Rule 7.2 – Boarding 

A boarding penalty will be assessed to any Player who checks or pushes an unsuspecting opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously.

The severity of the penalty will be based upon the degree of violence of the player’s impact with the boards. There is a considerable amount of judgment involved in the application of this rule by the Referees. The duty is on the Player applying the check to ensure their opponent is not in a defenseless position and if so, they must avoid or minimize contact. However, in determining whether such contact could have been avoided, the circumstances of the check, including whether the opponent put themself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the check or whether the check was unavoidable may be considered.

Any unnecessary contact with a Player playing the puck on an obvious “icing” or “off-side” play which results in that Player hitting or impacting the boards is “boarding” and must be penalized as such. In other instances where there is no contact with the boards, it should be treated as “charging.”

1. A Minor penalty will be assessed to any player who checks or pushes a defenseless opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously.

2. At the discretion of the Referee, based on the degree of violence of the impact, the Referee may assess a Major penalty and Game Misconduct penalty for boarding.

   If a player is injured, as the result of a boarding infraction that would otherwise call for a Minor penalty, a Major penalty and Game Misconduct penalty must be assessed.

3. A Match penalty will be assessed to any player who deliberately attempts to or deliberately injures an opponent by boarding.

4. No Misconduct penalty may be assessed for boarding.

5. A Game Misconduct penalty must be assessed any time a Major penalty is assessed for boarding, as detailed under Rule 7.2 (b).