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Three main rules
Offside - An offside infraction occurs when a player crosses the attacking blue line before the puck does. The purpose of the offside rule is to prevent attacking players from waiting in front of their opponent’s net to receive a long pass, thus, creating an easy scoring opportunity. The position of the player’s skates, not his stick is the determining factor for an offside call. Both skates must be completely over the blue line ahead of the puck for the play to be offside. If a player ends up straddling the blue line (one foot outside the offensive zone and one foot inside), then he is not considered offside. When an offside is called the face-off will take place outside the offensive zone’s blue line, near the location of the infraction.
The officials may also make a "delayed offside" call. This occurs when an attacking player precedes the puck into the offensive zone, but the defending team gains control of the puck. When this occurs, the defending team has the opportunity to carry the puck out of the defensive zone without any delay or contact with an opposing player. The referee signals the delayed offside by raising an arm. If the defending team moves the puck out of their zone, the offside is nullified or waived off.
Two-line pass - A two-line pass, also known as an offside pass, occurs when a member of the attacking team passes the puck to a teammate from behind his own blue line and across the center line. If the puck precedes the player over the center line, the pass is legal. In addition, a player may pass the puck across the center line and the attacking blue line if the puck precedes the recipient into the offensive zone. When a two-line pass is whistled, the face-off takes place at the spot where the pass originated.
Icing - Icing is called when a player shoots the puck form his side of the red line across the opponent’s goal line. Play is stopped if an opposing player (other than the goalie) touches the puck. The face-off then takes place down in the defensive zone of the team that iced the puck.
Icing can be nullified by one of the following:
- If the goaltender leaves the net and touches the puck.
- If the puck crosses any portion of the goalie’s crease.
- When a linesman feels that a defending player could have played the puck before it crossed the goal line.
- When an attacking player, who was on-sides when the puck was shot down the length of the ice, manages to touch the puck first.
- When a team is shorthanded.
Penalties
Penalties take place during actual playing time and are divided into the following categories:
- Minors: A player who commits a "minor penalty" will spend two (2) minutes in the penalty box and his team will play shorthanded. If a minor penalty is called on a goalie, the coach will designate a skater to serve the penalty time. The most common minor penalties are boarding, charging, cross-checking, delay of game, elbowing, high sticking, holding, hooking, interference, roughing, slashing, and tripping. Less common minors are those called for equipment violations, such as playing with an illegal stick.
- Bench minor: A "bench minor" penalty is an infraction that is generally called when play is stopped. An example of this is could be the coach excessively yelling at the referee. It involves the removal of one player of the team against which the penalty is assessed for a period of two (2) minutes. Any player other than the goaltender may serve the penalty.
- Double minor: This type of penalty is usually called when an infraction is somewhat more serious than a minor penalty, but does not warrant a major. Double minor penalties last four (4) minutes and are assessed in the following instances:
- An accidental infraction that resulted in an injury (drawing blood).
- An attempt to injure a player without an injury occurring.
- Double minor for roughing.
Double minor penalties are treated as two separate minor penalties. This means that if the team with the advantage scores during the first two minutes of the four-minute penalty, the remainder of that first two minutes is cancelled out and the power play becomes a two-minute advantage.
- Major: A "major penalty" may be assessed for many of the same infractions that garner minor penalties. In the case of a major penalty, the referee decides that a greater degree of violence or deliberate severity was used against the opponent. An example would be when a player commits a foul that may be called as a minor penalty. If the referee deems the act deliberate or severe (with the intent to injure), the penalized player will spend five (5) minutes in the penalty box, with no early return to the ice, even if a goal is scored. Fighting and spearing are the two (2) most common "major penalties".
- Misconduct: A "misconduct penalty" differs from all other penalties in that an immediate substitution of the penalized player is permitted, and the penalized team does not have to play shorthanded. Misconduct generally results in a ten-minute penalty, following the use of abusive language or gestures, unsportsmanlike conduct, or the failure to follow an official’s order. Serious misconduct or abuse of an official can result in a game misconduct, where a player is banished for the remainder of the game, and an additional ten minutes of penalty time is added.
- Match: A "match penalty" is similar to a major penalty, except for the fact that the player committing the penalty is ejected for the remainder of the game. The penalized team must play shorthanded for five-minutes. The penalized team can substitute another player for the ejected player after the five (5) minutes of penalty time have elapsed.
- Penalty shot: A "penalty shot" is called when an attacking player is illegally impeded (tripped, hooked, held etc.) when he has a free and clear path to the goal (i.e., a breakaway). A penalty shot may also be awarded when a goaltender throws his stick to break-up a play or when a defender closes his hand on the puck in the crease. The puck is placed at the center ice face off dot and the attacking player receives a free opportunity to score on a breakaway-style shot.
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