2011 RULE CHANGES

2011 RULE CHANGES

AND CASEBOOK SITUATIONS

RULE 402 MINOR PENALTIES

(Note) (Except for Adults) Affiliates or governing bodies are

authorized to reduce the length of minor penalties to no less

than one and one-half minutes for games under their

jurisdiction where the period length is reduced to 15

minutes or less.

Rule 403D MAJOR PENALTIES

(For all Youth, High School and Girls’ Age Classifications)When a player is assessed a major plus misconduct or gamemisconduct penalty, unless immediate substitution ispermitted under the coincidental major penalty Rule 403(c),the penalized team shall immediately place a substitute player

on the penalty bench and such player may not be changed

RULE 403D CON’T

(For Adult Classifications) When a player is assessed a majorplus misconduct or game misconduct penalty, unlessimmediate substitution is permitted under the coincidentalmajor penalty Rule 403(c), the penalized team shall place asubstitute player on the penalty bench before the penaltyexpires. No other replacement for the penalized player shallbe permitted to enter the game except from the penaltybench upon expiration of the penalty. For violation of thisrule a bench minor penalty for illegal substitution shall beimposed.

RULE 604A BODY CHECKING

Body checking is prohibited in the 12 & under youth age

classification and below, all Girls’/Women’s age

classifications and in non-check Adult classifications.

A local governing body may prohibit body checking in any

classification

RULE 604C BODY CHECKING

(Note) Non-check hockey does not mean “no contact.”

There will be legal body contact (see Glossary) within the

rules in non-checking classifications. Legal body contact

shall not be penalized under this rule. However, deliberate

physical contact with an opponent, with no effort to legally

play the puck, shall be penalized.

RULE 604C CASEBOOK

What is the USA Hockey interpretation of body contact versus

body checking? Is a penalty required every time body contact

is made?No. Rule Reference 604(c Note) and Glossary.No check does not mean no contact and the non-check

gamecan be very physical. The Glossary defines both Body

Contactand Body Checking, as well as several other educationalmaterials (including videos

BODY CHECKING GLOSSARY

Legitimate body checking must be done for the purpose of

separating the opponent from the puck, only with the trunk of the

body (hips and shoulders) and must be above the opponent’s knees and at or below the shoulders.

BODY CONTACT GLOSSARY

Contact that occurs between opponents during the normal

process of playing the puck, provided there has been no overt hip,

shoulder or arm contact to physically force the opponent off of

the puck.

RULE 615C FIGHTING

A game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to any player

whose helmet/facemask comes off their head during an

altercation.A match penalty shall be assessed to any

player whodeliberately removes his (or opponent’s)

helmet/facemaskprior to or during an altercation.

RULE 615C CASEBOOK

Opposing players are involved in an altercation and theirhelmet(s) come off during the altercation. It cannot bedetermined how the player’s helmets came off. Does thisconstitute a rule violation?Yes. Rule Reference 615(c).All players are responsible for properly wearing their

helmetand facemask at all times. If a players participates in analtercation without their helmet properly worn then theyshould be assessed a game misconduct penalty along with

anyother penalties they may have incurred as a result of thealtercation

Two players are involved in an altercation and during thealtercation one player reaches over and deliberately removesthe helmet/facemask of the opponent. What penalty isassessed?A match penalty. Rule Reference 615(c).A match penalty must be assessed to any player whodeliberately removes his, or opponent’s, helmet prior to orduring an altercation.The Linesmen should be prepared to step in and separate theplayers as soon as any helmet/facemask has been removed inorder to protect the players from serious injury.

RULE 615 C CASEBOOK

What constitutes an altercation?Any physical interaction between two or more opposingplayers where at least one penalty assessed. Rule Reference615(c, d & e) and Glossary.The Referee has wide latitude in determining penalties to beassessed during an altercation. If the Referee has deemed

thephysical interaction has escalated to the point where

penaltiesare assessed, those rules that pertain to behavior during analtercation must kick in and those penalties assessedappropriately

RULE 615F FIGHTING

Any player who receives a second major penalty for fighting

with the same team during the same season shall receive a

three game suspension. For a third fighting major with the

same team in the same season, the player shall be suspended

until a hearing is conducted by the Proper Authorities under

Rule 410 Supplementary Discipline.

RULE 620A HEAD CONTACT

A minor or major penalty shall be assessed to any player who

contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck, including

with the stick or any part of the player’s body or equipment

RULE 620A CASEBOOK

How much force must be behind a check or other contact toassess a penalty for Head Contact?The only thing that matters is whether there was contactmade to the head, face or neck of the opponent with any partof the body or equipment. Rule Reference 620(a).Injury can result with even minimal force when contact ismade to the head area. Therefore, USA Hockey is taking afirm stance on any contact to the head area that occurs whiledelivering a check or making physical contact with anopponent.

