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Rules limit the types of plays that can be used in hockey.

Let’s discuss some of the more common violations. Read through the slide show below.

Icing

An illegal defensive play called icing occurs when a defending player shoots the puck from the team’s half to beyond the opponent’s goal line. A player on the other team must touch the puck after it crosses the goal line. If the puck enters the goal, icing is not called; a score is made. Icing will also be called if the player attempted to pass the puck to a teammate who failed to touch it before it went beyond the goal line. The penalty for icing is a face-off in the offending team’s end zone. A referee will not call icing under the following circumstances:

  • If, from a face-off, the puck goes beyond the goal line at the other end of the ice.
  • If the referee considers that an opponent other than the goalkeeper was able to, but did not, play the puck before it passed his goal line.
  • If an opponent’s person, skates or stick touched the puck before it crossed the goal line.
  • If the offending team is short due to men in the penalty box.
icing

Trapping

No player other than the goalkeeper is allowed to pick up, throw, cover, or trap the puck with the hands or body. If this offense occurs in the goal crease, a penalty shot is awarded.

Broken Stick

No player other than a goalkeeper may play without a stick. A broken stick must be dropped to the ice immediately. The player may then get a new stick from the team bench. A goalkeeper may play with a broken stick until there is a stop in play. While play is in progress, the goalkeeper may not go to the team bench to receive a new stick. A penalty will be called if a goalkeeper receives a new stick illegally.

Leaving the Benches

No player may leave the players’ or penalty bench at any time during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation. A player who leaves the team bench during an altercation on the ice shall receive a misconduct penalty. A player who leaves the penalty bench, except at the end of a period or when the penalty expires, is penalized with a minor penalty even if the player does not enter an altercation on the ice. A minor penalty plus a misconduct penalty may also be given if the player enters the altercation. If a player is on the ice illegally, any goal scored by that team is disallowed.

Delaying the Game

A bench minor penalty is imposed for deliberately delaying the game. A minor penalty is imposed if a player leaves the team bench to instruct a teammate, unless the player remains on the ice as a substitute.

Injuries

An injured player other than a goalkeeper may be replaced by a substitute without the team leaving the ice. An injured goalkeeper shall be replaced by the spare goalkeeper, unless both team’s goalkeepers are injured, in which case the players may leave the ice and the team has 10 minutes to prepare another goalkeeper. An injured penalized player may go to the dressing room if a substitute sits on the penalty bench. If the injured player returns to his team bench before his penalty is up, he may take his place on the penalty bench when play next stops. If an injured player is unable to go to his bench, play stops (a) at once if his team has possession, though a teammate may first shoot if in a shooting position, (b) after the opposing team loses possession if they had possession at the time of the injury, though the referee may stop play at once if an injury is serious.

Offside

One member of the team must carry or shoot the puck across the attacking blue line before any other player on the team crosses the line. Violations of this rule are called offside. Offside is probably the most common hockey violation. The diagram illustrates the two types of offside violations. A player is offside when both skates are completely over the outer edge of the blue line involved in the play.

  1. An offside pass violation occurs when player A hits the puck from the defending zone to teammate B across the centerline.
  2. A player offside occurs when player C enters the team’s attacking zone ahead of the puck. When an offside violation occurs, play begins with a face-off in the neutral zone.

There are two determining factors in an offside violation.

  1. Attacking player’s skate position: If a player’s skate is in contact with the blue line, the player is considered to be in the neutral zone; thus, the play is not offside.
  2. Puck position: The puck must completely cross the outer edge of the blue line to be considered inside the attacking zone. Once in the zone, it must completely cross the blue line again to be considered out of the zone.
labeled hockey rink: offside pass, player offside, team x's attacking zone, centerline

Interference

A minor penalty is imposed if a player interferes with or impedes the progress of an opponent not in possession of the puck. A player may not deliberately knock a stick from an opponent’s hands, nor prevent an opponent from retrieving the lost stick. A gross misconduct penalty is imposed if a player on either bench throws any article onto the ice or if any player interferes with an opponent or official. Unless the puck is in the goal crease, a goal will be disallowed if an attacker not in possession stands or holds his/her stick in the goal crease or stands on the goal crease line, except when forced into that position by the interference of an opponent.

Spectator Interference

In the event that objects are thrown on the ice that interfere with the progress of the game, the referee shall blow the whistle and stop play, and the puck shall be faced-off at the spot where play was stopped.

The Crease

The crease is the blue painted area in front of the goal, and it is supposed to be the domain of the goaltender. Players may not enter the crease and interfere with the goaltender. However, they may enter the crease if they are following the puck. If a player scores a goal while a teammate is in the crease, the goal can be disallowed if it is ruled that the player in the crease was interfering with the goaltender. If a player is in control of the puck, shoots, or carries it into the crease and then scores, the goal is allowed. If a player skates into the goaltender with or without the puck, an interference penalty will usually be assessed.

Unplayable Puck

The puck is out of play if it:

  • leaves the playing surface
  • hits an obstacle above the surface other than the boards, glass, or netting
  • becomes lodged in the netting on the outside of a goal

Puck out of Sight

Should a scramble take place or a player accidentally fall on the puck causing the puck to be out of sight of the referee, the official must immediately blow the whistle and stop the play. The puck will then be faced-off at the point where the play was stopped.

Slashing

Slashing refers to the practice of hitting other players with your hockey stick. Players use their sticks to irritate each other, and to interfere with shooting and passing. A slashing penalty is usually called when the contact is particularly nasty, or when an injury is sustained or feigned by the recipient of the blow. A slashing penalty will usually be a minor or double-minor. Majors for slashing are rare.

Illegal Puck

If, during play, another puck appears on the ice, play continues with the legal puck until the end of the play then in progress is completed by change of possession.

Puck Striking Referee

Play continues if the puck strikes the referee, except when it is deflected directly into the goal. When a puck deflects off an official and goes out of play, the ensuing face-off will take place at the spot where the puck deflected off the official. If a goal is scored as a result of being deflected directly into the net off an official, the goal shall not be allowed.