International tournaments have formats and rules that differ from professional leagues. That’s no different in hockey.
The 2022 World Junior Championship, which is sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), is underway in Edmonton, and while the rules are mostly the same as those in the NHL, some differ.
One of them involves overtime. The World Juniors employ use a slight variation of NHL regulations, and depending on the round in the tournament, it’s possible the rules will change again.
MORE: Schedule, scores, results for all 2022 World Juniors games
Here is more information on the overtime rules at the 2022 World Juniors:
World Juniors overtime rules in the preliminary round
If a game is tied after the end of regulation during the preliminary round, teams will play a five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime period. Teams will not change ends for the OT period and the game ends when a goal is scored.
If neither team is able to score in the overtime, then the game goes to a shootout. Each team gets five shooters and the team with the most goals after five rounds wins the game.
If the teams are tied after five rounds, then the shootout will keep going until one team scores in a round and the other does not. While teams have to choose five different skaters in the initial rounds, once the five rounds are over, players can go as many times as their coach desires.
Teams that win in overtime or a shootout are awarded two points in the standings while the losing club earns one point.
World Juniors overtime rules in the playoffs
In the case of a tie at the end of regulation in a relegation playoff, placement playoff, quarterfinal, semifinal or bronze-medal game, then a 10-minute sudden death playoff will be played. It is 3-on-3 and the first team to score wins the game.
MORE: Why are the World Juniors being played in August?
If the contest remains tied after OT, then it will go to a five-round shootout.
World Juniors overtime rules in the gold-medal game
The gold-medal game is the only contest that does not feature shootouts.
If the gold-medal game remains tied after three periods of regulation, then it goes to 20-minute overtime periods of 3-on-3 hockey. Unlike the previous rounds, the OT periods continue until a goal is scored.
These games will have 15-minute intermissions between each overtime period, and the ice will be resurfaced. The first team to score wins the game and the gold medal.
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