Rule 10.4 – Leaving the Players’ or Penalty Bench

Players may only leave the Players’ Bench for the purposes of a legal line change or at the end of a period, as directed by the Referee.

Players may only leave the Penalty Bench upon the expiry of their penalty, as directed by the Timekeeper or the Referee.

Players may only leave the Penalty Bench at the conclusion of their penalty or at the end of a period, as directed by the Timekeeper or Referee.

A Minor penalty will be assessed to any player who leaves the Penalty Bench before the expiration of their penalty. However, if this is the result of an error by the Penalty Timekeeper, no penalty will be assessed and the player must only return to the Penalty Bench to serve the time remaining in their penalty at the moment they returned to the ice.
In the event of (a)(i), no goal may be scored by the offending team between the time the player illegally left the Penalty Bench until the next stoppage of play, even if the penalty time would have expired by the time the goal is scored. This will be applied, regardless of whether the player returned on their own or because of an error by the Penalty Timekeeper.
If the infraction detailed in (a)(i) interferes with an opponent who is on a breakaway in the neutral or attacking zone, the Referee will award a Penalty Shot to the non-offending team under Rule 4.11 (a)(vi) – Penalty Shots or Award a Goal under Rule 4.12 (a) – Awarded Goals.
A Minor penalty will be assessed to any player who, in leaving the Penalty Bench, does not proceed to their Players’ Bench by way of the ice surface.

Players may only leave the Players’ Bench for the purposes of a legal line change or at the end of a period, as directed by the Referee. At the end of each period, all players must remain on their respective players’ or penalty benches until directed off the ice by the Referee. A Bench Minor penalty will be assessed if:
A Team Official gets on the ice after the start of the game, without the permission of the Referee. A Game Misconduct penalty may also be assessed under this rule.
A team’s players leave the players’ or Penalty Bench at the end of a period, before they are directed to do so by the Referee.

No Major penalty may be assessed for Leaving the Players’ or Penalty Bench.
No Match penalty may be assessed for Leaving the Players’ or Penalty Bench.
No Misconduct penalty may be assessed for Leaving the Players’ or Penalty Bench.
A Game Misconduct penalty will be assessed to any player who leaves the players’ or Penalty Benches while a fight is occurring on the ice or for the purposes of starting a fight. Players who violate this rule will be penalized as follows:
1. The first player of either team to leave their players’ or Penalty Bench will be assessed a double Minor penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty. If players from both teams leave their respective benches simultaneously, then both players will be assessed a double Minor penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty.
2. Any player who leaves the players’ or Penalty Bench during a fight and is subsequently assessed a penalty will be assessed a Game Misconduct penalty.
3. A maximum of five (5) players per team may be assessed Game Misconduct penalties in a single stoppage of play (including the pre-game warmup) under (e)(ii) of this rule. This is in addition to a Game Misconduct assessed under (e)(i), if applicable.
A Game Misconduct penalty will be assessed to the Coach of any team whose players leave the Players’ or Penalty Bench at the end of a period before they are directed to do so by the Referee and an altercation that results in penalties of any kind is either in progress or begins after the players leave the bench.
A Gross Misconduct penalty will be assessed to any player or team official who, having been removed from the game due to a Game Ejection, Game Misconduct, Gross Misconduct, or Match penalty, returns to the ice surface or becomes involved with or disrupts the game in any way.

