Bandy World Championship 2009 - Rules

Rules

Team rosters are limited to 17 players in each game, with 11 playing and 6 reserves at a time. Game durations are 90 minutes for Group A matches and 60 minutes for Group B matches, in each case divided into equal halves.

1. Group A, the World Cup Championship, starts as a single-match round robin league. The top four teams advance to the semifinals, where the team placed as number 1 meets number 4, and number 2 meets number 3. The two winners advance to the final, while the losers play a bronze match.
2. Group B also begins with a round robin. The winner of the preliminary round plays against the last-place team from Group A for the right to play in Group A in 2010. The remaining teams are paired off for placement matches.
3. No game can end with a draw—if a preliminary round match is tied after regulation, or a playoff match is tied after extra time, a penalty stroke competition is arranged. Each team takes five penalty shots, with different strikers. If it is still a draw, the penalty shots will continue one by one until a decisive result has been attained. Regardless of the result of the penalty strokes, the game is counted as a draw in the table for preliminary pool matches.
4. The number of points is decisive for placing in the preliminary round. Two points are scored for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss.
   1. Should the number of points be equal for two teams, the result between those two teams (including penalty strokes, if necessary) in the preliminary round is decisive.
   2. Should the number of points be equal for three or four teams, the score difference among tied teams is the first tie-breaker followed by goals scored. Only regulation time goals are counted, not penalty strokes. If this leaves two teams still tied, the tie between the two remaining teams is broken by head-to-head result.
   3. If separation still is not possible, the score difference from all matches in the preliminary round is used.
   4. If teams still can't be separated, placing is done by drawing of lots.
5. All matches following the preliminary round are to be played until the winner is decided. If it is a draw after 90 or 60 minutes the match shall be extended with sudden death overtime, with two halves of 15 minutes. If it is still a draw, penalty strokes will be used.