Helmets: deliberate removal, and the goalkeeper's mask on a breakaway
Rule numbers: NCAA 9.4 NCAA 53.1 NCAA 67.5 ACHA Additions 9.4
Helmets must be worn with the throat strap fastened, and if any player's helmet or mask is displaced there is an immediate whistle. Under the 2026-28 NCAA book, which the ACHA additions list for all divisions, a player who intentionally removes his own or an opponent's helmet during play gets a minor, which the NCAA book classifies as roughing. If a goalkeeper deliberately removes the helmet or mask while the opponent is on a breakaway, the referee stops play and awards a goal; the NCAA book also applies this to a penalty shot or shootout attempt. Under 67.5, any player or goalkeeper who deliberately removes the helmet or face mask during a breakaway gives up an awarded goal.
A player shall not intentionally remove their own nor an opponent's helmet during play.
- Clock
- Intentional helmet removal: 2:00 minor.
- Scoresheet
- Record the helmet removal as roughing (53.1); record an awarded goal as awarded.
Example
A goalkeeper pulls off his mask while an attacker is on a clean breakaway. The referee stops play and awards a goal.
Common mistake: Letting play continue after a helmet is displaced, or calling only a minor when a goalkeeper removes the mask on a breakaway.
Sources
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 9.4, pp. 25-26 (PDF pp. 28-29)
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 53.1, p. 64 (PDF p. 67)
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 67.5, p. 76 (PDF p. 79)
- ACHA: 2026 NCAA Major Ice Hockey Rule Changes and ACHA Additions (updated 8/27/2026), Rule 9.4, p. 1
Verified