate without a corresponding change of residence shall elect one of the following:
i) Retain full eligibility to compete at any classification in their Affiliate prior to the new school enrollment for one (1) year beginning with the first day of attendance in the new school, after which time the player shall become fully eligible in their Affiliate of School Attendance; or
By its terms, this provision means that if your child changes school outside the geographic boundary of their current association, but not move to a different house, your child can play hockey for their current association, on any level traveling team (e.g., A, B or C) for one year beginning with the first day of attendance in the new school. After the one-year period expires, your child can leave his or her association and play for the association that covers the location of the new school attended by the child and be "fully eligible" to play on any level traveling team (i.e., A, B or C). Significantly, this provision does not specifically state that, if your child opts to continue to play for his or her current association, your child can continue to play for that association beyond the one-year period.
ii) be eligible at the "B" classification or lower in their new Affiliate of School Attendance for one (1) year beginning with the first day of attendance in the new school.
Alternatively, if your child changes schools without moving to a different house, your child can immediately change associations and play for the association that covers the location of your child's new school, but your child is not eligible for "A" level traveling teams for a one-year period, which period begins to run beginning with the first calendar day your child attends the new school. In other words, if your child changes schools--but does not move to a new house--your child can select option c(i) or option c(ii).
d. For the 2009-2010 Season, players that participated in their Affiliate of Residence for the 2008?2009 [sic] Season but attended school elsewhere will be given a one-time choice to continue participation in their Affiliate of Residence. This alternate participation determination will continue through that player's Youth or Girls' Hockey career unless the player moves outside of their Affiliate of Residence geographical boundary, at which time school attendance will be used to determine Affiliate participation.
By its terms, this provision means that for the 2009-2010 season only, a child who played for an association based on the location of his or her permanent residence during the 2008-2009 season--but attended a school located outside the geographical boundaries of the association covering the child's permanent residence--has a one time exemption to continue to play for the child's current association or play for the association that covers the location of the child's school. Note, although this provision does not specifically address whether the child who opts to change associations will be penalized by not being eligible for the new association's "A" level traveling team, MH has interpreted the provision to mean that the penalty will be waived for the 2009-2010 season. Further, the provision requires the child who opts to continue to play for his or her current association--but later moves to a new house located outside the boundaries of the association that covers his or her old permanent residence--to play for the association that covers the location of the child's school.
3. A player who is denied a waiver by his/her affiliate may appeal in writing to the responsible District Director who, after investigation, will issue a ruling. The decision of the District Director is final. Also see Section entitled Eligibility Provisions.
By its terms, this provision requires a player who asks his or her current association's president for a waiver to play for a different association to appeal the association president's denial to the "responsible" District Director who will, in turn, issue a ruling. Further, the provision provides that the District Director's decision is "final." What this means is that, if you do not like the District Director's ruling, you can challenge the District Director's decision in a court of law. In order to prevail, however, and overturn the District Director's decision you will need to convince a judge that the District Director acted in an arbitrary or capricious manner, which is a difficult standard to overcome. A judge will not substitute his or her decision for a District Director's decision absent fraud, favoritism or improvidence. If you decide to sue your District Director, you need to make sure that you exhaust every administrative hoops set forth by your association, district and Minnesota Hockey, otherwise your child may be ineligible to play for any Minnesota Hockey affiliate. See MH Bylaws, Article 6.I.
4. Players having dual citizenship, one being the United States, must also conform to the Participation rule.
By its terms, this means that if your child is a United States citizen and a citizen of another country, the Participation rule applies to your child, too. Interestingly, this provision does not address whether the Participation rule applies to permanent resident aliens or illegal immigrants. 