ITHF table hockey

• Stiga games must be used.
• Goal cups must be removed.
• Games must be fastened to the table.
• The speed of the game’s surface must be kept the same as the usual factory surface speed.

• Figures from the Play-off version (all figures have the stick on the same side) of Stiga table hockey games must be used.

• Matches last five minutes.
• Time runs even if the puck is out of play.
• An audio timer should be used for all matches.
• If any player retires during a match when the opponent insists on continuing, he/she automatically loses all his/her goals scored during the game, while the opponent may add an extra five goals to his/her score.
• During the play-off matches, in the event of a draw at the end of the five minutes, there is an overtime. The overtime starts with a new face-off. The winner is the one who scores the first goal (sudden death).

• All matches begin with the puck placed at centre spot. Game starts with the opening signal. If any player plays the puck before the signal, face-off is made.
• Face-offs are made by dropping the puck on the centre spot.

Centre forwards and left defenders must stay on their own side of the centre red line during a face-off.

• Players must be sure that their opponent is ready before releasing the puck. If the face-off is made wrong the opponent is allowed to ask for a new one or he/she may make a new face-off by himself/herself. If a player makes a lot of bad drops in a play-off match, the opponent can ask for a neutral dropper.
• Three seconds must elapse after each face-off before a valid goal can be scored. This rule is in effect even if a neutral person is making the face-off.
• The puck must hit the sideboards, or a playing figure other than the center must gain control of the puck before a goal can be counted.

• The puck must stay in the goal cage for the goal to count. In and outs do not count. If the puck goes out from the goal cage, the match continues without interruption
• If any player wants to interrupt the game in order to avoid the goal heading into his cage, he must clearly say a short phrase. The game is interrupted and puck placed in the middle of the board for the next face off. The phrase could only be said if the player keeps the puck long enough to enable his opponent to say it.
• The puck must be removed from the puck catcher (if there is any) before the next face off.
• A goal scored directly by pressing a motionless puck against the goal cage or against the goalie does not count. A goal scored in this way indirectly (off the bank or off another figure) counts.
• If a goal is scored when the final buzzer is sounding, the goal is not valid.
• If any figure or goalie breaks when a goal is scored, the goal is valid.
• A goal scored by moving the whole game is not valid.

• If the puck is in full rest in goal crease and is touching the goal line the defending player may call “block” and a new face-off is made.
• If the puck is in full rest in goal crease and is not touching the goal line the defending player must play the puck.

• It is not permitted to retain possession of the puck without making any recognizable attempt to score a goal. This is regarded as passive play.
• If the puck is kept in possession by one figure without passing or shooting, a warning can be given by the opponent after five (5) seconds has elapsed since the figure gained puck control.

• A player can tap down his/her figures only when he/she has complete possession of the puck.
• If a player scores a goal while the opponent is tapping his/her figures, the goal counts.
• Rough playing that results in shaking of the game and causing the puck to move is forbidden.
• If any figure loses possession of the puck due to shaking of the game, then the puck must be returned to this figure.

• If any unusual situation happens (e.g. broken gear, rod or game, displaced goal cage, lights go out, several pucks appear on the game or somebody/something interrupts any of the opponents), the match must be immediately suspended. A player can interrupt the game by saying „stop” if the opponent is not aware of such situation. The match resumes when both players are ready again.
• If a match is interrupted and significant time is lost then the lost time must be added to remaining time and the match continues.
• If a player had indisputable control of the puck before the interruption, the match continues with the puck in the place where it was, otherwise a new face-off is made.

World Championships, Continental Championships

World Tour Big 6 (now World Tour Majors and World Tour Super Series)

World Tour, Regional Championships (f.i. Baltic Championships), World Championships Special Classes (Junior, Women, Veteran), Continental Championships Special Classes (Junior, Women, Veteran), Continental Tours (North American Tour), National Championships (only if 1 tournament per season)

National Tours (*maximum 13 per season per nation), Regional Tours (f.i. SLO-CRO Interliga), National Championships Special Classes (Junior, Women, Veteran), Regional Championships Special Classes (Junior, Women, Veteran), North American Local League Playoffs (f.i. Lemont THL Playoff)

• If the number of these tournaments is higher than 13 during a season the WR Administrator will change the leveling of tournament number 14, 15 etc. which means that only the first 13 tournaments in the particular season will be level 4.

Sanctioned Local Leagues, National Championships Special Classes (Kids, SuperVeterans, Rookies)

National Tour Special Classes (Junior, Women, Veteran), Local Leagues for Special Classes (Junior, Women, Veteran), Local Junior Tournaments, All Other Tournaments

List of all ITHF international tournaments played. In brackets is the number of teams.

Rank points of a country is sum of its five best players. The table below shows top ten nations as of July 20, 2019. Complete table

Rank	Nation	Top player (Rank)	Rank points
1	Russia	Maxim Borisov (1)	22369
2	Latvia	Edgars Caics (2)	20935
3	Ukraine	Dmytro Litvinyuk (10)	20540
4	Finland	Kevin Eriksson (5)	19561
5	Sweden	Oscar Henriksson (16)	19376
6	Czech Republic	Patrik Petr (14)	18692
7	Norway	Magnus Klippen (30)	16702
8	Estonia	Jevgeni Lvov (53)	15644
9	Lithuania	Artem Valiev (99)	13619
10	Slovenia	Bernard Rjavec (154)	13224