Pro sports rulebooks are fascinating things. They’re living documents, changing constantly as new rules are added, others are dropped, and still more are clarified and adjusted. But despite that, most of the rules are decades old and familiar to even novice fans. We never actually read the rulebook cover to cover —we’d never need to. We all know the basics, and figure that the rest are just minor details.
And that’s all true enough. But fans really should take some time to browse through the rulebook every once in a while, because there’s all sorts of weird stuff in there. Rulebooks are rarely cleaned up, so stuff of indeterminate origin can linger for decades. Rules you’d think would be simple can go down a rabbit hole that lasts for multiple pages. And then there are the exceptions, loopholes, and special scenarios: paragraph after paragraph of increasingly specific language covering situations that in some caseshave never happened. But at some point, somebody somewhere was concerned enough to add a line to the rulebook, where it will probably stay forever.
The NHL is no different, with many of its most common and well-known rules coming with a “Yeah, but … ” that most fans have never heard of. So today, let’s get out our trusty copy of the rulebook and dive in as we hunt for those hidden loopholes that rarely —and in some case never —come up in actual games.
Here are five rules you definitely know, and the weird exceptions to them that you probably didn’t.
1. If a player can’t serve his own major, his team must put someone in the box to replace him.
There are all sorts of situations in which a player might be assessed a major penalty that results in a power play for the other team, but that he can’t actually serve by physically sitting in the penalty box. Maybe the offending player is a goaltender. Or maybe he was ejected, or injured on the play.
In those cases, fans know the drill: The offending player’s team has to send over a player to serve his time for him. It’s usually a one-dimensional offensive star who doesn’t kill penalties anyway and can provide a threat to score on a sneaky breakaway once he’s out of the box.
But while teams do indeed have to put a player in the box, they don’t actually have to do it right away. Rule 20.3 makes it clear that a team “does not have to place a substitute player on the penalty bench immediately”; it’s completely legal to keep theentire bench intact by just leaving the box empty when the penalty starts, and leave it that way as long as desired. During any stoppage in play before the penalty ends, theteamcan send somebody over to serve whatever’s left of the penalty.
Of course, there’s a slight flaw in that sort of plan, and it’s the reason teams almost never try this particular move: If there isn’t a stoppage, and the power play ends before you can get somebody into the box, you’re pretty much screwed. With nobody to come out of the box, the power play would continue indefinitely, or at least until the next whistle. You can’t get to even strength by having a guy hop over the boards from the bench —he has to come from the penalty box.1 And to make matters worse, you’re not even technically considered shorthanded anymore, so you can’t ice the puck like you would on a typical penalty kill.
So does it make sense to do it? No, not really. But the rulebook says that you could, and that’s what really counts.
2. A player may not play the puck with a broken stick.
The broken-stick rule is one that most fans know well, even though it doesn’t come into play very often. If a stick breaks, you have to drop it immediately. If you don’t, it’s an automatic minor, per section 10.3 of the rulebook. Maybe the most memorable recent example of the rule being called came two years ago, when Ryan O’Reilly’s quest to become the first player in 33 years to go a full season without taking a single penalty ended when he was too slow dropping a broken stick in Game 74.
But there’s an exception to the rule. Two of them, in fact, one for each team: the two goaltenders. Goalies don’t have to drop a broken stick, per Rule10.4.2
Both sections on broken sticks are worth a quick read, because they’re filled with weird exceptions and clarifications that most fans have probably wondered about at some point. For example, players can hand each other replacement sticks, but it’s a penalty if anyone “throws, tosses, slides or shoots” one. A skater can give his stick to a goaltender, but not vice versa. A player who has a stick thrown to him from the bench doesn’t get a penalty; the thrower does instead.
And my favorite random detail: While play is still going on, a “goalkeeper whose stick is broken or illegal may not go to the players’ bench for a replacement but must receive his stick from a teammate.” I’m sorry, but if a goalie wants to sprint to the bench and grab a replacement stick on the fly, I think we should let him. Hell, we should encourage it. I can’t believe Ilya Bryzgalov never tried that.
Speaking of weird goalie loopholes …
3. A goalie can’t handle the puck outside the trapezoid behind the net.
Few hockey fans seem to like what’s become known as the trapezoid, that shape behind the net that was introduced as one of the many new rules put in place after the 2005 lockout. New fans are often confused by it. Veteran fans are just annoyed, viewing it as an eyesore that has little impact on the game and has come to represent the sort of minor tinkering the league seems to love to engage in every year.
