Rule 7.7 – Head Contact – Junior/Senior

There is no 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. In Junior and Senior divisions, Referees may penalize contact to the head with a minimal degree of violence with a minor penalty for roughing, charging, or another appropriate penalty.

In Junior and Senior divisions, this rule supersedes any other rules regarding contact to the head, with the exception of Rule 7.10 – Fighting.

In Junior and Senior divisions, a Minor penalty and a Misconduct penalty for Head Contact will be assessed to any player who makes contact with an opponent’s head with a moderate degree of violence.
In Junior and Senior divisions, a Major penalty and Game Misconduct penalty will be assessed for any head contact infraction with a high degree of violence.

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.

In Junior and Senior divisions, a Major penalty and Game Misconduct penalty will be assessed for an infraction causing a head injury, whereby a player is fouled or hit illegally and, as the result of the infraction, the player hits their head on the glass, ice, or the boards in such a manner that results in a head injury.
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 deliberately attempts to injure an opponent by Head Contact.
In Junior and Senior divisions, a Misconduct penalty must be assessed any time a Minor penalty is assessed for Head Contact, as detailed under Rule 7.7 (a).
A Game Misconduct penalty must be assessed any time a Major penalty is assessed for Head Contact, as detailed under Rule 7.7 (b).

INTERPRETATIONS
Interpretation 1	Rule 7.7 (a) Notwithstanding degree of violence, the following actions will be considered Head Contact and must be penalized with a minimum of a Minor penalty and a Misconduct Penalty. If the following actions occur with a high degree of violence, a Major penalty and Game Misconduct or a Match penalty will be assessed. Where any of these criteria are met, Referees will penalize the offending player for Head Contact, rather than for roughing, charging, or another penalty: Deliberate Contact with an Opponent’s Head: Where a player intentionally raises their stick, hands, forearm, or elbow to hit an opponent in the head area, or deliberately drives their stick, hands, forearm, or elbow into the opponent’s head in any manner, it should be penalized as Head Contact, with the appropriate penalty for the degree of violence of the contact. Blind-Side Hits: Where a vulnerable player is hit in the head with a blind-side check from the side. Late Hits: Where a vulnerable player is hit in the head but does not have control of the puck, have passed the puck, or lost control of the puck for a sufficient amount of time that the opponent could have adjusted their course of action and avoided checking the unsuspecting player in the head. Cheap Hit: Where a vulnerable player is defenseless while down on the ice and the opponent deliberately makes contact with the head or neck, in any manner. Leaving the Feet: Where both of the offending player’s feet leave the ice prior to making a check that contacts the opponent in the head or neck.
Interpretation 2	Rule 7.7 (a) In Junior and Senior divisions, a Minor penalty will be assessed to any player who makes contact with an opposing player’s head with a minimal degree of violence. This should not be penalized as Head Contact but under another appropriate rule (Roughing, High-Sticking, etc.).
Interpretation 3	Rule 7.7 (a) In Junior and Senior divisions, if a player ducks to avoid a check or lowers their body in any manner, and as a result, is hit in the head area with an otherwise legal check, this will not be considered Head Contact and no penalty will be assessed.