USA Hockey Rules 2025-2026 Ques ons and answers |
Updated RATED A+ | NEW
A team arrives with only five players, but is willing to play the en re game short-handed. Should
the game be played?
No. Rule Reference 201(a). A team is defined as having six players. If a team cannot put six
players on the ice at the start of the game, it is not considered a "team" and must forfeit the
game to its opponent.
During the game, through injuries and penal es, a team is unable to place four players on the
ice. Can the game proceed?
No. Rule References 201(a) and 408(a). Any me a team is reduced to below four players on the
ice during a game for any reason, the game shall be forfeited. Players in the penalty bench with
delayed penal es are not permi/ed to par cipate in the game (on the ice) or leave the penalty
bench un l their penal es expire.
During the game a Team Captain advises the Referee that the opposing team has more than the
allowable number of Team Officials occupying the players' bench. What ac on should the
Referee take?
Once the Referee has become aware of the viola on, they shall direct the offending team to
reduce the number of Team Officials on the players' bench to a maximum of four. Rule
References 201(b) and 610(h). No penalty is assessed at that me. However, if the situa on is
not corrected or occurs again during the same game, the Referee shall assess a bench minor
penalty for delaying the game to the offending team.
During the course of the game, a team no longer has a properly registered coach available to
them on the bench. Can the game con nue?
Yes. Rule Reference 201(b). The game shall be allowed to con nue provided that team has adult
supervision on the players' bench. This person may come from the stands and should be a
registered member of USA Hockey in some capacity. If no such person is available, the game
should be suspended and a report provided to the proper authori es.
During the course of the game the referee is no fied that Players or Team Officials that have
received a previous suspension are par cipa ng in the game. The suspended individuals did not
sit out or fulfill their obligated suspension me. Should the referee penalize the offending
team?
,No. Rule Reference 201(c). The referee may not be aware of the me period that has taken
place between games and therefore cannot enforce suspensions to Players or Team Officials.
The referee is required to report the incident to the proper authori es for further review.
A player/coach is suspended for the team's next regularly scheduled game and because of
circumstances out of the control of the player/coach, the opponent forfeits the game. Does this
forfeited game count towards serving the suspension?
There may be some special circumstances that warrant the suspension being served (i.e. Game
forfeited while both teams are on site due to circumstances out of the offending player/ coach
control). It is best that the Proper Authori es take into considera on the circumstances involved
and the "good faith" effort of the suspended party to serve the suspension while reviewing each
instance. There are also situa ons (the game is forfeited days in advance) where the suspension
would definitely not be considered served.
The Referee no ces that a team has three players with a "C" on their uniforms during the pre-
game warm-up. How many players should the Referee allow to act as Captain?
One. Rule Reference 202(a). In this situa on the Referee should look at the game sheet to
determine the Captain. If there is more than one Captain designated, the Referee must ask the
Coach to appoint only one of the three players to act as the team's Captain. The Referee must
also inform the Coach that the other two players will be allowed to have Captain's privileges,
but they must be designated as Alternate Captains.
The Team Captain and the Alternate Captain(s) are incapacitated by reasons of injuries or are
unavailable due to penal es and the Referee deems it necessary to convey a message to the
bench. With whom shall the Referee communicate?
Any player on the ice with whom the Referee elects to converse. Rule Reference 202(a). The
Referee has the authority to select a player on the ice to convey the message to the bench.
Failure of a team to have a captain available is not jus fica on for a Referee to not
communicate when doing so would assist in managing the game.
A team refuses to designate a Captain at the beginning of the game. Should the Referee assess a
penalty?
No
May a goalkeeper be designated as a Captain or Alternate Captain?
Yes. However, the goalkeeper cannot exercise the privileges of the Captain during the game as
outlined in this rule. Rule Reference 202(a). There is no rule preven ng a goalkeeper from being
named a Captain or Alternate Captain as an honor by the team to show leadership. However,
, that goalkeeper may not exercise Captain's privileges during a game. Doing so would
unnecessarily delay the game if the goalkeeper were allowed to leave the goal area for any
discussion and then go to the bench area to relay any message and finally back to the goal area
and be prepared for the resump on of play.
