Information

Tournament Format

The teams and groups were seeded according to the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Ranking. The tournament includes the top-five nations, two qualifiers and host Korea. The tournament will be played with two tiered groups. The top-four ranked teams are seeded in Group A, the other teams in Group B.

The two top-seeded teams from Group A will receive Quarter-Final Round bye thus moving automatically to the Semi-Finals. The Quarter-Finals will be played between 3A-2B and 4A-1B. The winner of each Quarter-Final moves onto the Semi-Finals.

The winners of these games advance to the semis with 1A taking on the winner of 4A-1B and 2A playing the winner of 3A-2B.

The winner of each Semi-Final game will move onto the Gold Medal Game, while the losers will play in the Bronze Medal Game.

Three Point System

For all games points shall be awarded as follows:

3 points for the winning team at the conclusion of regulation time
1 point for both teams at the conclusion of regulation time if the game is tied
An additional point earned for the team winning the game in a 5-minute overtime period, or the Game Winning Shots Procedure if the teams are still tied following conclusion of the overtime period
0 points for the team losing the game in regulation time

Roster Size

The maximum number of players allowed on a tournament roster in the 2018 Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament is 20 skaters and 3 goalies. Exception: On 20 January 2018 it was agreed that 12 North Korean players will join the 23 South Korean players to have a unified Korean team. Thus their tournament rosters will be 35.

During a game, any team may enter (dress) 20 skaters and 2 goalkeepers on the official game sheet.

Overtime Operations

If a game is tied at the end of regulation time, a five-minute overtime period shall be played after a three-minute intermission. The teams will not change ends for the overtime period. The game will end when the five minutes have expired or when a goal is scored; the scoring team will be declared the winner. If no goal is scored in the overtime period then the Penalty-Shot Shootout Procedure will apply. All overtime periods of any IIHF preliminary-round or round-robin game shall be played with each team at the numerical strength of three (3) skaters and one (1) goalkeeper for games of the preliminary round.

Overtime procedure in Play-Off Games:

In case of a tie at the conclusion of regulation time in a Relegation Playoff, Placement Playoff, Quarter Final, Semi Final and Bronze Medal Game, there will be a 10-minute sudden-death overtime period played after a three-minute intermission.
The teams will not change ends.
The overtime period shall be played with each team at the numerical strength of four (4) skaters and one (1) goalkeeper.
The team, which scores a goal during this period is the winner.
In the Gold Medal Game there will be a 20-minute sudden-death overtime period, following a 15-minute intermission during which the ice will be resurfaced.
The teams will not change ends.
The overtime period shall be played with each team at the numerical strength of four (4) skaters and one (1) goalkeeper.
The team which scores a goal during this period is declared winner.
If no goal is scored during the sudden-death overtime, there will be Penalty-Shot Shootout (PSS) according to the Penalty-Shot Shootout Procedure.

Penalty-Shot Shootout Procedure

If no goal is scored in the overtime period then the Penalty-Shot Shootout (PSS) procedure will apply. The following procedure will be utilized:

Five different shooters from each team will take alternate shots, until a decisive goal is scored.
If the game is still tied after five shots by each team, the PSS will continue with a tie-break shoot out by one player of each team, with a reversed shooting order. The same or new players can take the tie-break shots.
The same player can also be used for each shot by a team in the tie-break shoot-out.
Only the decisive goal will count in the result of the game.
Shots will be taken at both ends of the ice. The area of the ice to be used will be dry scraped.
A coin toss will determine which team takes the first shot, with the winner of the toss having the choice whether his team will shoot first or second.
Any player whose penalty was not over when overtime ended cannot take the shots and must stay in the penalty box or in the dressing room.
The goalkeepers will defend the same goal, as in the overtime period. The goalkeepers from each team may be changed after each shot.
The players of both teams will take the shots alternately until a decisive goal is scored.
The decisive goal will be credited to the player who scored and to the goalkeeper concerned.

Tie breaking formula

The tie-breaking system for two teams with the same number of points in a standing will be the game between the two teams, the winner of the game taking precedence.

Due to the fact that the three-point system does not allow a game to end in a tie, then the following tie breaking procedure is applicable when three or more teams are tied in points in a Championship standing.