But the trapezoid does serve a purpose: It’s meant to limit the goaltender’s ability to play the puck. If you’ve been around long enough to remember the days when goalies like Martin Brodeur got so good at stickhandling that they were viewed as a third defenseman, you can understand what the league was going for. The only thing less entertaining than watching one team execute a dump-and-chase is to see the other team’s goalie retrieve the puck and dump it right back out before the “chase” part can even happen.
And so the trapezoid was born, establishing an area in which the goalie isn’t allowed to touch the puck. Part of the confusion is that “the trapezoid” itself isn’t the area the rule covers —it’s the safe zone, where goalies can still handle the puck as normal. It’s the two areas to either side that aren’t allowed.3 Those are the areas where any contact between the goalie and the puck leads to an automatic penalty for delay of game.
Except when it doesn’t. There’s a little-known loophole, as laid out in Rule63.2: “The minor penalty will not be assessed when a goalkeeper plays the puck while maintaining skate contact with his goal crease.”
I have no idea why the league would feel the need to add this particular exception, and if the rule has ever actually come into play, I’m not aware of it. But it certainly could —it’s 7feet from the edge of the crease to the end of the trapezoid, which isn’t much considering how big today’s goalies are. You couldn’t actually handle the puck, Brodeur-style, but you could certainly reach it with your stick and settle it down for an oncoming defenseman.
So let’s take bets: Who’ll be the first goaltender to start regularly exploiting this loophole? And how badly will fans freak out the first time it happensbecausethey’re convinced the referees are letting an obvious penalty go uncalled?
4. A regular-season game that remains tied after overtime is followed by a shootout.
Certain things are inevitable in the NHL. When the clock has run for 20 minutes, the period ends. When a power play ends, the penalized player returns to the ice. When a CBA expires, Gary Bettman and the owners will have a lockout. And when a regular-season game is tied at the end of overtime, we get a shootout. You don’t have to like it, but the shootout is inevitable.
Or so we thought! Because according to a close reading of the rules, the shocking reality is that … well, yeah, the shootout is basically inevitable. But the rulebook does hold out some small sliver of hope by including an odd partin Rule 84.4 that covers what happens if a team “declines to participate.” Apparently somebody felt there was a nonzero possibility some team could just refuse to take part in the shootout experience, and it had to be addressed in the rulebook.
So what happens if a team just says no to ashootout? It loses. That’s pretty much it. “If a team declines to participate in the shootout procedure, the game will be declared as a shootout loss for that Team.” You just lose automatically.
So why would any team ever decline? Principle, dammit! Or maybe because the coach got pissy about something or other and decided that the whole team needed to go sulk in the dressing room. Either way, it could happen. It never will, but it could. And if you hate the shootout, that’s pretty much all you have.
5. A team that loses in overtime is awarded a single point.
Ah, the loser point. It’s one of the worst rules in all of pro sports, an embarrassment that encourages boring defensive hockey, distorts the standings, and makes the NHL look like a children’s rec league that gives trophies just for trying hard. It’s awful. It also isn’t, despite what most fans think, automatic.
We’ve covered this one before, but there’s a rare exception to the loser point, and it’s laid out in Rule84.2: The losingteam doesn’t get itspoint if the winning goal is scored after the team pulls itsgoalie for an extra attacker in overtime. Empty-net goals negate the loser point.4
The rule was put in place to discourage teams from pulling their goalies late in overtime to go for a no-risk second point when a game was in danger of ending in a tie, and it has actually come into play at least twice, in 2000 and2003. That tie-game scenario no longer exists thanks to the shootout, although the rule could still theoretically happen if a team needed to avoid a shootout thanks to the wins in overtime/regulation (ROW) standings tiebreaker.
As often happens, this loophole comes with various exceptions to the exception. For example, the rule excludes a scenario in whicha team accidentally scores into itsown net on a delayed penalty. And it includes this fascinating clarification: “Once the goalkeeper has been removed for an extra attacker in overtime during the regular-season, he must wait for the next stoppage of play before returning to his position. He cannot change ‘on the fly.’” Wait, goalies are technically allowed to change on the fly the rest of the time? How did Mike Keenan never incorporate this strategy?
I am 100 percent sure I’ve seen a team give up a goal after getting burned on this at least once in my life, but I can’t remember when or to whom. If you do, please let me know.