There is a ques on of a rule interpreta on. The Referee wants to explain the rule to the Captain,
but no ces that the Captain and both Alternate Captains are seated on the players' bench.
What should the Referee do?
If the Captain is s ll par cipa ng in the game (they are not removed from the game because of
penalty, injury, etc.), they should be invited from the players' bench to discuss the interpreta on
with the Referee. Rule Reference 202(a).
There is a ques on of a rule interpreta on and the Captain comes off the bench to protest the
decision of the Referee. What should the Referee do?
If the Captain leaves the bench for a discussion without being invited to do so, and makes a
complaint or protest, they must be assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct
under this rule. Rule Reference 202(b).
A team has 16 skaters plus two goalkeepers listed on the game scoresheet. A skater who is not
listed on the scoresheet par cipates in the game. What ac on should the Referee take when it
is brought to their a/en on?
Add the skater's name to the scoresheet, and assess a bench minor penalty to the player's
team. Rule Reference 203(a). All penal es incurred and goals/assists awarded to that skater
shall stand. The team may not elect to send the skater to the dressing room and forgo the
bench minor penalty because the skater has already par cipated in the game.
A team has eighteen skaters and two goalkeepers listed on the game scoresheet. What happens
if a skater who is not listed on the scoresheet par cipates in the game and scores a goal?
The goal shall be disallowed. Rule References 203(a), 201(a) and 629(c). Once the Referee has
become aware of the addi onal skater, they must remove them from the game immediately.
The team already has the maximum number of skaters on the game sheet, so the player is
ineligible to par cipate in the game.
Both teams are assessed minor penal es at the same me during a stoppage of play aDer the
line change process has been completed. Is each team en tled to a full line change?
No. Rule Reference 204(a). Each team must replace the penalized player but are not en tled to
a full line change. A full line change is allowed only when a penalty or penal es are imposed
that affect the numerical on-ice strength of either or both teams.
Updated RATED A+ | NEW
A team arrives with only five players, but is willing to play the en re game short-handed. Should
the game be played?
No. Rule Reference 201(a). A team is defined as having six players. If a team cannot put six
players on the ice at the start of the game, it is not considered a "team" and must forfeit the
game to its opponent.
During the game, through injuries and penal es, a team is unable to place four players on the
ice. Can the game proceed?
No. Rule References 201(a) and 408(a). Any me a team is reduced to below four players on the
ice during a game for any reason, the game shall be forfeited. Players in the penalty bench with
delayed penal es are not permi/ed to par cipate in the game (on the ice) or leave the penalty
bench un l their penal es expire.
During the game a Team Captain advises the Referee that the opposing team has more than the
allowable number of Team Officials occupying the players' bench. What ac on should the
Referee take?
Once the Referee has become aware of the viola on, they shall direct the offending team to
reduce the number of Team Officials on the players' bench to a maximum of four. Rule
References 201(b) and 610(h). No penalty is assessed at that me. However, if the situa on is
not corrected or occurs again during the same game, the Referee shall assess a bench minor
penalty for delaying the game to the offending team.
During the course of the game, a team no longer has a properly registered coach available to
them on the bench. Can the game con nue?
Yes. Rule Reference 201(b). The game shall be allowed to con nue provided that team has adult
supervision on the players' bench. This person may come from the stands and should be a
registered member of USA Hockey in some capacity. If no such person is available, the game
should be suspended and a report provided to the proper authori es.
During the course of the game the referee is no fied that Players or Team Officials that have
received a previous suspension are par cipa ng in the game. The suspended individuals did not
sit out or fulfill their obligated suspension me. Should the referee penalize the offending
team?
,No. Rule Reference 201(c). The referee may not be aware of the me period that has taken
place between games and therefore cannot enforce suspensions to Players or Team Officials.
The referee is required to report the incident to the proper authori es for further review.