Should three or more teams be tied on points, then a tie breaking formula will be applied as follows, creating a sub-group amongst the tied teams. This process will continue until only two or none of the teams remain tied. In the case of two tied teams remaining, the game between the two would then be the determining tie-breaker as the game could not end as a tie. In the case of none of the teams being tied, the criteria specified in the respective step applies.

Step 1: Taking into consideration the games between each of the tied teams, a sub-group is created applying the points awarded in the direct games amongst the tied teams from which the teams are then ranked accordingly.

Step 2: Should three or more teams still remain tied in points then the better goal difference in the direct games amongst the tied teams will be decisive.

Step 3: Should three or more teams still remain tied in points and goal difference then the highest number of goals scored by these teams in their direct games will be decisive

Step 4: Should three or more teams still remain tied in points, goal difference and goals scored then the results between each of the three teams and the closest best-ranked team outside the sub-group will be applied. In this case the tied team with the best result (1. points, 2. goal difference, 3. more goals scored) against the closest best ranked-team will take precedence

Step 5: Should the teams still remain tied, then the results between each of the three teams and the next highest best-ranked team outside the sub-group will be applied.

Step 6: Should the teams still remain tied after these five steps have been exercised then Sport considerations will be applied and the teams will be ranked by their positions coming into the Championship (seeding).

Coach's Challenge

The IIHF has introduced its guidelines for the use of coach’s challenges during the Men’s and Women’s Olympic ice hockey tournaments.

There are two situations possible for issuing the Coach’s Challenge:

Off-side situation prior the scoring of a goal
Interference on a goaltender

Only one Coach’s Challenge per team per stoppage will be permitted. Coaches can challenge an offside call at any time except for the final minute of the third period and during overtime. If a Coach's Challenge is not reversed, the team will be assessed a bench minor penalty. In the case of a goalie interference challenge, teams must possess at least one 30-second time-out. If the call is not reversed, the team will lose the time-out.

After the scoring of the goal in the final minute of play in the 3rd period and at any point in Overtime (in any games), the IIHF Video Goal Judge Booth Operations can initiate the review of any scenario that would otherwise be subject to a Coach’s Challenge.

Click here for full information on the procedure.

More information

Click here to download the IIHF’s Rule Book and Sport Regulations.

Eligibility

To play in the IIHF World Championship, the Olympic ice hockey tournament and the qualifications to these competitions, players must fulfill the following qualification requirements:

- Each player must be under the jurisdiction of an IIHF member national association

- Each player must be a citizen of the country he or she represents.

Acquiring a new national eligibility (The ‘one-year’ case)

When a female player has changed her citizenship or has acquired another citizenship and wants to participate for the first time in an IIHF competition representing her new country she must:

- Prove that she has participated on a consistent basis for at least one hockey season and have been member of the new national association for at least 12 consecutive months during that period during which she has neither transferred to another country nor played ice hockey within any other country.

- Have an international transfer card (ITC) that shows the transfer to the national competition of her new country and which was approved and dated at least one year before the start of the IIHF competition in which she wishes to participate.

Change of national eligibility (The ‘four-year’ case)

A player, who has previously participated in IIHF competition, can switch national eligibility (but only once in a player's life) if:

- She is a citizen of the new country of her choice.

- She has participated for at least four consecutive years (1460 days) in the national competitions of her new country, during which period she has neither transferred to another country nor played ice hockey within any other country and has not played for her previous country in an IIHF competition during this four-year period.

- She has an international transfer card (ITC) that shows the transfer to the national competition of her new country and which was approved and dated at least four years before the start of the IIHF competition in which she wishes to participate.

On-Ice Officials

2018 Olympic women's ice hockey tournament

Referees		Linesmen
Ariano-Lortie, Gabrielle	CAN	Todd, Justine	CAN
Hertrich, Nicole	GER	Svobodova, Zuzana	CZE
Hove, Aina	NOR	Heikkinen, Jenni	FIN
Fialova, Drahomira	SUI	Tauriainen, Johanna	FIN
Celarova, Nikoleta	SVK	Girard, Charlotte	FRA
Gran, Gabriella	SWE	Linnek, Lisa	GER
Timglas, Katarina	SWE	Pagon, Natasa	SLO
Allen, Dina	USA	Johansson, Veronica	SWE
Guay, Katie	USA	Leclerc, Jessica	USA
Szkola, Melissa	USA

