QUESTION: The goalie makes contact with an attacking player standing outside the crease, preventing the goalie from making a save. Should a minor penalty for interference be assessed and/or a potential goal be disallowed? (In this situation, the goalie initiates the contact.)

ANSWER: A player cannot be penalized for interference with the goalkeeper if the goalkeeper initiated the contact. Assuming the attacking player was positioned outside the goal crease, that player has every right to the space they occupy, and the goalkeeper is not entitled to initiate any physical contact with him/her.

QUESTION: In Team B's end-zone. Team A forward passes the puck back to the defenseman at the blue line who wasn't there. Puck goes down the ice. Team B forward just coming off the bench is on the ice prior to the puck entering his attacking zone and plays the puck. What is the call?

ANSWER: Rule 603.b in the USA Hockey Playing Rules states,

“Off-sides shall be waived if a player legally carries or passes the puck back into his own Defending Zone while a player of the opposing team is in the Defending Zone.”

QUESTION: With the opposing goalkeeper in net, a Team A player is fouled from behind (warranting a penalty shot) and a delayed penalty is signaled. The Team A player loses possession of the puck as a result from being fouled from behind and the puck goes into the corner. Before Team B gains possession, the Team B goalkeeper throws his stick at the puck in the corner. Since, by rule, both actions call for a penalty shot (or optional minor), can two penalty shots be awarded to team A in this instance?

ANSWER: Since the “spirit and intent” of a penalty shot is to replace a lost scoring opportunity, only one penalty shot can be awarded in this situation. The other offense would be assessed a minor penalty.

QUESTION: Can 10U players ice the puck to kill a penalty and not have it called as an infraction?

ANSWER: Rule 624.b in the USA Hockey Playing Rules states:

"Icing shall be nullified if any of the following conditions have been met:
 (For Adults [male and female] and High School classifications only) The offending team is shorthanded (below the on-ice numerical strength of their opponent) when the puck is shot. The determination is made at the time the penalty expires and if the puck was shot prior to the penalty time expiration, regardless as to the position of the penalized player, no icing shall be called."

These two age groups (Adult & High School) do not include Youth (10U) players.

QUESTION: Can a rostered Tier I player play for a Tier II team for a tournament?

ANSWER: Unfortunately, we cannot answer this question since it does not specifically regard the USA Hockey Playing Rules.

We encourage you to contact your District or State Registrar (through your local hockey association) with this question. Registrars are responsible for tracking all team rosters and player eligibility in their respective areas.

The USA Hockey Playing Rules are now available as a mobile device app! Check your Apple, Android, or Windows app store to download this playing rule app free of charge.

Check out the USA Hockey mobile-friendly online rulebook application! Enter usahockeyrulebook.com into your mobile device’s web browser to gain instant access to the USA Hockey Playing Rules (must have mobile or internet service).

The USA Hockey Playing Rules Casebook and other educational material can be found under the OFFICIALS tab at USAHockey.com.

QUESTION: When a player is awarded a minor and misconduct, how long is the player in the penalty box? Twelve minutes plus whistle, or ten minutes plus whistle?

ANSWER: If a player receives a Minor and Misconduct penalty he must serve the entire twelve minutes (2+10) consecutively. The additional player his team must place in the box is serving the shorthanded time (not the Minor itself). Since the Minor penalty must be served first (and posted on the penalty clock) the additional player is in the box so their team will have someone available to leave the penalty box and enter the game at the end of the Minor.

If the opposing team scores during the shorthanded Minor penalty time, the Minor is immediately terminated and the Misconduct penalty begins. In other words, the player who received the penalties will be released at the first whistle after ten minutes after the goal.

QUESTION: If the goalie unintentionally displaces the net in the act of making a save, but the displacement of the net allows him to stop a puck that very likely would have been a goal had the net stayed on it's moorings, should this be ruled a goal, save, penalty shot or something else?

ANSWER: Rule 610.e in the USA Hockey Playing Rules states:

"Play shall be stopped immediately when the goal frame has been displaced from its normal position. A minor penalty shall be assessed to any player (including a goalkeeper) who deliberately displaces the goal frame."

If the net was displaced unintentionally, then no penalty should be assessed.

QUESTION: A player is checked, falling to the ice. The player stands up and tracks the player that delivered the initial check 30 - 40 feet into the corner at a high rate of speed and attempts to deliver a forceful check, but misses. Because no contact is made, this is not Charging, but is there another penalty or misconduct that could be applicable?

ANSWER: There is no penalty assessed for missing a body check. Unless the player violated USAH Rule 601, we see no violation that would constitute a penalty.

QUESTION: A goalie looses his stick and is handed a player's stick by a teammate. A few seconds later the forward with no stick picked up the goalie stick to return to the goalie but enters play, after a failed kick of the puck he plays the puck with the goalie stick. Does this scenario result in a penalty under violation of rule 301(c) for "illegal equipment" as the goalie stick exceeds the player stick max measurements?

ANSWER: A player may not participate in play while in possession of a Goalkeeper Stick due to the fact that the Goalkeeper Stick does not conform to the legal dimensions of a Player Stick as outlined in USAH Rule 301.b.

QUESTION: Does this NHL rule also apply to USA Hockey games? In a situation where there is less than five minutes remaining in play, should unequal simultaneous penalties be assessed , then instead of both sides serving their full times, the minor penalty is cancelled and its time subtracted from the major penalty, which is then assessed against that team.

ANSWER: No, the USA Hockey Playing Rules do not include that rule at any level.

The USA Hockey Playing Rules are now available as a mobile device app! Check your Apple, Android, or Windows app store to download this playing rule app free of charge.

Check out the USA Hockey mobile-friendly online rulebook application! Enter usahockeyrulebook.com into your mobile device’s web browser to gain instant access to the USA Hockey Playing Rules (must have mobile or internet service).

The USA Hockey Playing Rules Casebook and other educational material can be found under the OFFICIALS tab at USAHockey.com.