Rules: Table
Infractions against players: Common calls.
Depending on the severity of the penalty the outcome varies, if the player has been injured the most likely outsome will be either a Major penalty + Misconduct or a Match penalty. In some cirrcumstances the player who has commited the infraction may be reported to the authorites e.g. Police.
Penalty |
Description |
IIHF Interpretation |
Outcome |
Boarding (A) |
Pushing an opponent violently into the boards while the player is facing the boards. |
A player who body checks, elbows, charges or trips an opponent in such a manner that it causes the opponent to be thrown violently into the boards |
Minor penalty (2) |
Boarding (B) |
|
A player who injures their opponent as a result of boarding |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5 +GM) |
Butt- Ending (A) |
Jabbing an opponent with the end of the shaft of the stick. It carries an automatic major penalty and game misconduct |
A player who attempts to butt-end an opponent |
Double minor+ Misconduct (2 +2+10) |
Butt- Ending (B) |
|
A player who butt-ends an opponent |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Butt-Ending (C) |
|
A player who injures their opponent by butt-ending |
Match Penalty (MP) |
Charging (A) |
Taking more than three strides or jumping before hitting an opponent. |
A player who runs, jumps or charges an opponent or goalkeeper while they are in the crease |
Minor penalty (2) |
Charging (B) |
|
A player who injures their opponent as a result of charging |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Checking from behind (A) |
Hitting an opponent from behind is a penalty. |
A player who runs, jumps or hits in any manner |
Minor penalty + Automatic Misconduct penalty (2+10) |
Checking from behind (B) |
|
A player who injures an opponent as a result of checking |
Match penalty (MP) |
Clipping (A) |
Delivering a check below the knees of an opponent |
A player who lowers their own body position to deliver a check on or below an opponent’s knee |
Minor penalty (2) |
Clipping (B) |
|
A player who injures their opponent by a clipping action |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Cross- Checking (A) |
Hitting an opponent with the stick when it is held with two hands and no part of the stick is on the ice. |
A player who cross-checks an opponent |
Minor penalty (2) |
Cross- Checking (B) |
|
A player who injures an opponent by cross checking |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Elbowing (A) |
Hitting an opponent with the elbow. |
A player who uses their elbow to foul an opponent |
Minor penalty (2) |
Elbowing (B) |
|
A player who injures an opponent by elbowing |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Excessive Roughness |
|
Any player who commits an action not permitted by the rules that may cause or causes injury to an opponent, team or game official |
Match penalty (MP) |
Fisticuffs or Roughness (A) |
Engaging in a physical altercation with an opposing player, usually involving the throwing of punches with gloves removed or worse. Minor altercations such as simple pushing and shoving, and punching with gloves still in place, are generally called as Roughing. |
A player who intentionally takes off their gloves in a fight or altercation |
Misconduct (10) |
Fisticuffs or Roughness (B) |
|
A player who starts fisticuffs |
Match penalty (MP) |
Fisticuffs or Roughness (C) |
|
A player who having been struck, retaliates with a blow or attempted blow |
Minor penalty (2) |
Fisticuffs or Roughness (D) |
|
Any player or goalkeeper who is the first to intervene in a altercation already in progress |
Automatic game misconduct (GM) |
Fisticuffs or Roughness (E) |
|
If a player, after they have been ordered by the referee to stop, continues the altercation, attempts to continue or resists a linesmen in the discharge of their duties |
Double minor (2+2) |
Fisticuffs or Roughness (F) |
|
If a player or team official who is on or off the ice and is involved in an altercation or fisticuffs with a player or team official off the playing surface |
Misconduct (10) |
Fisticuffs or Roughness (G) |
|
If a player is deemed guilty of unnecessary roughness |
Minor penalty (2) |
Fisticuffs or Roughness (H) |
|
A player who grabs or holds the face mask or helmet or pulls the hair of an opponent |
Minor penalty (2) |
Head-Butting |
Hitting an opponent with the head |
A player who attempts or deliberately head-butts an opponent |
Match penalty (MP) |
High Sticking (A) |
Touching an opponent with the stick above shoulder level |
A player who carries or holds their stick or any part of it above the height of their shoulders that makes contact with an opponent |
Minor penalty (2) |
High Sticking (B) |
|
