Ice Hockey Penalties

When a player is given a penalty during the game, he is sent to the penalty box, where he must stay for a for a set number of minutes. During this time, the player isn't allow to play in the game.

The team for which the penalized player plays for isn't allowed to replace the penalized player on the ice, and is thus left short handed. They have to play more of a defense mood type of game and kill the penalty (Penalty Killing) until the penalty expires and the penalized players returns to the ice.

The opposing team, which has one more player on the ice than the short handed team is given a Power Play. There are some slightly different standards between different leagues, but most leagues around the world recognize several common degrees of ice hockey penalties and other infractions.

The recording of ice hockey penalties in the statistic books is marked as "PIM", which stands for "Penalties Infraction Minutes." However in recent years, it has almost been known as "Penalties In Minutes."

Penalty Enforcement

When a penalty is called, the referee will put an arm up in the air. When a player on the penalized team has control of the puck, the referee will blow the whistle and play will stop.

When the referee has one of his arm in the air, there is a "delayed penalty" coming on of the two teams. The team that the penalty isn't on will pull their goaltender to get an extra attacker on the ice. They don't have anything to worry about because once a player on the penalized team has control of the puck, the referee will blow the whistle and stop play.

The player that has been penalized is sent to the penalty box and they have to stay there until the penalty has expired. His team will not be allowed to replace the penalized player on the ice; the player will return directly to the ice once the penalty has expired.

This creates a power play during which the penalized team will have one player fewer than their opponent and is said to be "short-handed". If two players on a team are in the penalty box at the same time, their team will be in a "five on three" situation.

Additional players may be penalized, but a team will never play with fewer than three skaters on the ice. Additional penalties will be delayed until one of the earlier penalties has expired.

Goaltenders can also receive penalties. When they do, the penalty is served by another player from their team who was on the ice at the time of the penalty.

The team that is short handed is allowed to ice the puck as many time as they wish until the penalty expires.

Types of Penalties

Minor Penalty:

• Minor Penalty: A minor penalty is the most common degree of ice hockey penalty that is given out to a player who commits a penalty. The player has to go to the penalty box for two minutes. If the team that has the power play scores, the penalty ends and the player can leave the penalty box. On the off chance that a goal is scored against the team who the penalty is being called on, in term a "delayed penalty", the penalty is not called and waived off.

  If a team has received multiple minor penalties, a goal against them will end only the first assessed minor penalty.

  In the NHL and NCAA hockey, if two players on opposing teams receive minor penalties, (this is called "coincidental") while their teams are at full strength, the teams will each play with four skaters in "four-on-four" play.

  Since four-on-four isn't considered short handed, a goal in four-on-four play does not end either penalty.

  The rules for coincidental penalties in USA Hockey and IIHF are slightly different. Coincidental minor penalties result in normal full strength hockey, five-on-five. The penalized players can't return to the ice until the first stoppage in play after their penalties expire.

  Another type of minor ice hockey penalty is the bench minors. Bench minors are often given when one team has too many men on the ice. (more then five) The team that receives this penalty can select any player (except goalie) on their team to serve it in the penalty box.

  Minor penalties are very common and given out for ice hockey penalties such as cross-checking, high-sticking, holding, holding the stick, elbowing, hooking, interference, roughing, slashing, delaying the game and tripping.

Double Minor Penalty:

• Double Minor Penalty: For certain penalties, a player can receive a double minor penalty. A double minor penalty is basically two consecutive minor penalties, or basically a player gets four minutes in the penalty box, instead of two. Double minors are usually given out for ice hockey penalties such as high sticking which results in a laceration.

  If a goal is scored during the first penalty of a double minor, the first penalty expires and the second immediately begins. If a goal is scored against the offending team on a delayed penalty that is to be a double minor, the first penalty is negated and the second is enforced as a normal minor.

Major Penalty:

• Major Penalty: A major penalty is the strongest degree of ice hockey penalty that a player can get. It is usually given out for a sever ice hockey penalties and infractions. Fighting always equals a major penalty.

  A player who receives a major penalty will receive a five minute penalty. If major penalties are given out to one player on each team at the same time, they may be substituted for and teams will not be reduced by one player on the ice.

  If one player earns three major penalties in a game, that player will get an automatic game misconduct penalty. Spearing, fighting, butt-ending, charging, and boarding are the most common ice hockey penalties that usually receive a major penalty.

Misconduct Penalty:

• Misconduct Penalty: A misconduct penalty is a ice hockey penalty that requires a player to remain off the ice for ten minutes. The player that receives the misconduct can be substituted for on the ice and may return to the ice at the first stoppage in play following the expiration of the penalty.

Game Misconduct Penalty:

• Game Misconduct Penalty: A player who receives a game misconduct is ejected from the game and usually receives a five minute major penalty.

