TOURNAMENT POLICIES

It is the goal of the Big Bear Tournament company to provide the best possible experience for each and every player entering our tournaments and to ensure that all of those in attendance are able to enjoy that experience as well. Additional information that may be useful to your decision to participate in a Big Bear Tournament may be found in the "Information Packet" section of the web site.

Discounts

For our early season discount a $250.00 discount on your second event is predicated on the following criteria: that a team has paid full price for their first event and if a hotel stay was required that the minimum number of rooms were met. If a hotel stay is required for your second event, that the minimum number of room is met for that stay, also.

For our special discounts for Denver and Tampa a 50% discount off of the game fee is due to any team that meets the following criteria; that a team has paid full price for their first event and if a hotel stay was required that the minimum number of rooms were met. If a hotel stay is required for your second event, that the minimum number of room is met for that stay, also.

For the 2 road trip discount a 50% discount off of the game fee is due to any team that meets the following criteria: that a team has paid full price for their first event and meets the minimum number of rooms required for both events. You will need to pay in full for your second event and will receive a check for the discount after we receive our hotel report showing that the criteria was met.

Multi-tournament discounts are based on the same criteria as early-season discounts. The value of your second event may vary based on whether you skated in either an early-season event or are receiving a special discount based on the criteria explained in the paragraph above.

Multi-team discounts are based on the schedule posted on the discount web page, however some teams in a multi-team situation may receive a larger discount based on whether or not they've skated in previous events.

Early payment discounts and Web posting discounts are in addition to all of the above.

Special exemptions: As the Carhartt Invitational is not operated solely by Shoot Out Hockey, the above discounts do not apply. If you plan to skate in any additional event other than the Carhartt Invitational, please contact our office to discuss a discount plan.

Applications & Refunds

For a team to be considered for an event, a negotiable form of payment must be received along with your team application. An application without payment will be held for 7 days. If payment is not received within the 7 day period the team could be replaced by another team that has paid.

Teams may register by completing an application available on this web site which can be mailed with the full entry fee or a $200.00 non-refundable deposit.  The balance of payment is due 45 days prior to each event.  Within 30 days of the tournament start date the entire entree fee is non-refundable.  Fees vary by event and are available on each tournament page on this web site. Any team that has paid a portion of their game fee and the balance has not been received by our office 14 days prior to the event will be accessed a $50.00 late fee should the balance need to be charged to a credit card.

All payments made to the tournaments are non-refundable with the following exceptions: if a division does not form or if the tournament is cancelled . 

If you pay for a tournament and decide not to play, Big Bear Tournaments will credit your team the amount of the difference between the amount you've paid and the enticement necessary to get another team to take your spot. This credit may be used at any future event within a year of cancellation. For example if it is necessary to allow a team in for free your credit would be $0.00. If a team is willing to enter at full price, your team will be credited the amount you've paid. From our experience, the amount of the enticement is generally proportional to how close to the beginning of the tournament the cancellation occurs.
Please understand that once a schedule has been released and the ice is contracted, Big Bear Tournament is committed to fulfilling its obligation to the arena and all of the remaining participants.

It is our expressed purpose and desired goal to have every game end in a tie or by a 1 goal margin. We put a great deal of effort toward achieving this result. Unfortunately, and for a number of reasons, the result of our efforts are not always successful. Our failure to achieve this result, however, does not constitute grounds for a refund. If are concerned about the practices we employ to match teams, please refer to the "information" page of this web site for additional information on this and other subjects that you should fully understand prior to entering one of our events.

No Shows:  For whatever reason (usually either weather or injuries) teams that have paid decide at the 11th hour not to participate in an event.  "No shows" do not happen very often, but they do occur.  This creates a number of problems because the framework for the tournament is already in place.  The ice is contracted, the refs and scorekeepers are scheduled, the sanctions are completed, and the awards are in hand.  

In most instances, we will attempt to find a replacement to fill the spot.  If we are unable to find another team for you to play, the ice scheduled  for your game is available for your team's use as a practice.  We realize this is not the optimum circumstance, but we would hope that you recognize that we did not create it.  
In addition, we recognize that this does not fulfill our commitment to a guaranteed number of games....and as we all know a guarantee is a guarantee.  Big Bear Tournament will refund one half (your portion) of the cost of the ice for the game that did not occur.  This, by the way, is not equal to one quarter of your entry fee.