I can remember watching a game as a kid, and the trivia question was, “Can a player score a goal with a broken stick?” I shouted “No!” and was very proud of myself because I almost never got trivia questions right. Then they gave the answer as “Yes” and I was furious until they explained that, technically, a goaltender could do it. This is when I learned to never trust the media.
This has led to a recent trend of some TV analysts calling those spots “the forbidden zone.” Stop doing that, TV guys, it’s creepy.
Some fans occasionally argue that the loser point isn’t a loser point at all, insisting that both teams are actually getting a traditional single point for a regulation tie, and that the third bonus point is really going to the overtime or shootout winner — it’s a winner point! The fact that the point isn’t awarded after regulation at all and can indeed be lost during overtime is further proof that these people are wrong and should be shunned.
FAQs
Basic Rules
- Legal teams are 5 skaters and a goalie. ...
- All Leagues: Games are 30 minute straight play. ...
- No over-time during the regular season; tie games will be recorded as such.
- No slap shots (shots taken from above the waist) at all - not during warm-ups or games.
- Offside & icing is called in the Granite League only.
The most important rule is offside. When entering the attacking zone, if you or a team member crosses the blue line before the puck, the play is whistled dead and a faceoff will occur in the neutral zone. Players are allowed to play the puck with their skates, but players cannot kick the puck into the goal.
What are 3 basic rules in a hockey game? ›
The objective of hockey is simple: score more goals than the opposing team. Players are not allowed to kick the puck into the net or purposely direct it in with any part of their body. During regulation time, each team uses five skaters—three forwards and two defencemen—plus a goaltender.
What is the first unwritten rule in hockey? ›
The unwritten rule is that a player cannot simply hold the instigator accountable- he has to agree to it.
What is Rule 56 in hockey? ›
In 1922, the NHL introduced Rule 56, which formally regulated fighting, or "fisticuffs" as it was called in the official NHL rulebook. Rather than ejecting players from the game, as was the practice in amateur and collegiate hockey, players would be given a five-minute major penalty.
What is the Gretzky rule in hockey? ›
The Gretzky rule
In June 1985, as part of a package of five rule changes to be implemented for the 1985–86 season, the NHL Board of Governors decided to introduce offsetting penalties, where neither team lost a man when coincidental penalties were called.
Why is icing illegal in hockey? ›
This rule was passed to prevent collisions (and therefore injuries) as players raced for the puck in an icing situation, trying to touch it first. In a potential icing scenario, if the goalie leaves his crease and touches the puck first, it's not icing and play continues.
What is Rule 14D in the NHL? ›
There's just one problem. NHL Rule 14D states that “[n]o playing Coach or playing Manager or goalkeeper shall be permitted to act as Captain or Alternate Captain.”
What are 5 fouls in hockey? ›
Types of foul in field hockey
- Obstruction. This is awarded against a hockey player who uses their body or stick to prevent an opponent from reaching the ball.
- Third-party obstruction. ...
- Advancing. ...
- Backsticks. ...
- Hockey stick interference. ...
- Undercutting. ...
- Sticks.
Five-on-three hockey is probably the most passive part of the game, as both teams are waiting to see what the opponent does next. Coaches often use a timeout when they get a 5v3 advantage, but why not have a plan and force the opponent to take their timeout instead?
Fun fact: Desjardins and forward Melvin Angelstad (two games with the Washington Capitals in 2003-04) are the only players in NHL history to wear No. 69.
Is Number 0 allowed in hockey? ›
Beginning with the 1996-97 season, the NHL decreed that Nos. 0 and 00 could no longer be worn since they confused the League's digital database; today, only No. 1 through No. 98 are allowed, No.
What is before Pee Wee in hockey? ›
Other leagues use age categories
Bantam is for athletes under 15, with peewee, atom and novice used as classifications for younger players. Some organizations use descriptors like minor midget and major midget as well.
What does AAA mean in hockey? ›
USA Hockey designates four skill levels: Tier 1: The highest level of competition, also called "AAA", following the Canadian system. Tier 2: also called "AA" or "A". Tier 3: may also be called "A", the lowest level of competitive hockey.
Why can't hockey players wear 99? ›
Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 is retired throughout the NHL not only because he is considered the greatest player in League history, but because the number and his name are synonymous. Though there is no debate over who the best player to wear that number is, there are 98 other numbers with more than one worthy candidate.
What is Rule 48 in the NHL? ›
Rule 48 formally appeared in the NHL rulebook for the 2010-11 season. Illegal checks to the head were now defined: "A lateral or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted."
