1. Number of teams to be reported to IISHF – NMA reporting 2025 version

We kindly remind all National Member Associations (NMAs) of the contents of article §11.12 - §11.14 IISHF Constitution.

§ 11.12 The number of teams in accordance to article 11.11 IISHF Constitution shall include the inline skater hockey teams which will be registered in that country for the previous year and shall be reported with the form sheet “IISHF Annual NMA Reporting” by each National Member Association including a detailed team list for all age groups with the name of all registered clubs and teams for the previous year no later than 31st December of that previous year to IISHF headquarters. Registered teams are only teams who participated that previous year at the domestic/regional championship or any other official competition in that country or any IISHF European Cup that previous year.

The relevant NMA must provide for all registered teams verifiable evidence of their participation.

The IISHF Presidium will decide about the recognition of registered teams based on the provided verifiable evidence – in case of disagreement the Council of Members will make the final decision about the recognition.

§ 11.13 If no report and/or no detailed team list and/or no verifiable evidence has been given by 31st December deadline, the relevant NMA shall get a reminder with a late report period until 15th January to provide the missing information.

If no report and/or no detailed team list and/or no verifiable evidence has been given by 15th January, the number of registered teams shall be finally fixed with 49 teams or less for that year and no change of voting rights shall be done for that calendar year.

§ 11.14 Any missing or wrong reporting and/or providing verifiable evidence for registered teams shall result to IISHF Disciplinary Action.

Summarized please return it to us lately until 31.12.2025

• Attached Form Sheet “IISHF Annual NMA Reporting 2025”.
• Detailed Team List of all registered clubs and teams for all age groups for the year 2025 (only teams who participated in 2025 at the domestic/regional championship or any other official competition or IISHF European Cup).
• Verifiable evidence (e.g. official final league tables) of the participation of all relevant teams.

Attached please find the Excel file: “IISHF Annual NMA Reporting Template 2025” which should be used for the feedback. There are three (3) sheets in the Excel file: Summary Sheet, Data, and Explanations. Please read first the sheet “Explanations”. The reporting is done by editing the work sheets “Data” and “Summary Sheet” and only in the cells unlocked for editing. Certain tabulations are conducted automatically, and the respective cells are blocked for manual editing. The sheet “Backend” is not to be used in the reporting.

In addition to the mandatory reporting of clubs and teams by 31.12.2025 we kindly ask you to provide information requested on rinks, players, referees and officials. Should you face challenges in filling out the form please contact IISHF IT Director Simon Price (sprice@iishf.com).

Please note that the attachment “IISHF Annual NMA Reporting Template 2025” was also delivered previously with the IISHF Communication Letter 2025-25 published on 30.11.2025 and that some NMA’s already have delivered their reporting. Thank you very much to these NMA’s.

2. IISHF Rules Committee Proposal Official Rule Book 2026/2027 (2026)

The IISHF Rules Committee has finalized its proposal for the Official Rule Book 2026/2027 (final release 2026).

The update includes the following adjustments:

• Clarification of the requirement “neck and throat protected” in rule 5.13.1, based on a request from the Swiss Federation.
• New rule 8.20 “Line Change Procedure” and changes to the related rules 8.19.3, 8.21.2 (previously 8.20.2), and 8.26.1 (previously 8.25.1).

Please note that the change to rule 8.20 could be read as a substantive rule amendment — normally not allowed in a final release — but due to referees’ urgency the Committee included it in the 2026 final release.

According to the IISHF Constitution the following applies:

§11.7: All Proposals for Changes to the IISHF Rules Book at General Meetings must be submitted by a National Member Association or by the IISHF Presidium no later than 4 months prior to the General Meeting. All Proposals for Changes approved by the IISHF Rules Committee must be circulated no later than 6 weeks prior to the General Meeting and must be voted upon without change.

§16.2:

• a) propose any changes to the IISHF Rules Book and vote on proposals of National Member Associations received not later than 4 months prior to the General Meeting. In each even year any rule changes; in each odd year only clarifications and error bug fixings may be approved.
• b) publish rule interpretations
• c) approve equipment and modifications thereof