The 2016 NLL Division Finals shift to two Game 2 matchups on Saturday night with the New England Black Wolves at Buffalo Bandits in the East Finals at 7:30 p.m. ET before the Calgary Roughnecks visit the Saskatchewan Rush at 9:30 ET to decide the West Finals. After winning Game 1 on the road, Buffalo and Saskatchewan can both advance to the Champion’s Cup Finals with a win in Game 2. Should New England or Calgary win Game 2, a 10-minute tiebreaker game will immediately follow to determine the series winner, with rules and regulations outlined below.
2016 Playoff Division Finals – Tie Breaker Game Rules
In the event teams are tied 1-1 following the two games, a 10 minute Tie Breaker Game shall be played following Game 2 of the series to determine the series winner.
The Tie Breaker game shall be one 10-minute period. Should the clubs be tied following the Tie Breaker Game, sudden death overtime will decide the outcome.
Interval length between the conclusion of the second game of the Division Final Series and the Tie Breaker Game shall be a two-minute interval.
Teams are not permitted to make lineup changes after game two of the Division Final Series and prior to the Tie Breaker Game. The dress roster submitted for the beginning of Game 2 of the series will be the same for the Tie Breaker Game.
All penalties and ejections will carry over from Game 2 of the Division Final Series into the Tie Breaker Game. This will include any accrual rules for major penalties (Rule 38.2) and any penalties for that matter (minors, majors, misconducts, match penalties) that were not able to be served in its entirety prior to the end of the second game of the series. Players who are ejected during Game 2 of the series, are NOT permitted to play in the Tie Breaker Game.
Any team that deliberately attempts to score on their own goal in the second game of the Division Series, as deemed by the discretion of the Official, in an attempt to release a teammate from the penalty box to prevent penalties from rolling over into the Tie Breaker Game shall be assessed at minimum a bench minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Goalies will start at their respective ends closest to their bench to begin the Tie Breaker Game.
Each team shall have one timeout during the Tie Breaker Game regulation period. No timeouts shall carryover from Game 2.
There shall be one media timeout under the five-minute mark of the Tie Breaker Game. There will be no halftime or any other intermission break during the Tie Breaker Game.
Instant replay challenges. Teams will have one challenge flag opportunity. Officials shall initiate challenges less than two minutes in the Tie Breaker Game.
Should an illegal substitution occur less than two minutes remaining in the Tie Breaker Game, there will be a penalty shot assessed.
Tie Breaker Game Overtime Rules
Should the game be tied after the Tie Breaker Game, regular sudden death overtime rules will apply as per the NLL Rulebook, that include the following:
A Sudden Death overtime shall decide the outcome. As with a regulation game, the game clock will be set to a 15-minute period with the game ending on the first goal.
Replays are only initiated by the Officials during overtime. Head coaches will not be able to challenge any plays in overtime (Rule 17.8).
Teams shall be afforded one timeout. No timeouts shall be carried over into overtime from the Tie Breaker regulation period (Rule 14).
Goalies shall change ends prior to the beginning of the Tie Breaker Game overtime.
Should an illegal substitution occur anytime in overtime, it shall be a penalty shot awarded to the non offending team (Rule 56.8).
Interval length between the conclusion of the Tie Breaker game and overtime shall be a two-minute interval.