Match Penalty:

• Match Penalty: A match penalty is given to a player who deliberately attempts to injure another player, spectator, and/or physically or verbally abuses a official. A player who receives a match penalty is automatically ejected. The player's team receives a five minute major penalty, and someone else on the team has to serve the penalty in the penalty box since the player who caused the match penalty is ejected from the game.

  In the NHL, a game misconduct and match penalty are basically identical, except that if a player receives a match penalty they are also suspended from the next game also.

  In NCAA hockey, a similar penalty called a game disqualification results in an automatic suspension for the number of games equal to the number of game disqualification penalties the player has been assessed in that season.

Penalty Shot:

• Penalty Shot: A penalty shot is a special type of ice hockey penalty in which a scoring opportunity was lost as a result of an infraction (like being tripped or hooked while on a breakaway, or a player (other than the goaltender) covers the puck with his hand inside the crease).

  The player who had the scoring chance taken away from him is allowed an opportunity to go one and one with the goalie without any interference from any other players. The player gets once chance to score on the goalie and isn't allowed to score off a rebound. Penalty shots are also used in numerous leagues as shoot outs to decided winners if the game is tied after a certain amount of time has been played.

Stacked Penalties:

• Stacked Penalties: A stacked penalty is when two players on one team are in the penalty box at the same time. This gives the other team a five on three advantage.

  If a third player of the same team gets a penalty before either of the other two have expired, it remains 5 on 3 and it becomes a stacked penalties situation, as at least three skaters for each team must be on the ice at one time. This means the third penalty will start when one of the others expire, whether the time expires, or the opposing team scores on the power play.

List of Penalties

Click here for pictures of Referee Penalty Signals.

Abuse of Officials:

• Abuse of Officials: Abuse of official penalty is a ice hockey penalty that is given to a player or coach that argues with, makes deliberate violent contact, insults, and/or use obscene gestures and language directed at or in reference to any on or off ice official. The penalty usually includes a game misconduct penalty and ejection from the game.

Aggressor Penalty:

• Aggressor Penalty: This ice hockey penalty is given to the player involved in a fight who was the more aggressive during the fight. This is independent of the instigator penalty, but both are usually not assessed to the same player.

Attempt to Injure:

• Attempt to Injure: This ice hockey penalty is given to a player who deliberately tries to injure or harm (successfully or not) another player. This penalty usually carries an automatic match penalty.

Boarding:

• Boarding: Boarding is a ice hockey penalty that is given to a player that pushes an opponent player violently into the boards while the player is facing the boards.

Butt-ending:

• Butt-ending: Butt-ending is a ice hockey penalty that is given to a player that jabs an opponent with the end of the shaft of their stick. It carries an automatic major penalty and game misconduct.

Charging:

• Charging: Charging is a ice hockey penalty that is given to a player that takes more than three strides or is jumps before hitting an opponent.

Checking from behind:

• Checking from behind: Checking from behind is when a player hits an opponent from behind. This is a penalty. It carries an automatic minor penalty and misconduct, or a major penalty and game misconduct if it results in injury.

Clipping:

• Clipping: Clipping is when a player delivers a check below the knees of an opponent. If injury results, a major penalty and a game misconduct will result.

Cross Checking:

• Cross Checking: Cross checking is when a player hits an opponent with their stick when it is held with two hands and no part of the stick is on the ice. Depending on the severity of the hit, it can result in a double major or major penalty.

Delay of Game:

• Delay of Game: Delay of game is stalling the game. An example of delay of game would be shooting the puck out of play over the glass, refusing to send players out for a face off, holding the puck in your hand, or going offsides repeatedly on purpose. The NHL changed the rules following the 2004-05 lockout. Delay of games is a minor penalty. Refusing to send players out for a face off or going offsides repeatedly aren't called as penalties, but the teams and players could be given warnings by the officials to stop doing it.

Diving:

• Diving: Diving is when a player falls onto the ice on purpose in the attempt to draw a penalty against an opposing player. Usually this doesn't work and the player can be called for diving and be given a minor penalty.

Elbowing:

• Elbowing: Elbowing is when a player hits an opposing player with his elbow. Depending on the severity of the hit, it can sometimes results in a double minor penalty, a misconduct, or a game misconduct.

Fighting:

• Fighting: Fighting is when two players engage in a physical altercation with each other. It usually involves 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. Fighting is consider a major penalty and each player has to serve five minutes in the penalty box. Some fights can involve a matching penalty, game misconduct or misconduct if it the fight is really nasty and violent. Sometimes depending on who started the fight, one player can get an extra two minutes for instigating the fight.