Exhibition Games

24 Jan.	Nishitokio (JPN)	Japan	-	Germany	6-0
26 Jan.	Nishitokio (JPN)	Japan	-	Germany	3-1
27 Jan.	Incheon (KOR)	Kwangwoon M	-	Canada	0-4
28 Jan.	Nishitokio (JPN)	Japan	-	Czech Republic	1-0
28 Jan.	Khabarovsk (RUS)	Amur 2003	-	Olympic Athletes from Russia	2-5
30 Jan.	Nishitokio (JPN)	Japan	-	Czech Republic	4-1
30 Jan.	Khabarovsk (RUS)	Amur 2002	-	Olympic Athletes from Russia	6-2
4 Feb.	Incheon (KOR)	Korea	-	Sweden	1-3
4 Feb.	Goyang (KOR)	Canada	-	Switzerland	10-0
6 Feb.	Goyang (KOR)	Switzerland	-	Finland	1-4
6 Feb.	Incheon (KOR)	Sweden	-	Olympic Athletes of Russia	2-1 SO

Past Medallists

Olympic Winter Games, Women's Ice Hockey

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Venue
1998	USA	Canada	Finland	Nagano
2002	Canada	USA	Sweden	Salt Lake City
2006	Canada	Sweden	USA	Turin
2010	Canada	USA	Finland	Vancouver
2014	Canada	USA	Switzerland	Sochi
2018	USA	Canada	Finland	PyeongChang

More historical information is available in our 506-page IIHF Guide & Record Book which can be ordered as hardcopy or as a handy USB stick here.

Qualification

Pre-qualified according to the 2016 IIHF Women's World Ranking

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Finland
4. Russia
5. Sweden

Qualified as host country

Korea

Qualifiers

Switzerland
Japan

Final Olympic Qualification, 9-12 February 2017:

Group C in Arosa, Switzerland

		GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	Goals
1.	Switzerland	3	3	0	0	0	9	14-3
2.	Czech Republic	3	2	0	0	1	6	10-7
3.	Norway	3	1	0	0	2	3	6-10
4.	Denmark	3	0	0	0	3	0	5-15

Switzerland is qualified for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Group D in Tomakomai, Japan

		GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	Goals
1.	Japan	3	3	0	0	0	9	13-3
2.	Germany	3	1	1	0	1	5	8-6
3.	France	3	1	0	1	1	4	6-8
4.	Austria	3	0	0	0	3	0	3-13

Japan is qualified for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Olympic Qualification Preliminary Round 3, 15-18 December 2016:

Group E in Cergy-Pontoise, France

		GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	Goals
1.	France	3	3	0	0	0	9	14-2
2.	Italy	3	2	0	0	1	6	7-5
3.	Latvia	3	1	0	0	2	3	7-13
4.	China	3	0	0	0	3	0	2-10

France advances to the Final Olympic Qualification.

Group F in Stavanger, Norway

		GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	Goals
1.	Norway	3	3	0	0	0	9	15-2
2.	Hungary	3	2	0	0	1	6	7-6
3.	Slovakia	3	1	0	0	2	3	5-8
4.	Kazakhstan	3	0	0	0	3	0	2-13

Norway advances to the Final Olympic Qualification.

Olympic Qualification Preliminary Round 2, 3-6 November 2016:

Group G in Astana, Kazakhstan

		GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	Goals
1.	Kazakhstan	3	3	0	0	0	9	10-3
2.	Poland	3	2	0	0	1	6	10-7
3.	Great Britain	3	1	0	0	2	3	7-9
4.	Mexico	3	0	0	0	3	0	3-11

Kazakhstan advances to the next round.

Group H in San Sebastian, Spain

		GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	Goals
1.	Italy	3	3	0	0	0	9	15-2
2.	Netherlands	3	2	0	0	1	6	17-6
3.	Spain	3	1	0	0	2	3	5-5
4.	Slovenia	3	0	0	0	3	0	3-27

Italy advance to the next round.

Olympic Qualification Preliminary Round 1, 7-9 October 2016:

Group J in Mexico City, Mexico

		GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	Goals
1.	Mexico	2	2	0	0	0	6	24-5
2.	Turkey	2	1	0	0	1	3	13-13
3.	Hong Kong	2	0	0	0	2	0	2-21

Mexico advances to the next round.