RULE 620A CASEBOOK

Opposing players have fallen and in the process of getting up,

one player makes accidental contact with the head area of the

opponent. Must this be penalized as Head Contact?No. Rule Reference 620(a).Unless the Referee has deemed the act to be

intentional orreckless, this would not be penalized provided the

action wasin the normal course of play and there was not

excessive forceused that could cause injury.

RULE 620B HEAD CONTACT

A major plus a game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to

any player who injures an opponent as a result of head

contact or who intentionally or recklessly contacts an

opponent in the head, face of neck.

RULE 620B CASEBOOK

A reckless act is when the actions of the player delivering the

check clearly do not take into consideration the location on

the body of the opponent where the contact is being made and

uses excessive force in delivering the check to the head or

neck area.As with other dangerous actions, a major plus gamemisconduct or match penalty must be assessed if an

injuryresults from Head Contact.

RULE 620B CASEBOOK

What criteria should the Referee use when assessing a major

penalty for head contact?Anytime the Referee deems the contact to the head

area to beintentional or a reckless act, a major or match

penalty must beassessed. Rule Reference 620(b).Intentional would be deemed to be when the player

“targets’the head or neck area of the opponent when

delivering acheck

RULE 620B CASEBOOK

What degree of force is needed for a match penalty to beassessed for Head Contact?Any check using excessive force for the purpose ofintimidating or punishing the opponent that makes directcontact with the head area of the opponent must be

assessedas a match penalty. Rule Reference 620(c).The onus is on the player delivering the check not to makecontact with the head area of the opponent. When done withexcessive force, the player must be held accountable for thisdangerous action.

RULE 622B HOLDING

A major plus a game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to

a player who uses his hand to rub, grab or hold the facemask

of an opponent

RULE 622B CASEBOOK

Opposing players are involved in an altercation and one

players uses his glove to push off on the facemask of the

opponent. Does this action warrant a major and game

misconduct penalty to be assessed for rubbing the facemask?

No. Rule Reference 622(b).

RULE 622B CASEBOOK CON’T

The spirit and intent of this rule is to strictly penalize those

actions that result in a player grabbing or holding thefacemask of an opponent. The rubbing portion of this

rule isdesigned to address a “facewash” situation where

the playeruses the open palm of the glove to disrespect the

opponent.However, the push off action may still be penalized

as HeadContact or Roughing at the discretion of the Referee.

RULE 622B CASEBOOK

What is the difference between normal holding and grabbing

the facemask?Grabbing the facemask results in the player having virtualcontrol of the opponent’s head and neck – creating an

injurypotential situation. Rule Reference 622(b).In this instance, a match penalty must be assessed if theplayer places his fingers inside the facemask and then

twistsor pulls. There is no other justification for this action otherthan to attempt to injure the opponent.

RULE 622C HOLDING

A match penalty for attempt to injure or deliberate injury to

an opponent may also be assessed for grabbing or holding the

facemask

RULE 630D OFFSIDES

(For Adults [male and female], High School and Youth/Girls’

14 & Under Age Classifications and above only) The

Official shall signal a delayed off-side if an attacking player

proceeds the puck into the Attacking Zone and the delayed

off-side will be nullified if:

RULE 630D OFSIDES

(1) The puck were to exit the attacking zone.

(2) All attacking players are simultaneously clear of the

attacking zone by making skate contact with the blue

line, at the same instant.

Rule 630D CON’T

If any of the following conditions are met, play shall be

stopped and a face-off conducted according to sub-section (c)

of this rule(3) An attacking player touches the puck.(4) An attacking player attempts to gain

possession of thepuck or continues to apply pressure to the

defendingpuck carrier.(5) The puck is shot directly on goal.

RULE 630D OFFSIDES CASEBOOK

• SITUATIONS 1 -23 APPLY FOR ALL CLASIFICATIONS

• SITUATIONS 24 -33 APPLY FOR YOUTH AND GIRLS 12& UNDER AGE CALSSIFICATIONS AND BELOW

• SITUATIONS 34 -44 APPLY FOR YOUTH AND GIRLS 14& UNDER AND OLDER

RULE 639 A2 CLIPPING

A minor or major penalty shall be assessed to any player who

commits the following:Deliberately leaves his feet or lowers

his body to makecontact with the opponent at or below

the knees(Clipping), unless done so for the

purpose of blocking a shot.

RULE 639 CASEBOOK

Finally, a player who deliberately ducks or leaves his feet for

the purpose of contacting an opponent at or below the knees

(Clipping) is worthy of a major penalty when the result is the

opponent being placed in a vulnerable position.