A player who carries or holds their stick or any part of it above the height of their shoulders that makes contact with an opponent and causes injury with their stick |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
High Sticking (C) |
|
If the high sticking action that caused the injury was judged accidental |
Double minor (2+2) |
Holding an Opponent |
Grabbing an opponent's body, equipment or clothing with the hands or stick |
A player who holds an opponent with their hands or in any other way |
Minor penalty (2) |
Holding the Stick |
Grabbing and holding an opponent's stick |
A player who an opponent’s stick with their hands or in any other way |
Minor penalty (2) |
Hooking (A) |
Using a stick as a hook to slow an opponent |
A player who impedes or seeks to impede the progress of an opponent by hooking them with their stick |
Minor penalty (2) |
Hooking (B) |
|
A player who injures an opponent by hooking |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Hooking (C) |
|
In a “Breakaway” situation when a player is in control of the puck outside their own defending zone and has no opponent to pass other than the goalkeeper and they are hooked from behind, thus preventing a reasonable opportunity to score |
Penalty Shot (PS) |
Hooking (D) |
|
If when the goalkeeper has been removed the ice (empty net) and the player in control of the puck is outside their own defending zone is hooked with no opposition between them and the opposing goal, thus preventing a reasonable scoring chance |
Goal |
Interference (A) |
Impeding a player who does not have the puck |
A player who interferes or impedes the progress of an opponent who is not in possession of the puck |
Minor penalty (2) |
Interference (B) |
|
A player on either the players bench or the penalty bench who by means of their stick or body interferes with the movement of the puck or any opponent on the ice during the progress of play |
Minor penalty (2) |
Interference (C) |
|
A player who by means of their stick or their body interferes with or impedes the progress of the goalkeeper while they are in the goal crease |
Minor penalty (2) |
Interference (D) |
|
If when the goalkeeper has been has been removed from the ice any member of the team including a team official, interferes by the means of the stick or any other object or their body, with the movement of the puck or an opposing player |
Goal |
Kicking |
Kicking an opponent with the skate or skate blade |
A player who kicks or attempts to kick |
Match penalty (MP) |
Kneeing (A) |
Hitting an opponent with the knee |
A player who uses their knee to foul an opponent |
Minor penalty (2) |
Kneeing (B) |
|
A player who injures an opponent by kneeing |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Slashing (A) |
Swinging a stick at an opponent |
A player who impedes or seeks to impede the progress of an opponent by slashing with their stick |
Minor penalty (2) |
Slashing (B) |
|
A player who injures an opponent by slashing |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Slashing (C) |
|
A player who swings their stick at another player in the course of any altercation |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Spearing (A) |
Stabbing an opponent with the stick blade |
A player who attempts to spear an opponent |
Double minor + misconduct (2+2+10) |
Spearing (B) |
|
A player who spears an opponent |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Spearing (C) |
|
A player who injures an opponent by spearing |
Match penalty (MP) |
Tripping (A) |
Using a stick or one's body to trip an opponent |
A player who shall place their stick, leg, foot, hand or elbow in such a manner it causes their opponent to trip or fall |
Minor penalty (2) |
Tripping (B) |
|
A player who injures an opponent by tripping |
Major penalty + Automatic game misconduct (5+GM) |
Tripping (C) |
|
In a breakaway situation when a player in control of the puck outside their own defending zone with no opponents to pass other than the goalkeeper is tripped from behind, thus preventing a reasonable scoring chance |
Penalty Shot (PS) |
Tripping (D) |
|
If when the opposing goalkeeper has been removed from the ice and the player in control of the puck is outside their own defending zone with no opponent to pass between them and the opposing goal is tripped from behind |
Goal |
Checking to the Head and Neck |
Checking the head and neck area into the protective glass |
A player who directs a check or blow with any part of their body to the head or neck area of an opposing player into the protective glass |
Minor penalty + Automatic Misconduct penalty (2+10) |
|
|
A player who injures an opponent as a result of checking to the head and neck area |
Match penalty (MP) |
Women Body Checking |
Hitting an opponent with any part of the body |
In women’s ice hockey if a player makes a direct body- check |
Minor penalty (2) |