Rule 7.10 – Fighting

A “fight” will be deemed to have occurred when at least one player punches or attempts to punch an opponent repeatedly or when two players wrestle in such a manner as to make it difficult for the Linespersons to intervene and separate the combatants. An “altercation” is a situation involving at least two players with at least one player to be penalized.

When a “fight” occurs, all other players must immediately return to their respective Players’ Benches. Any players who do not do so, or become involved in a “secondary fight”, will receive additional penalties.

The Referees are provided very wide latitude in penalties they may impose under this rule. This is done intentionally to enable them to differentiate between the obvious degrees of responsibility of the participants either for starting or continuing the fight. This discretion should be exercised rationally.

A Minor penalty may not be assessed for Fighting.

A Minor penalty will be assessed to a goaltender who leaves their crease during a fight. This should be recorded on the Official Game Report as “Leaving the Crease”.
A Major penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty will be assessed to any player that fights an opposing player.
In addition to any other penalties they may incur, a Match penalty will be assessed to any player wearing a ring or rings, tape or any other material on their hands, who becomes involved in a fight and who uses such to gain an advantage or to inflict punishment and/or injury. There must be a fight to apply this rule.
A Misconduct penalty will be assessed to any player who, when a fight occurs, does not immediately return to their respective benches or to a neutral area (should the fight occur in front of a Players’ Bench) designated by the Referee and remain there until the Referee calls them back to resume play. The goaltenders must stay in their goal creases or proceed to a neutral zone designated by the Referee.

Note 1: In order to apply this rule, at least one player must be assessed a Major penalty and Game Misconduct penalty for Fighting. Referees must direct the players to their respective Players’ Bench unless the fight is in front of the bench.
A Game Misconduct penalty will be assessed to a player who:
1. is involved in a fight, as detailed in 7.10 (b),
2. joins in a fight or acts as a peacemaker, or
3. takes part in another or a secondary fight during the same stoppage of play.
These penalties will be assessed in addition to any other penalties the offending players may incur.
A Gross Misconduct penalty will be assessed to any player, goaltender or team official who fights with a team official, joins in a fight involving a team official or intervenes as a peacemaker in a fight involving a team official. This does not eliminate the possibility of further penalties being assessed for such an infraction.

INTERPRETATIONS
Interpretation 1	Rule 7.10 (a) QUESTION: If a fight occurs in the immediate vicinity of the goal crease, would the goaltender be allowed to go to the Players’ Bench? ANSWER: With the permission of the Referee, the goaltender may proceed to their bench. If they do so on their own accord, they are to be assessed a Minor penalty for leaving their crease during a fight.
Interpretation 2	Rule 7.10 (a) (b) In the event that a player makes no attempt to retaliate, other than to protect or defend themselves and in the opinion of the Referee does not engage in the fight, then their opponent will be the only player to be assessed a Major penalty and Game Misconduct for Fighting. The player protecting themself may receive a Minor penalty for Roughing or perhaps no penalty at all. In this situation the player receiving the Major penalty and Game Misconduct for Fighting will also receive an additional Minor penalty as the instigator of the fight under Rule 7.11 (a) – Instigator & Aggressor.
Interpretation 3	Rule 7.10 (b) What is the penalty for a player on the ice becoming involved with a player on the bench? Where a player on the ice becomes involved in a fight with a player off the ice, assess a Major penalty for Fighting and a Game Misconduct penalty.
Interpretation 4	Rule 7.10 (b) In a situation where two willing combatants each drop their gloves and square off to fight, the player of Team A knocks the player of Team B down with the first punch. Assess each player five minutes for Fighting plus a Game Misconduct. There is no instigator nor aggressor penalty assessed, as both players were willing combatants. This is only applied where both combatants are willing to fight.
Interpretation 5	Rule 7.10 (b) At no time may a Major penalty be assessed to a player for fighting with a spectator. The player will either be assessed a Gross Misconduct, a Match penalty or nothing at all, depending on the circumstances. (see also, Rule 11.2 (f) – Disrespectful & Abusive Behaviour (Interpretation 3).
Interpretation 6	Rule 7.10 (d) The third player (and all subsequent players) to enter a fight or a player who acts as a peacemaker applies only to situations where at least one player has been assessed a fighting penalty. Any time that a player is assessed Major penalty and Game Misconduct for Fighting, it has to be classified as a fight. Therefore, the third player to enter must receive the automatic Game Misconduct, even if the second player was not assessed a Major penalty and Game Misconduct for Fighting.
Interpretation 7	Rule 7.10 (d) A player is involved in a fight, and then leaves that fight and starts another fight with a different player of the opposing team. What penalties are assessed? The player involved in the two fights would get a Minor penalty for Instigating for starting the second fight under Rule 7.11 (a) – Instigator & Aggressor, two Major penalties, and three Game Misconducts. Two of the Game Misconducts are related to the Majors for Fighting. The third Game Misconduct is for taking part in another fight during the same stoppage of play under Rule 7.10 (e)(iii).
Interpretation 8	Rule 7.10 (d) If two players are fighting on the ice, close to the Players’ Bench and one of the players on the bench intervenes as a peacemaker in the fight while still on the bench, that player will be assessed a Bench Minor plus a Game Misconduct for Rule 8.4 (a) & (e) – Interference from the Bench, plus an additional Game Misconduct under Rule 7.10 (e)(ii) and any other penalties they may incur. This player is to be classified as the third player to enter a fight. If, on the other hand, a team official intervenes as a peacemaker in the fight, that team official will be assessed a Bench Minor plus a Gross Misconduct for Interference from the Bench under Rule 8.4 (f) – Interference from the Bench.