Goaltender Interference:

• Goaltender Interference: Goaltender interference is when a player physically impedes or checks the goalie. Visually impeding the goalie's view of the play with your body, called "screening", is legal.

Goaltender leaving crease:

• Goaltender leaving crease: A goaltender may not leave the vicinity of his crease during an altercation. A minor penalty will be assessed if the goaltender does so.

Head-butting:

• Head-butting: Head butting is when a player hits another opponent with their head. This gets the player a matching penalty usually.

High-sticking:

• High-sticking: High sticking is when a player touches an opponent with theur stick above shoulder level. A minor penalty is assessed to the player. If blood is drawn, a double-minor (4 minutes) is usually called.

Holding:

• Holding: Holding is when a player grabs an opponent's body, equipment or clothing with his hands or stick.

Holding the stick:

• Holding the stick: Holding the stick is when a player grabs and holds an opponent's stick, also called when a player deliberately wrenches a stick from the hands of an opposing player or forces the opponent to drop it by any means that is not any other penalty such as Slashing.

Hooking:

• Hooking: Hooking is when a player uses a stick as a hook to slow an opponent.

illegal equipment:

• illegal equipment: This is when a player uses illegal equipment. Using equipment that does not meet regulations, either by size (length, width) or number (two sticks) or other guidelines (e.g. a goalie's facemask can no longer be the "Jason"-style form-fit mask, a skater may not have a stick with a curve exceeding 3/4", nor may they play with a goalie's stick. A goalie may play with a regular player's stick.). If a player (non-goalie) broke a stick, the player has to drop the stick immediately and play without a stick until he goes back to the bench and gets a new stick. If he doesn't drop the stick and continues playing with it, he will get a minor penalty.

Instigator Penalty:

• Instigator Penalty: Instigator penalty is called on a player who is the obvious instigator in a fight. It is called in addition to the five minute major penalty for fighting.

Interference:

• Interference: Interference is when a player impedes an opponent who does not have the puck, or impedes any player from the bench.

Joining a fight:

• Joining a fight: This is also referred to as the "3rd man in" rule. The first person who was not part of a fight when it broke out but participates in the fight once it has started for any reason is charged with an automatic game misconduct in addition to any other penalties they receive for fighting.

Kicking:

• Kicking: This is when a player kicks an opposing player with his knee.

Playing with too many sticks:

• Playing with too many sticks: This is when a player plays with more than one stick. For example, if a goalie were to lose his stick and a player from his team skates over to pick up the goalie stick and then, while skating back to the goalie with both sticks, attempts to touch a live puck with either stick, will be called for Playing with too many sticks.

Roughing:

• Roughing: Roughing is when a player pushes and shoves after the whistle has been blown or when a player checks an opponent with his hands into his opponents face. Also called in non-checking leagues when an illegal body check is made.

Secondary altercation:

• Secondary altercation: This penalty is not called in the NHL, but it is common in minor league levels. This penalty is most commonly issued when players engage in or attempt to engage in fight after the original fight (between two separate players). This infraction carries an automatic game misconduct penalty.

Slashing:

• Slashing: Slashing is when a player swings a stick at an opponent, no contact is required for it to be called a penalty, only the action.

Spearing:

• Spearing: Spearing is when a player Stabs an opponent with the blade of his stick. It carries an automatic major penalty and game misconduct.

Substitution infraction (Illegal Substitution:

• Substitution infraction (Illegal Substitution: This rare bench minor penalty is called when a substitution or addition is attempted during a stoppage of play after the linesmen have signaled no more substitutions (once the face-off is set) or if a team pulls its goalie and then attempts to have the goalie re-enter play at any time other than during a stoppage of play. Too many men on the ice and/or starting the wrong lineup can also simply be called a substitution infraction.

Too many men on the ice:

• Too many men on the ice: Having more than six players (including the goalie) on the ice involved in the play at any given time. "Involved in the play" is key; players that are entering the ice as substitutes for players coming off (line changing) may enter the ice once the player returning to the bench is less than five (5) feet from his team's bench at that point the returning player is considered out of the play, even if the play passes in front of the bench, unless he actively makes a move for the puck. Players entering the ice are part of the play as soon as their skates touch the ice.

Tripping:

• Tripping: Tripping is when a player uses his stick or body to trip an opponent..

Unsportsmanlike conduct :

• Unsportsmanlike conduct : Arguing with a referee; using slurs against an opponent or teammate; playing with illegal equipment; making obscene gestures or abusing an official. Can carry either a minor, misconduct, game misconduct or match penalty, depending on the gravity of the infraction.

Using Penalties as a form of Strategy

Penalty Records

On March 5, 2004 the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers set the record for the most penalties in a single game. The two teams combined for 419 penalty minutes were handed out.

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