Rule 4.15 – Calling of Penalties

If a player on the team in possession of the puck commits an infraction of the rules which would call for a Minor, Bench Minor, Major, Match, Misconduct, Game Misconduct or Gross Misconduct penalty, the Referee will blow their whistle immediately and give the penalty or penalties to the deserving player(s).
If a player on the team not in possession of the puck commits an infraction of a rule which would call for a penalty, the Referee will signal the penalty ‘as delayed’ by extending their arm straight up. The Referee will blow their whistle and stop play immediately when the offending team gains possession and control of the puck.

If the delayed penalty to be assessed is a Minor or Bench Minor penalty and a goal is scored by the non-offending team, prior to the whistle being blown, the Minor penalty will not be assessed. However, if the delayed penalty is a Major, Match, Misconduct, Game Misconduct, and/or Gross Misconduct penalty, it will be assessed in the normal manner, regardless of a goal being scored.

Note 1: If, after the Referee has signaled a delayed penalty but before the whistle has been blown, a member of the non-offending team puts the puck in their own net in any manner through no contact by the offending team, the goal will be allowed and the penalty signaled will be assessed in the normal manner, except in situations where a penalty shot is being awarded. In the case of a penalty shot, the appropriate time penalty will be assessed, as prescribed by the rules.

Note 2: If the Referee signals a delayed Minor or Bench Minor penalty or penalties against a team that is shorthanded by reason of one or more Minor or Bench Minor penalties or will become shorthanded due a delayed penalty and a goal is scored by the non-offending team before the whistle is blown, the goal will be allowed and the Minor or Bench Minor penalty with the least amount of time remaining will be terminated. Therefore, the signaled delayed penalty or penalties will be assessed and served in the normal manner. If two (2) Minor or Bench Minor penalties that make the team shorthanded have an equal amount of time remaining, then the Minor penalty that occurred first will be terminated upon the scoring of a goal.

Note 3: If a team is playing shorthanded and scores while a delayed time penalty is signaled against the opposing team, the delayed penalty is still assessed because the team that is scored upon is not considered ‘shorthanded’.

Note 4: If the Referee signals a delayed penalty calling for a Penalty Shot against a team that is shorthanded and a goal is scored by the non-offending team before play is stopped, the goal will be allowed. The penalty being served would terminate and, if the infraction associated with the Penalty Shot would normally call for a Minor or Major or Match penalty, then that penalty will be assessed in lieu of the Penalty Shot.
The Referee has the right to stop play immediately, regardless of which team is in possession of the puck, in the case of a Match penalty. The resulting face-off will take place in accordance with Rule 6.3 – Face-off Location
Where a Referee has signaled a penalty and has been unable to identify the offending player’s number, the Referee, in consultation with the Captain, will choose a player who was on the ice at the time of the infraction to serve the penalty.
Prior to the resumption of play, the Referee has the authority to alter or correct their decision, regardless of whether or not the penalty has been reported, announced, or displayed on the clock.

Note 1: The intent of this rule is not for Referees to deliberate every call to an excessive degree, but rather to allow them to correct an error. For example, if the Referee assessed a Minor penalty before realizing the penalized player had injured the opposing player, the call should be changed to a Major penalty and Game Misconduct.

INTERPRETATIONS

Interpretation 1

Rule 4.15 (a)

Where the Referee is about to blow the whistle to assess a penalty (or penalties to both teams) and a goal is scored by the offending team (or any team, in the case of penalties to both teams) before the Referee is able to get the whistle to their mouth to stop play, the goal will not be allowed.

RULING:

Unless the team without the puck committed the infraction, play in theory should be stopped immediately. In certain cases, the normal reaction time of an official would not enable them to stop play before a goal is scored. However, no goal would be allowed if the infraction occurred before the goal was scored.

Interpretation 2

Rule 4.15 (b)

On a delayed penalty call to a player who is about to be assessed a Major plus an automatic Game Misconduct plus a Minor, the non-offending team scores a goal. Is any penalty washed out?

RULING:

The Minor penalty is washed out and a player from the ice will serve the Major penalty. The order in which the two penalties were to be assessed has no effect on whether or not the Minor should be washed out.

Interpretation 3

Rule 4.15 (b)

Team A has a player serving a Minor penalty (time penalty). The Referee signals a delayed penalty against a player of Team A. Another player on Team A throws their stick at the puck in their own defending zone. Team B scores a goal before play is stopped. Is a Penalty Shot awarded?

RULING:

No. The scoring of the goal by Team B terminates the Minor penalty being served by Team A. The delayed penalty against Team A as well as a Minor penalty for throwing the stick (in lieu of a Penalty Shot) will be assessed.

Interpretation 4

Rule 4.15 (b)

Which penalty is terminated upon the scoring of the goal?

A8 – 2 5:00
B3 – 2 (delayed) 4:00
Team A scores 3:45

No penalty is terminated. The penalty to B3 is assessed, as Team B will not become shorthanded because of this penalty.

Interpretation 5

Rule 4.15 (b)

Which penalty is terminated upon the scoring of the goal?