Why do they say 5 hole in hockey? ›
The reason for naming this location five-hole comes from Canadian bowling, which uses 5 pins, the centremost of which is worth 5 points. This pin is often called the 5-pin. When the 5-pin is knocked down without hitting any other pins, the hole left in the middle is known as the 5-hole.
Who crushed Gretzky? ›
That would be the extent of his NHL playing experience as he played out the rest of his career in the CHL, IHL, and AHL. He retired following the 1987–88 IHL season. Bill McCreary is most remembered for his open ice hit on Wayne Gretzky on January 3, 1981.
How fast could Gretzky shoot? ›
However, by 1990, the power of Gretzky's slapshot was average compared to the rest of the league—in the old clips, his shot looks like it's 150 MPH.
What are the 4 main ice hockey skills? ›
- Skating. The act of moving on skates. ...
- Shooting. The act of pushing the puck with the stick in an attempt to score a goal. ...
- Passing. The act of passing the puck, either forwards or backwards, to another player. ...
- Braking. The act of stopping forwards or backwards movement.
- Goaltending.
Scoring four goals in a hockey game is much less common than a hat trick. If a player scores four goals in a single game, it is sometimes referred to as a “Texas hat trick.” This term is less commonly used than a hat trick, and its origins are uncertain.
Is punching allowed in hockey? ›
The rules and consequences of participating in a fight are highly technical and can result in serious penalties, fines, and suspensions. Despite that, fighting in hockey is allowed. However, any players that participate in a fight will be assessed at least a five-minute major penalty for fighting.
Why do hockey fans throw apples on the ice? ›
Washington gave away rubber apples to commemorate Backstrom's milestone. When he scored a go-ahead goal in third period, fans celebrated the moment by throwing the apples on the ice. The media could not be played. It was such a fitting way to celebrate the goal.
Why do refs wave off icing? ›
In some cases, the referee will wave off the icing if they feel the opposing player could have reached the puck before it crossed the goal line. This is usually the case when the puck is travelling slowly passed the goal line and the player is showing little effort to recover the puck quick enough.
Why do goalies carve up the crease? ›
A goalie scraps the ice to make it harder for the puck to slide, to even out the surface so pucks will not bounce, to take away the slipperiness of the ice for more controlled sliding, and as mental preparation and warm up before the start of the game/period.
What does Z mean in NHL? ›
Z– it means it has clinched the conference (and their division title) and will finish first in the conference. Y– it means it has clinched their division title and will finish first in the division. X– it means the team has clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Why can't a goalie wear the captain C? ›
The rules of the IIHF, NHL and Hockey Canada do not permit goaltenders to be designated as on-ice captains, due to the logistical challenge of having the goaltender relay rules discussions between referees and coaches and then return to the crease.
Why do goalies wear 1? ›
1 because they were the first player on a rink when looking from the net outward. When a goalie was injured, for instance, the replacement goalie would also wear No. 1. The numbering system changed when roster expansion required teams to field two goaltenders.
What is a squirt B in hockey? ›
In the United States, the levels of minor hockey are as follows: Mini Mite (ages 5-6) (Levels A) Mite (ages 7-8) (Levels AA, A, B) Squirt (ages 9–10) (Levels AAA, AA, A, B) Peewee (ages 11–12) (Levels AAA, AA, A, B)
Can you lift the ball into the D in hockey? ›
A player who intentionally lifts a ball close to knee height into an opponent within playing distance should be penalized for dangerous play (free hit to opponent). A player can intentionally raise the ball on a hit ONLY if it is a shot at goal (inside the circle and towards the goal cage).
First up we're looking at the '16 yard hit' or the '16' for short. The 16 yard hit is a free hit for the defense 16 yards (for those of us who live in the metric universe, that's 14.63 meters) from the base line after an opposing player hits the ball over the base line or commits a foul within the shooting circle.
What does over 5.5 mean in hockey? ›
Hockey totals are bets based on the total number of goals scored in a game. You bet on whether the total goals will be over or under the number set by oddsmakers. If the over/under for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is 5.5, you'll need at least 6 goals scored to win the over and a max of 5 goals scored to win the under.
Can a goalie go to the penalty box? ›
While goaltenders can be assessed penalties, a goaltender cannot go to the penalty box and the penalty must be instead served by another player from their team who was on the ice at the time of the infraction (the PIM will be charged to the goaltender).
