Full face protection: half-shields are not allowed
Rule numbers: ACHA Manual Part Three, Art. II, Sec. 1(E) NCAA 9.4
NCAA 9.4 requires every player to wear a HECC-approved helmet and a face mask that meets HECC standards, and anyone in the bench area needs both on properly as well. The ACHA Manual adds that if the NCAA ever allows half-shields, the ACHA will defer that change until member schools can consider and vote on it at a later annual meeting. A player with illegal equipment may not take part in warm-up or the game until it is corrected; if the same player repeats it in that game the penalty is a misconduct, and a third is a game misconduct. Missing bench helmets draw a warning, then a bench minor if not corrected.
- Clock
- Bench helmet violation not corrected after a warning: bench minor.
- Scoresheet
- Second offense: misconduct. Third offense: game misconduct.
Example
An ACHA player comes to the bench wearing a helmet without a face mask. The referee warns the team; if it is not corrected, a bench minor follows.
Common mistake: Allowing a half-shield in an ACHA game, or penalizing a first equipment problem before giving the player the chance to correct it.
Sources
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 9.4, p. 25 (PDF p. 28)
- ACHA Manual, 2026-27 Season (FINAL 8-10-2026), Part Three, Art. II, Sec. 1(E), PDF p. 36
Verified