Information
Tournament Format
The 10 teams are divided into two, five-team groups in the Preliminary Round.
After a single round-robin series in each group, the top four teams from each group advance to the Playoff Round while the fifth-placed team in each group moves to the Relegation Round.
The top four placed teams from the Preliminary will play a cross-over Quarterfinal game: 1A vs. 4B, 1B vs. 4A, 2A vs. 3B and 2B vs. 3A. The winner of each Quarterfinal moves onto the Semi-Finals.
The winner of each Semi-Final game will move onto the Gold Medal Game, while the losers will play in the Bronze Medal Game.
The quarter-final losers will be ranked 5th to 8th according to 1. their position in the group, 2. their preliminary-round record (1. points, 2. goal difference, 3. goals scored).
Relegation format
The two last-placed teams play a best-of-three Relegation Round series. The third game is only played if needed. The winner of the series plays again at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship, while loser is relegated to Division I Group A.
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 Penalty-Shot Shootout if the teams are still tied following conclusion of the overtime period
- 0 points for the team losing the game in regulation time
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).
Final Ranking
The gold medal game and bronze medal game will determine the final ranking for the top-4 teams. The eliminated teams from the preliminary round plus the losing teams of the quarter-finals will be ranked following their positions in the groups preceding the quarter-final round.
The final ranking will follow the following procedure:
1. Higher position in the group,
2. Higher number of points,
3. Better goal difference,
4. Higher number of goals scored for,
5. Better seeding number
More information
Click here to download the IIHF’s Rule Book and Sport Regulations.
Player Entry
- The teams submit the names of the participating players at the first Championship Directorate.
- The maximum number of players allowed on a Team Registration Form at the beginning of the championship is 20 skaters and 3 goalies. The minimum is 15 skaters and 2 goalies.
- At the first Directorate meeting, the teams must name at least the minimum number of 15 skaters and 2 goalkeepers. The players entered must be present at the championship venue by the time of the Directorate meeting.
- The remaining players up to the allowed maximum of 20 + 3 must be submitted for players' control two hours before any of the following championship games. Players can be added throughout the tournament until the roster is full.
- During a game, a team may enter (dress) 20 skaters and 2 goalkeepers on the Official Game Sheet, with the emergency goalkeeper standing by if a goalie entered to the Official Game Sheet is unable to play.
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 represents.
Acquiring a new national eligibility (The ‘two-year’ case)
When a player has changed his citizenship or has acquired another citizenship and wants to participate for the first time in an IIHF competition representing his new country he must:
- Prove that he has participated for at least two consecutive hockey seasons and 16 consecutive months (480 days) in the national competitions of his new country after his 10th birthday during which period he 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 his new country and which was approved and dated at least 16 months (480 days) prior to his proposed participation.
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:
- He is a citizen of the new country of his choice.
- He has participated for at least four consecutive years (1460 days) in the national competitions of his new country, during which period he has neither transferred to another country nor played ice hockey within any other country and has not played for his previous country in an IIHF competition during this four year period.
- He has an international transfer card (ITC) that shows the transfer to the national competition of his new country and which was approved and dated at least four years before the start of the IIHF competition in which he wishes to participate.
History
The IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national U18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April.
Results
Year |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Venue |
1999 |
Finland |
Sweden |
Slovakia |
Füssen / Kaufbeuren (Germany) |
2000 |
Finland |
Russia |
Sweden |
Kloten / Weinfelden (Switzerland) |
2001 |
Russia |
Switzerland |
Finland |
Heinola / Helsinki / Lahti (Finland) |
2002 |
United States |
Russia |
Czech Republic |
Piestany / Trnava (Slovakia) |
2003 |
Canada |
Slovakia |
Russia |
Yaroslavl (Russia) |
2004 |
Russia |
United States |
Czech Republic |
Minsk (Belarus) |
2005 |
United States |
Canada |
Sweden |
Ceske Budejovice / Plzen (Czech Republic) |
2006 |
United States |
Finland |
Czech Republic |
Angelholm / Halmstad (Sweden) |
2007 |
Russia |
United States |
Sweden |
Tampere / Rauma (Finland) |
2008 |
Canada |
Russia |
United States |
Kazan (Russia) |
2009 |
United States |
Russia |
Finland |
Fargo (USA) |
2010 |
United States |
Sweden |
Finland |
Minsk / Bobruisk (Belarus) |
2011 |
United States |
Sweden |
Russia |
Crimmitschau / Dresden (Germany) |
2012 |
United States |
Sweden |
Canada |
Brno / Znojmo (Czech Republic) |
2013 |
Canada | United States | Finland |
Sochi (Russia) |
2014 |
United States | Czech Republic | Canada |
Lappeenranta / Imatra (Finland) |
2015 |
United States | Finland | Canada |
Zug / Lucerne (Switzerland) |
2016 |
Finland | Sweden | USA |
Grand Forks (USA) |
2017 |
USA | Finland | Russia |
Poprad, Spisska Nova Ves (Slovakia) |
Medal Count
No. |
Country |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
1 |
United States |
10 |
3 |
2 |
15 |
2 |
Russia |
3 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
3 |
Finland |
3 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
4 |
Sweden |
0 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
5 |
Canada |
3 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
Czech Republic |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
Slovakia |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
Switzerland |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Media Accreditation
From 19 to 29 April 2018, the Chelyabinsk Region will host the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. The event will be the 20th U18 tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The competition will be held in two cities, Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk. The South Urals will be welcoming the world's top-10 U18 teams.
Media representatives wishing to cover the event are invited to go through the accreditation procedure. An application must be submitted electronically HERE. When filling out the application, you will be requested to upload a colour photo in electronic form. Be sure to specify the full name - your last name and first name.
Applications will be accepted until 1st April 2018. After the above date, there will be no technical possibility to submit applications.
If necessary, the Organizing Committee shall reserve the right to additionally request a letter from the media organisation's editor in chief on an official letterhead with a signature and the entity’s stamp.
For further questions concerning the accreditation procedure, please contact Ms Kseniуa Klepinina at [email protected].
Accommodation for Media
For questions about booking accommodation in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk in the competition, please contact Ms Nadezhda Piguzova at [email protected].
Visa Support for Media
Foreign media representatives who need visa support can send this form to [email protected] to get a visa invitation. Visa support will only be granted to media representatives whose accreditation request has been approved. With the visa invitation you can fill the visa application form here and apply for a visa at the Russian visa application centre or consulate or embassy responsible for your region.