Ice Hockey World Championships 2025

Teams are divided into two groups of eight teams. In the group stage, seven matches are played, so all teams in the group face each other once.

The top four teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals. The first-placed team from one group plays against the fourth-placed team from the other group, while the second-placed team plays against the third-placed team from the other group: 1A-4B, 2A-3B, 1B-4A, 2B-3A.

How are the semi-final pairs formed? Criteria: 1) group placement, 2) points in the group stage, 3) goal difference in the group stage, 4) goals scored in the group stage, 5) world ranking before the tournament. The best-placed team plays against the lowest-placed team in the semi-finals. The second-best team plays against the third-best team.

The winners of the semi-finals advance to the final, while the losing teams play in the bronze match.

Relegation

The two teams with the fewest points will be relegated to the lower division of the Ice Hockey World Championship 1A. Two best teams from Division 1A will be promoted in their place.

Three Points for a Win

Points are awarded in matches as follows:

• 3 points for the winning team in a match that ends in regular time
• 1 point for both teams in a match that ends in a tie in regular time
• one extra point for the team that wins the match in 5 minutes of overtime or in a shootout after the overtime ends in a tie
• no points for the team that loses in regular time

Overtime

If the match is tied at the end of regular time, a three-minute break is taken, and a 5-minute overtime is played. The teams do not switch ends. Overtime ends after five minutes or if one of the teams scores a goal. The team that scores the goal wins the match. If the match is still tied after overtime, a shootout will take place. During the group stage, teams have three (3) skaters and a goaltender on the ice during overtime.

Overtime in knockout matches (qualification round, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and bronze match):

• Overtime lasts 10 minutes, preceded by a 3-minute break.
• Teams do not switch ends.
• Teams have three (3) skaters and a goaltender.
• Overtime ends if one team scores a goal, and the team that scores the goal wins the match.
• If the match is still tied after the overtime period, a shootout will take place.

Overtime in the final:

• In the final, 20-minute overtime periods are played until one team scores the winning goal.
• Overtime is always preceded by a 15-minute intermission and ice maintenance.
• In overtime, teams have three (3) skaters and a goaltender.

Shootout

If no goals are scored in overtime, the match will be decided by a shootout. The shootout proceeds as follows:

• The shootout starts with five (5) players from each team. Players shoot alternately until a decisive goal is scored.
• If the match is still tied after five pairs of shooters, it continues on a “sudden death” basis, one pair at a time. The original shooting order of the teams is changed. Players can be the same or new.
• The same player can shoot every shot in sudden death shootouts.
• Only the decisive goal is recorded in the match result.
• Both ends of the rink are used in the shootout. The longitudinal center area of the rink is resurfaced with a zamboni without using water before the shootout begins.
• The shooter for the shootout is decided by a coin toss; the winner of the coin toss gets to decide the shooting order.
• No player can be named for the shootout if their penalty has not expired before the end of overtime. They must remain in the penalty box or locker room.
• Goaltenders defend the same goal as in overtime. Each team can change goaltenders after each shot.
• Players from both teams shoot alternately until a decisive goal is scored.
• Only the decisive goal is recorded in the match result.

Tiebreaker in Standings

If two teams have the same number of points in the standings after the group stage, the team that won the head-to-head match will be ranked higher.

Since the three-point system does not allow for a tie, the following tiebreaker procedure applies when three or more teams are tied on points.

If three or more teams have the same number of points, the ranking is determined based on the results of matches played among those teams. The same group principle applies until a difference is found or only two teams remain in the group. If only two teams remain in the group, the ranking is determined by the match between those teams.

Step 1: A group is formed that includes only the tied teams. The points earned in matches among the teams in the group are summed. Ranking is determined by the number of points.

Step 2: If three or more teams are still tied, the goals scored and conceded in matches among the teams in the group are counted. A better goal difference determines the ranking.

Step 3: If three or more teams are still tied, the goals scored in matches among the teams in the group are counted. The number of goals scored determines the ranking.

Step 4: If three or more teams are still tied after the points, goal difference, and goals scored, the ranking is determined by the match against the best-placed team from outside the group that played in the same group. The teams in the group are compared to the best team in the group based on points, goal difference, and goals scored. The best comparison value determines the ranking.

Step 5: If three or more teams are still tied after these five comparison points, the teams are compared to the second-best team in the group in the same way as in step 4.

Step 6: If three or more teams are still tied after these five comparison points, the ranking is determined by the ranking position the teams had at the start of the tournament.

Source: IIHF