Returned Checks

Returned checks will be subject to a $35.00 fee for each time a check is presented to the bank and returned. If a check is returned to us after the schedules have been released but prior to the start of the tournament, it will be at the tournament directors discretion to drop that team from the event and replace that team with one from our waiting list.

Team Placement

Teams will be placed into divisions according to their affiliate roster designations except in circumstances that indicate that another placement may provide a better fit. (i.e. a team with a negative and lopsided win / loss record and or goal differential may be asked to play in a lower division within their USA Hockey classification or visa versa). Teams entering an event from another country which may have a classifications similar to those used by USA Hockey but they are not identical. Please remember that your league disignation is merely an indicator or relative strength within your league and not necessarily your official designation. Teams that either add a player for tournament play or form a tournament team will need to make application in a division at least one skill level higher than what they compete in, in league play (i'e.Squirt B to Squirt A). Teams failing to do so and or notify us of these changes to their regular season roster in writing at the time of application may be disqualified from completing the tournament without refund. Additional information with respect to team placement can be found on the information page on this website.

Curly the Cannon and the 3 Star Selection

Curly the Cannon hardest shot competition is set up at select tournaments space permitting. This booth has multiple functions. Anyone who is playing in the tournament may compete to win a Big Bear t-shirt at that event. One t-shirt will be awarded per age classification for each tournament. Anyone wishing to shoot may shoot, but only players participating in the tournament are eligible to win. Shirts must be picked up on the Sunday of the tournament at the arena. Shirts will not be shipped, although we've been known to send one back home with another team from your area should you forget.

Anyone who is chosen as one of the 3 star selections in a game is eligible to take 5 shots at no charge.

Hotels

Big Bear Tournaments has secured room blocks for all out-of-town teams participating in our events. As a condition of acceptance and participation in our tournaments, all teams utilizing hotel rooms, including out-of-town teams, must reserve rooms through Big Bear Tournaments and stay in an authorized hotel.

Any team whose home arena is more than 70 miles from the primary tournament rink will be considered an out-of-town team and will be required to comply with our hotel policies and procedures. Out-of-town teams must utilize a minimum of 22 room nights during the tournament (i.e. 11 rooms per nights). Additionally, any team whose members have to travel over 70 miles will be required to comply with our hotel policies and procedures. This only applies to those team members that are traveling. In this instance we will wave the minimum hotel room requirement

If you are within driving distance and are planning to stay in a hotel, you must book your rooms in the same manner as any out-of-town team.  If you do not meet the minimum requirement for rooms, please contact our office for further instructions.

Please do not contact hotels directly as team reservation must be made via a rooming list and sent to the Big Bear office.  We will in turn assign hotels based on your choices and availability.

Please keep in mind that some holiday weekends in which the tournament is schedules to begin on Saturday and end on Monday may require a three night stay, please indicate a Friday arrival and a Monday departure on your rooming list. Once you receive a game schedule, you will have time to cancel a night that you will not need.

Upon receipt of your application, team contacts will receive rooming list forms and instructions to complete the reservation process. Forms can also be found on our web site along with rooming list instructions and hotel rules.
Rooming list forms should be completed and returned to the Big Bear Tournament office at least 3 weeks prior to each event. Regardless of when room blocks are assigned, hotel assignments will be determined on a first come, first served basis.

We receive many requests from teams within the same organization wishing to stay in the same hotel. We make every effort to accommodate these requests and early receipt of completed room lists will increase this possibility.

Hotel selections are listed on our web site, as a link off of each tournament page, which will include a picture of the property, the nightly contracted rate, a description, and a quick visual list of amenities highlighted in red surrounding the hotel picture.. Big Bear Tournaments offers an outstanding selection of hotels in each of our cities, chosen to provide first class comfort and service to our out- of -town guests.

Please be aware that many of our partner hotels offer a complimentary room for the head coach . Please see our discount programs for additional details.  

Shoot Out Hockey, Inc derives a compensation from participating hotels for your stay. Any team or team member found during the course of any tournament to be staying in a hotel that has not gone through the procedure outlined above will cause that team to be disqualified from advancing to either the semi-finals or championship game's) or removed from the tournament regardless of their record. There will be no exception to this policy.

For any additional clarification concerning these policies please call us at 248.399.1694