HOME
• By fans, for fans • By fans, for fans • By fans, for fans • By fans, for fans •











Hosting provided by

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

THE RULES

The most common area creating confusion for the novice hockey fan is following breaks in the game caused by penalties. Having a better understanding of some of the most common penalties will drastically improve viewers ability to follow the game.

A team plays shorthanded when one or more of its players is charged with a penalty. However, no team is forced to play more than two players short of full strength (six) at any time. When a third penalty is assessed to the same team, it is suspended until the first penalty expires. When a penalty is called on a goalie, a teammate who is on the ice at the same time of the penalty serves the goalie's time in the penalty box.

    Minor Penalty: (two minutes) Called for tripping, hooking, slashing, charging, roughing, holding, elbowing, or boarding.

    Major Penalty: (five minutes) Called for fighting or when minor penalties are commited with deliberate attempt to injure. Major penalties for slashing, spearing, high-sticking, butt-ending, and cross-checking carry automatic game misconducts.

    Misconduct: (ten minutes) Called for various forms of unsportsmanlike behavior or when a player incurs a second major penalty in  game. This is a penalty against an individual and not a team penalty, so a subtitute is permitted.

    Penalty Shot: A free shot, unopposed except for the goalie. The shot is awarded to a player if he is illegally impeded from behind on a breakaway, or if any player on the defending team throws his stick at a player trying to score. The team which commits the offense is not penalized beyond the penalty shot.

    Delayed Penalty: Whistle is delayed until the penalized team regains possesion of the puck and is signaled by the referee with his arm raised overhead.