Rule 4.5 – Coincidental Penalties

Coincidental penalties are time penalties of equal duration, assessed to different teams, at the same stoppage of play.

When coincidental penalties are assessed to players on each team during the same stoppage of play, immediate substitutions will be made for those players. Neither team will be shorthanded as the result of coincidental penalties.
When coincidental penalty rule is applied and there is a differential in the total time penalties, those penalties causing the differential will be served first, as a time penalty, in the normal manner. Any time differential in the total time penalties must be served by a player who was on the ice at the time of the infraction.
When the coincidental penalty rule is applied, the penalized player must serve the time penalties as well as the coincidental penalties in the Penalty Bench.

Note 1: The only exception is when the offending player is removed from the game with a Game Ejection, Game Misconduct, Match Penalty, or Gross Misconduct penalty, in which case, they should proceed directly to their dressing room. In this situation, a player who was on the ice at the time of the infraction must still serve any associated time penalties. If the Major or Match penalty is coincidental, no substitute is required to serve.

Note 2: As per Rule 4.13 (a)(Note 1), when a goaltender is assessed a coincidental penalty, a player from the ice is required to serve the penalty.
In coincidental penalty situations, officials will use the following procedure to determine which penalties should be “canceled”:

MOTO

i)      Cancel as Many penalties as possible.

ii)     Cancel in a way to make the team only One player short.

iii)    Cancel in a way to avoid Taking an extra player off the ice.

iv)    Cancel using the Order of penalty occurrence or in the order that they were reported by the Referee.

INTERPRETATIONS
Interpretation 1	Rule 4.5 (d) At the 6:00 mark, A3 is assessed 2+2. At the 5:00 mark, B7 scores, but before play resumes B8 is assessed a Minor penalty. QUESTION: Are the Minor penalties to A3 and B8 considered coincidental or do they play 4-on-4 with two minutes showing on each team’s penalty time clock? ANSWER: The penalties must be assessed at the same stoppage of play in order to be considered coincidental. Therefore, the teams would play 4-on-4 for two minutes (and the penalties have to be posted on the scoreboard).
Interpretation 2	Rule 4.5 (d) The following examples illustrate the above procedure, when Minor penalties are assessed. All penalties were assessed at the same stoppage. i. A6 - 2 B11 - 2 Immediate Substitution - Full Strength. ii. A6 - 2 B11 - 2 A7 - 2 B14 - 2 Immediate Substitution - Full Strength. iii. A6 - 2 B11 - 2 + 2 A7 - 2 Immediate Substitution - Full Strength. iv. A6 - 2 B11 - 2 A7 - 2 Team A will play one player short. A7 will serve the two-minute time penalty. A6 penalty is cancelled due to order of occurrence. v. A6 - 2 B11 - 2 A7 - 2 B14 - 2 + 2 Team B will play one player short for two minutes. B11 must serve the time penalty to avoid taking another player from the ice. vi. A6 - 2 B11 - 2 + 2 Team B will play one player short for two minutes. Another player from the ice will serve the time penalty. vii. A6 - 2 B11 - 2 + 2 B14 - 2 Team B will resume play one player short for four minutes. B11 will serve the time penalties in order to make Team B only one player short.
Interpretation 3	Rule 4.5 (d) A player involved in the coincidental penalty rule must serve the full amount of time assessed, except if a goal scored against their team washes out a portion of a Minor penalty. A9 - 2 + 2 B14 - 2 8:40 B scores 8:25 The coincidental penalty rule is applied, and immediate substitution is permitted for B14. Team A is required to send a player from the ice to the Penalty Bench to serve the time penalty assessed to A9. The time penalty starts at 8:40. With the goal by Team B at 8:25, the time penalty being served is washed out. However, A9 must serve the entirety of their penalty and will leave the Penalty Bench at the first whistle after 6:25.
Interpretation 4	Rule 4.5 (d) A7 - 2 B8 - 2 4:00 A8 - 2 3:30 B scores 3:00 A8 returns at 3:00. The coincidental penalties to A7 and B8 did not cause their teams to be shorthanded.
Interpretation 5	Rule 4.5 (d) B3 - 2 5:00 A8 - 2 4:30 A9 - 2 4:00 B scores 3:50 A8 returns at 3:50. Team A is playing shorthanded; the first time penalty terminates.
Interpretation 6	Rule 4.5 (d) A8 - 2 + 2 4:00 A9 - 2 3:30 B scores 3:00 The first penalty assessed to A8 is terminated. No one returns.
Interpretation 7	Rule 4.5 (d) A9 - 2 4:00 A8 - 2 + 2 4:00 B scores 3:00 A9 returns. Order of occurrence of the penalties is the critical factor.
Interpretation 8	Rule 4.5 (d) A8 - 2 + 2 5:00 A9 - 2 4:30 B scores 2:50 A9 returns, A8’s second penalty began at 3:00.
Interpretation 9	Rule 4.5 (d) A6 - 2 B7 - 2 1:30 In this situation, late in a period where players would not be eligible to return to the ice prior to the conclusion of the period, it is acceptable to send the players to their respective dressing rooms to avoid confrontation at the end of the period. The Referee would be expected to take charge of this situation. (This procedure is only recommended in situations where there are full intermissions between periods.)
Interpretation 10	Rule 4.5 (d) The following examples illustrate the “cancelation” procedure, when Major penalties are assessed. All penalties were assessed at the same stoppage. i. A6 - MATCH (5) B12 - 5+GM Immediate Substitution - Full Strength. ii. A6 - 5+GM+5+GM B12 - 5+GM B11 - 5+GM Immediate Substitution - Full Strength. iii. A6 - 5+GM B12 - 5+GM A7 - 5+GM Team A to resume play one player short. A7 time penalty to be served by a player from on the ice. A6 penalty is cancelled due to order of occurrence. iv. A6 - 5+GM+2 B7 - 5+GM + 2 Immediate Substitution - Full Strength. v. A6 - 5+GM+2 B7 - 2 B8 - 5+GM Immediate Substitution - Full Strength. vi. A6 - 5+GM+2 B8 - 2 + 2 A7 - 5+GM+2 B9 - 5+GM+5+GM Immediate Substitution - Full Strength.
Interpretation 11	Rule 4.5 (d) A3 - 2 B7 - 2 A4 - 2 B8 - 5+GM A6 - 5+GM Team A will resume play one player short for two minutes. A4 will serve the time penalty because of order of occurrence
Interpretation 12	Rule 4.5 (d) A6 - 5+GM + 2 B11 - 5+GM A7 - 5+GM Team A will play one player short for seven minutes. A7 will cancel with B11 to place Team A only one player short.
Interpretation 13	Rule 4.5 (d) A6 - 2+2 B11 - 5+GM+2 A7 - 5+GM+ 2 B12 - 5+GM+5+GM A8 - 5+GM Team A and B will each resume play one player short. A6 will serve the four-minute time penalty. Team B will need a player from the ice to serve the five-minute time penalty to B12.
Interpretation 14	Rule 4.5 (d) B3 - 2 5:00 A8 - 2 4:30 A9 - 5+GM 4:00 B scores 3:30 A8 returns. Team A is playing shorthanded and serving a Minor penalty.