A10 – 2 4:30
B7 – 2 3:30
A6 – 2 (delayed) 3:00
Team B scores 3:00

The Minor penalty to A10 is terminated, as Team A would otherwise become shorthanded and A10’s penalty has the least amount of time remaining.

Interpretation 6

Rule 4.15 (b)

Which penalty is terminated upon the scoring of the goal?

A8 – 2 5:00
B3 – 2 4:45
A6 – 2 4:30
B9 – 2 (delayed) 4:00
Team A scores 3:50

No penalty is terminated. The delayed Minor penalty to B9 is assessed, as Team B will not become shorthanded because of this penalty.

Interpretation 7

Rule 4.15 (b)

Which penalty is terminated upon the scoring of the goal?

A8 – 2 + 2 5:00
B5 – 2 3:30
A6 – 2 (delayed) 3:00
Team B scores 3:00

The minor penalty being served by A8 terminates. When Team B scores at 3:00, A8 has 2:00 minutes remaining in their penalty and A6 also has 2:00 to serve because of the delayed minor penalty. With both players having the same amount of time remaining to be served, A8’s minor penalty is terminated because it occurred first.

Interpretation 8

Rule 4.15 (b)

The Referee has signalled a delayed penalty to a Player of Team A. Team B pulls its goaltender in favour of an extra attacker. What does the referee do in the following situations:

Example 1: A player of Team B shoots the puck, which hits a player of Team A and then deflects down the ice into the Team B goal.
Ruling: No goal. The puck entered the goal because of contact by the offending team.

Example 2: As a player of Team B skates in front of their net with the puck, they are stick-checked by a Player of Team A and the puck enters the goal.
Ruling: No goal. The puck entered the goal because of the actions of the offending team.

Interpretation 9

Rule 4.15 (b)(c)

As a Referee, you have a delayed penalty signaled against No. 6 of Team A and you are going to award a Penalty Shot as a result of that infraction. Before play is stopped, No. 6 commits another infraction calling for a Minor penalty.

What is the Referee’s decision if:

a) Team B scored before the play is stopped?

b) Team B does not score before the play is stopped?

c) Team B scores on the Penalty Shot?

RULING:

a) Wash out the Penalty Shot but assess the Minor.

b) Award the Penalty Shot and assess the Minor.

c) Assess the Minor

Interpretation 10

Rule 4.15 (b)

A delayed penalty is to be called against Team A. Team B scores before the stoppage of play. Team A requests a measurement of the stick of the player on Team B who scored the goal.

RULING:

A stick measurement with the subsequent appropriate penalty is permitted after the scoring of a goal. The goal will be allowed and the delayed penalty on Team A will be washed out. In no way can the Referee wash out the Minor penalty for Delay of Game for unsubstantiated stick measurement for Illegal Stick.

Interpretation 11

Rule 4.15 (b)

The Referee has signaled a delayed double Minor penalty to Team A #14 (for Spearing). Team B scores before play is stopped. Is any penalty washed out?

RULING:

The scoring of the goal by Team B washes out one of the Minor penalties. The second one will be served as usual and will be recorded on the Official Game Report as a Minor penalty.

Interpretation 12

Rule 4.15 (b)

A10 receives a Minor penalty at 4:30. B4 receives a Minor penalty at 3:30. The Referee signals a delayed Minor penalty against A6. Team B scores at 3:00 before the Referee can stop play to assess the delayed Minor penalty to A6. Is the delayed penalty to A6 washed out as a result of the Team B goal?

RULING:

Yes. Team A is not considered to be “shorthanded” and therefore the delayed Minor penalty to A6 would not be assessed as a result of the goal being scored by Team B.

Interpretation 13

Rule 4.15 (b)

Can a player against whom a delayed penalty is signaled be credited with the scoring of a goal?

RULING:

Yes. Where a player of the non-offending team shoots the puck into their own goal without any contact by the offending team and the player to be assessed the penalty was the last player on the offending team to touch the puck

Interpretation 14

Rule 4.15 (b)

1. How do you record on the Official Game Report a player who receives a Minor, a Misconduct, a Game Ejection, a Game Misconduct, a Gross Misconduct and then a Match penalty?

2. How much time shows on their penalty time record?

RULING:

1. As far as the Official Game Report is concerned, the Official Scorer would make one entry for each penalty and a substitute player would be required to serve the two minutes for the Minor and the five minutes for the Match penalty.

2. On the player’s penalty time record, the time would show two minutes for the Minor, 10 minutes for the Misconduct, 10 minutes for the Game Misconduct, 10 minutes for the Gross Misconduct and five minutes for the Match penalty. No time would be recorded for the Game Ejection penalty.

Interpretation 15

Rule 4.15 (b)

A player is injured by a cross-checking infraction. This action is observed by the Linesperson, but not the Referee. The Linesperson is unable to identify the offending player.

RULING:

The Referee, after consulting with the Captain of the offending team, will select a player to serve the Major penalty and a second player who will receive the Game Misconduct. Both players selected will be from the ice at the time of the infraction. The Referee should make every attempt to determine the identity of the guilty player before consulting the Captain.