Can a hockey team Dress 3 goalies? ›
Teams may dress up to 19 skaters in a game. Goaltenders. Teams may dress up to three goaltenders in a game.
What is hockey short for? ›
hockey Add to list Share. Hockey is short for ice hockey or field hockey, but it usually refers to ice hockey, the sport where people skate on ice and use big hockey sticks to whack a puck into a goal. For ice hockey, players wear protective gear and helmets.
Is hockey harder than football? ›
| Degree of Difficulty: Sport Rankings |
|---|
| Boxing | 8.63 | 1 |
| Ice Hockey | 7.25 | 2 |
| Football | 5.38 | 3 |
| Basketball | 7.38 | 4 |
33 more rowsMajor Dhyan Chand (29 August 1905 – 3 December 1979) was an Indian field hockey player, widely regarded as one of the greatest field hockey players in history.
...
Dhyan Chand.
| Major Dhyan Chand |
|---|
| Born | 29 August 1905 Allahabad, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India (present-day Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
11 more rowsNumbers in the thirties were seen as "safe" for goaltenders, since most numbers below thirty were already spoken for by forwards and defensem*n (remember that "high numbers" were essentially-unheard of at this time).
What numbers can't you wear in NHL? ›
80, 84 and 94 are the three numbers not worn by any player that would be available. 85, 87, 96 and 97 are each worn by one player, but it is unlikely any player will request 87. In a few years it seems like 97 will be off the table as well.
Is the number 99 retired in hockey? ›
Gretzky retired from professional play after the 1998–99 season and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. His career totals include 2,857 points and 894 goals. The NHL retired his jersey number (99) after his final game.
What's even rarer than the double-zero is the single zero in the NHL. Only one man has worn this number, and most likely you've never heard of him. Neil Sheehy wore the No. 0 in 1988 with the Hartford Whalers.
Why does no one wear 66 in NHL? ›
66 isn't retired League-wide like No. 99 is for Wayne Gretzky. Two players have worn it since Lemieux retired from the NHL in 2006: Ho-Sang and Calgary Flames defenseman TJ Brodie in 2010-11. Ho-Sang has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 11 games this season.
What does 11 and 7 mean in hockey? ›
However, throughout the year, they sometimes favored a 7-11 system — seven defensem*n and 11 forwards.
What is a bunny in hockey? ›
A puck bunny is a term used to describe a female ice hockey fan whose interest in the sport is purported to be primarily motivated by sexual attraction to the players rather than enjoyment of the game itself.
What do hockey players smell before they play? ›
More recently, athletes have begun to use smelling salts with the belief that their use will keep them more alert. The use of smelling salts is particularly popular among football and hockey players who believe this reflex will counteract the effects of concussion.
What does AE mean in hockey? ›
AE (Alternate/Additional Entry) hockey (not available in all associations) is a higher-calibre level of play for players who show strong skill and promise.
What were the original rules of hockey? ›
1) The game was played with a block of wood for a puck. 2) The puck was not allowed to leave the ice. 3) The stones marking the place to score goals were placed on the ice at opposite angles to those at present. 4) There was to be no slashing.
What is the 5 yard rule in field hockey? ›
Opposing players must stay at least 5 yards away until the ball is hit or the player touches the ball once (self-starts). foot causing an advantage for their team. If there is no advantage, the umpire may choose to hold their whistle and play on.
What was the biggest upset in hockey history? ›
Kings-Oilers (1982)
Downing Edmonton in five games, the series was highlighted by Game 3's “Miracle on Manchester,” which saw the Kings overcome a five-goal third-period deficit en route to earning a 6-5 overtime victory – the largest comeback in NHL playoff history.
What are the two fouls in hockey? ›
When a player violates one of the rules of the game, he is given a penalty by a referee. Penalties are given for body fouls such as hitting from behind, elbowing and fighting. Penalties are also given for stick fouls like slashing, spearing, hooking, holding, tripping, cross-checking and high-sticking.
First up we're looking at the '16 yard hit' or the '16' for short. The 16 yard hit is a free hit for the defense 16 yards (for those of us who live in the metric universe, that's 14.63 meters) from the base line after an opposing player hits the ball over the base line or commits a foul within the shooting circle.
Can you hold a WR within 5 yards? ›
LEGAL AND ILLEGAL CONTACT WITH ELIGIBLE RECEIVERS
The defender is allowed to maintain continuous and unbroken contact within the five-yard zone, so long as the receiver has not moved beyond a point that is even with the defender.
