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Penalties

A team plays shorthanded when one or more of its players is charged with a penalty. No team is forced to play more than two men below full (six man) strength at anytime. Whenever a third penalty is called, it is suspended until the first expires. On penalties called on the goaltender, a teammate serves his time in the penalty box.

Types Of Penalties

Delayed Penalty: Whistle delayed until penalized team regains possession of the puck.

Minor Penalty: (two minutes) Called for tripping, hooking, slashing, charging, roughing, holding, elbowing, boarding, cross checking, kneeing, delay of game, high sticking and for interference.

Major Penalty: (five minutes) Called for fighting or when minor penalties are committed with deliberate attempt to injure. Major penalties for slashing, spearing, high sticking, butt ending, boarding 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 a game. This is a penalty against an individual and not a team, so a substitute is permitted.

Penalty Shot: A free shot unopposed except by the goaltender, given to a player who is illegally impeded from behind when in possession of the puck and with no opponent between him and the goal except the goalie. The team which commits the offense is not penalized beyond the penalty shot, whether it succeeds or not.

Fighting: Called when two players drop the gloves and begin fighting. Normally a five minute penalty.

Instigating: Called when a player is deemed the instigator of a fight. This adds additional minutes to the five minute penalty and may result in that player's ejection from the game.

Too Many Men On The Ice: Improper line change which results in an extra player on the ice.