A player/coach is suspended for the team's next regularly scheduled game and because of
circumstances out of the control of the player/coach, the opponent forfeits the game. Does this
forfeited game count towards serving the suspension?
There may be some special circumstances that warrant the suspension being served (i.e. Game
forfeited while both teams are on site due to circumstances out of the offending player/ coach
control). It is best that the Proper Authori es take into considera on the circumstances involved
and the "good faith" effort of the suspended party to serve the suspension while reviewing each
instance. There are also situa ons (the game is forfeited days in advance) where the suspension
would definitely not be considered served.
The Referee no ces that a team has three players with a "C" on their uniforms during the pre-
game warm-up. How many players should the Referee allow to act as Captain?
One. Rule Reference 202(a). In this situa on the Referee should look at the game sheet to
determine the Captain. If there is more than one Captain designated, the Referee must ask the
Coach to appoint only one of the three players to act as the team's Captain. The Referee must
also inform the Coach that the other two players will be allowed to have Captain's privileges,
but they must be designated as Alternate Captains.
The Team Captain and the Alternate Captain(s) are incapacitated by reasons of injuries or are
unavailable due to penal es and the Referee deems it necessary to convey a message to the
bench. With whom shall the Referee communicate?
Any player on the ice with whom the Referee elects to converse. Rule Reference 202(a). The
Referee has the authority to select a player on the ice to convey the message to the bench.
Failure of a team to have a captain available is not jus fica on for a Referee to not
communicate when doing so would assist in managing the game.
A team refuses to designate a Captain at the beginning of the game. Should the Referee assess a
penalty?
No
May a goalkeeper be designated as a Captain or Alternate Captain?
Yes. However, the goalkeeper cannot exercise the privileges of the Captain during the game as
outlined in this rule. Rule Reference 202(a). There is no rule preven ng a goalkeeper from being
named a Captain or Alternate Captain as an honor by the team to show leadership. However,
, that goalkeeper may not exercise Captain's privileges during a game. Doing so would
unnecessarily delay the game if the goalkeeper were allowed to leave the goal area for any
discussion and then go to the bench area to relay any message and finally back to the goal area
and be prepared for the resump on of play.
There is a ques on of a rule interpreta on. The Referee wants to explain the rule to the Captain,
but no ces that the Captain and both Alternate Captains are seated on the players' bench.
What should the Referee do?
If the Captain is s ll par cipa ng in the game (they are not removed from the game because of
penalty, injury, etc.), they should be invited from the players' bench to discuss the interpreta on
with the Referee. Rule Reference 202(a).
There is a ques on of a rule interpreta on and the Captain comes off the bench to protest the
decision of the Referee. What should the Referee do?
If the Captain leaves the bench for a discussion without being invited to do so, and makes a
complaint or protest, they must be assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct
under this rule. Rule Reference 202(b).
A team has 16 skaters plus two goalkeepers listed on the game scoresheet. A skater who is not
listed on the scoresheet par cipates in the game. What ac on should the Referee take when it
is brought to their a/en on?
Add the skater's name to the scoresheet, and assess a bench minor penalty to the player's
team. Rule Reference 203(a). All penal es incurred and goals/assists awarded to that skater
shall stand. The team may not elect to send the skater to the dressing room and forgo the
bench minor penalty because the skater has already par cipated in the game.
A team has eighteen skaters and two goalkeepers listed on the game scoresheet. What happens
if a skater who is not listed on the scoresheet par cipates in the game and scores a goal?
The goal shall be disallowed. Rule References 203(a), 201(a) and 629(c). Once the Referee has
become aware of the addi onal skater, they must remove them from the game immediately.
The team already has the maximum number of skaters on the game sheet, so the player is
ineligible to par cipate in the game.
Both teams are assessed minor penal es at the same me during a stoppage of play aDer the
line change process has been completed. Is each team en tled to a full line change?
No. Rule Reference 204(a). Each team must replace the penalized player but are not en tled to
a full line change. A full line change is allowed only when a penalty or penal es are imposed
that affect the numerical on-ice strength of either or both teams.
