World Juniors overtime rules: Explaining the formats at the 2022 IIHF U20 World Championship

International tournaments have different formats and rules than professional leagues. It’s no different in ice hockey.

The 2022 World Junior Championship, sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), will be held in Edmonton and while the rules are mostly the same as the NHL, some differ.

One of them is overtime. The World Juniors apply a slight variation of the NHL rules, and depending on the round of the tournament, the rules may change again.

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Here is more information on the overtime rules at World Juniors 2022:

World Juniors Preliminary Round Overtime Rules

If a game ends in a tie after regular time during the preliminary round, the teams play a five-minute 3-on-3 overtime game. Teams do not change sides during the OT period and the game ends when a goal is scored.

If neither team can score in overtime, the game goes to a penalty shootout. Each team gets five shooters and the team with the most goals after five rounds wins the game.

If the teams are tied after five rounds, the shootout continues until one team scores in one round and the other does not. While teams must choose five different skaters in the early rounds, after the five rounds are up, players can skate as many times as their coach desires.

Teams that win in extra time or a penalty shootout get two points in the table, while the loser gets one point.

World Juniors Playoff Overtime Rules

In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time in a relegation, placement, quarterfinal, semifinal, or bronze medal match, a 10-minute sudden death playoff will be played. It’s 3v3 and the first team to score wins the game.

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If the competition remains tied after OT, it goes into a five-round shootout.

World Juniors Gold Medal Game Overtime Rules

The gold medal game is the only non-shooting competition.

If the gold medal game remains tied after three rule periods, 3-on-3 hockey will go into 20-minute overtime. Unlike the previous rounds, the OT periods continue until a goal is scored.

These games have 15-minute breaks between each overtime, and the ice is resurfaced. The first team to score wins the game and the gold medal.