INTERPRETATIONS
Interpretation 1	Rule 10.4 (a) If a player is serving a coincidental Minor penalty or a Misconduct penalty, and comes on the ice before their penalty has expired, they will receive a Minor penalty. The Referee would put a player in the box to serve the Minor penalty immediately and delay the remainder of the coincidental Minor penalty or Misconduct penalty for two minutes. After the Minor is over, the balance of the coincidental Minor penalty or Misconduct penalty can be completed.
Interpretation 2	Rule 10.4 (a) If a player leaves the Penalty Bench before their penalty time has expired and that player is fouled in any manner, the appropriate penalty will be assessed and the player would return to the Penalty Bench to serve the remainder of their penalty. The only exception would be that no Penalty Shot or goal may be awarded in this situation, as a goal may not be scored by their team, while the penalized player is illegally on the ice.
Interpretation 3	Rule 10.4 (a) In some arenas, the players’ and Penalty Benches are side by side with no physical barrier between them. If, when a player’s penalty expires, they do not proceed to their Players’ Bench by way of the ice, that player will be assessed a Minor penalty under Rule 10.4 (a)(iv). If a player on the Penalty Bench leaves early on their own accord without proceeding by way of the ice to their Players’ Bench with five seconds remaining in their original penalty. What penalty or penalties do you assess the player? RULING: A Minor penalty will be assessed to the offending player for leaving the Penalty Bench prematurely (Rule 10.4 (a)(i) and a second Minor penalty would be assessed for not proceeding to the Players’ Bench by way of the ice (Rule 10.4 (a)(iv). Therefore, in addition to the five seconds remaining in the original penalty, the player would have to serve a total of 4:05 minutes.
Interpretation 4	Rule 10.4 (a) If an Off-ice Official permits a player to return to the ice before their time has actually expired, this error must be corrected during the first stoppage of play after the player left the Penalty Bench. Unserved penalty time would be added to the penalty clock. Additional game time will only be added to the game clock in the event the game has ended, either in the third period (no overtime) or during overtime OR in the event unexpired penalty time is greater than the amount of time remaining in the game. The unexpired penalty time will be added to both the game clock and penalty clock EXAMPLE A: A player of Team A received a Minor penalty at 8:30. At 7:00, due to a Timekeeper’s error, the player left the Penalty Bench. At 6:30, the penalty would have been up. Team A scored at 5:45 with the player on the ice. This is the first stoppage of play since the Timekeeper’s error and this error is immediately brought to the attention of the Referee. RULING: The goal would be dis-allowed, despite the actual penalty time being expired when the goal was scored, and the player would be required to return to the Penalty Bench to serve the remaining 30 seconds. EXAMPLE B: A player of Team A received a Minor penalty at 8:30. At 7:00, due to a Timekeeper’s error, the player left the Penalty Bench. Team A scored at 6:40. At 6:30 the penalty would have been up. When Team A scored at 6:40, which was the first stoppage of play, the error was discovered. RULING: Since the player of Team A was illegally on the ice, as there was still time remaining in their penalty, the goal would not be allowed and the player would be required to return to the Penalty Bench to serve the 30 seconds that they had not served previously. EXAMPLE C: A player of Team A received a Minor penalty at 8:30. At 7:00, due to the Timekeeper’s error, the player left the Penalty Bench. At 6:40, Team A scored and at 6:30 the actual penalty time should have expired. At 5:50, the next stoppage of play, the Timekeeper’s error was discovered and reported to the Referee. RULING: The goal will not be allowed and the player will be required to go back to the Penalty Bench to serve the 30 seconds remaining in their penalty. The reason for this ruling is that the stoppage of play at 5:50 is actually the first stoppage of play following the actual time when the penalty should have expired. The goal at 6:40 was not actually the first stoppage of play
Interpretation 5	Rule 10.4 (d) No player may leave the Players’ or Penalty Bench for the purpose of starting or becoming involved a fight. What penalties are assessed if: i) A8 initiates or instigates the fight and both players fight? ii) A fight takes place with both players being willing participants? iii) A fight takes place with B6 being the instigator? RULING i) A8 - double Minor plus Game Misconduct for leaving Players’ Bench for purpose of starting a fight, plus Minor for Instigating, plus Major for Fighting + Game Misconduct. B6 – Major penalty for Fighting plus Game Misconduct. ii) A8 would not receive the Minor for Instigating. All other penalties would remain the same as in (i) above. iii) A8 would receive a Major for Fighting and Game Misconduct. B6 would receive a Minor for Instigator, plus a Major for Fighting and Game Misconduct. Note: This interpretation would apply if A8 entered the game during the play and immediately becomes involved in a fight.
Interpretation 6	Rule 10.4 (d) Where the first player to leave a bench and participate in a fight comes from the Penalty Bench, they will be assessed three minor penalties, plus a Game Misconduct penalty, plus any other penalties they may be assessed under the rules. They receive a double Minor penalty and Game Misconduct penalty for being the first player to leave the Penalty Bench, plus another Minor penalty for leaving the Penalty Bench before their penalty expires.