Medicine Hat Ringette Association teams are bound by two sets of rules for affiliation. The MHRA guidelines apply to all zone and tournament play. Ringette Alberta rules must be followed for provincial play.

The MHRA guidelines state that affiliate players may be used to ensure that a viable team can be dressed. A viable team (not counting goalies) is defined as 10 players. If a team has 10 skaters for any games in zone play or tournament play, they are not allowed to play affiliates. Ringette Alberta’s definition of a viable team is 12 players, but this only applies for provincial play.

Before a team can take affiliate players, the coach of that team must consult with the parents of the selected player and the coach of the team concerned.

The intention of affiliates is not to strengthen a team, but rather to replace injured or missing players, and/or bring the number of players up to a viable team. The affiliate's main responsibility is to her own team's schedule (practice, league games, exhibition games, play-offs, tournaments, etc).

The affiliation rules are in place to help promote fair play. Fair for opposing teams, the affiliating team and the affiliate's team. Affiliates should not be given ice time at the expense of a regular team players. Affiliates must fulfill their practice, game (league, exhibition, play-offs), fundraising or dry land responsibilities with their regular team regardless of any needs or requests of the affiliating team.

It is expected that all MHRA coaches will abide by this policy.

Ringette Alberta rules state that a maximum of 11 players may be affiliated per team.

Ringette Alberta Rules and Operating Procedures