Rule 7.6 – Head Contact

There is no type of legal contact to the head, face, or neck. It is the players’ responsibility to avoid making contact with an opponent’s head, face, or neck, at all times. Head contact may take the form of direct contact to the head or accidental contact, where the principle point of contact is the shoulder or chest. Regardless of the circumstances, players must be penalized for contact with an opponent’s head, face, or neck at all times.

Referees should be particularly sensitive when judging the degree of violence where contact is made with the head, face, or neck. While the criteria remain the same, the potential for injury is much greater on Head Contact fouls than with other infractions. Referees must not hesitate to assess serious penalties where contact is made with the head, face, or neck with an escalated degree of violence.

This rule supersedes any other rules, with the exception of Rule 7.10 – Fighting, and any foul that results in contact to the head must be penalized as head contact.

1. A Minor penalty will be assessed to any player who accidentally contacts an opponent in the head, face, or neck, in minor and female hockey.

   A double Minor penalty will be assessed to any player who uses any part of their body or equipment to intentionally contact an opponent in the head, face, or neck, in minor and female hockey.

   In minor and female hockey, any player incurring three head contact penalties under Rule 7.6 (a) will be assessed a Game Ejection penalty. (see Rule 4.8 (b) – Game Ejection & Game Misconduct penalties).

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 head contact.

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

   Any player who strikes an opponent above the normal height of their shoulders with a cross-check will be penalized with a Major penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty, whether or not injury results.

3. A Match penalty will be assessed to any player who hits a player in the head in such a way that the player is unable to protect or defend themselves or to any player who attempts to or deliberately injures an opponent by Head Contact.

4. No Misconduct penalty may be assessed for a Head Contact infraction.

5. A Game Misconduct penalty must be assessed any time a Major penalty is assessed for head contact, as detailed under Rule 7.6 (b).