If you have more detailed questions about the game please feel free to contact our Coaching Director, Dan Sarro (
dsarro8799@gmail.com) or your team's coach who can probably answer any question you may have.
We hope you will find this information helpful!
Minor Penalty: A minor penalty in hockey is two minutes and the offending player must serve his or her time in the penalty box until that time is up or the other team scores.
Major Penalty: A major penalty in hockey is five minutes and the guilty player must sit in the penalty box for the entire five minutes even if the opposing team scores.
Misconduct: A misconduct penalty in hockey is served for 10 minutes. Depending on the league’s hockey rules, the offender’s team may or may not be short-handed for the entire 10 minutes.
Penalty Shot: A penalty shot may occur when a player with a clear path to the net (this is known as a breakaway), with no one in front of him or her except the goaltender, is stopped from behind by illegal contact. The player will be given one chance for a one-on-one confrontation with the goaltender with no other players on the ice.
Delayed Penalty: A delayed penalty occurs when one team breaks one of the basic hockey rules, but does not gain possession of the puck. The play will be stopped and the player penalized when the team finally touches or gains possession of the puck.
Types of Hockey Penalties (and their signals)
The type of penalty called depends on severity and intention. The more severe, or worse the intent (intending to cause injury, for example), the worse the punishment will be.
Boarding: Boarding is when one player causes another to crash into the boards due to illegal contact.
Charging: Charging is when a player takes extra strides to gain momentum before checking another player.
Cross-Checking: Cross-checking is using the stick while initiating a body check.
Elbowing: Elbowing is forceful contact with an elbow during play.
High-Sticking: High-sticking is using a raised stick to make contact with an opponent.
Hooking: Hooking is using the curved blade of the stick to hinder an opponent's ability to skate.
Holding: Holding is grasping another player or his or her uniform.
Interference: Interference is contact that restricts the movement of another player who does not have the puck.
Misconduct: Misconduct can refer to any type of severe hockey penalty, such as verbal abuse of a player or official, argumentative behavior or disrupting the game.
Roughing: Roughing is unnecessary physical play like throwing a punch or shoving a player.
Slashing: Slashing is illegal use of the stick by swinging it at an opposing player.
Spearing: Spearing is called when one player thrusts his or her stick into a player on the other team.
Tripping: Tripping occurs when a player is tripped by his or her opponent with the leg or stick.
Washout: An official makes the washout signal to indicate that icing or offsides is being waved off and play will continue.
Patti McTernan
Devils Hockey President
508-507-1952
