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Rule of the Week archive

Every published card, newest topic first within each code. Cards repeat through the season, so each shows when it was last the card of the week.

Rule cycle USA Hockey 2025-29 · NFHS 2026-27 · NCAA 2026-28 · ACHA 2026-27 Last verified

USA Hockey USA Hockey cards 29

  1. Neck guards are required below Adult, and BNQ-only guards are legal only through this season USAH 304(g), USAH 304(b) Card of the week Oct 5, 2026
  2. Shorthanded icing now starts at Youth 15-Only and Girls 16U USAH 624(b)(1) Card of the week Oct 12, 2026
  3. Kneeing now carries a minor plus a misconduct USAH 628(a), USAH 404(a) Card of the week Oct 19, 2026
  4. The goalkeeper never serves time in the penalty box USAH 407(a), USAH 407(b), USAH 407(c) Card of the week Oct 26, 2026
  5. Puck accidentally out of play: the face-off stays in that zone USAH 631(d), USAH 612(c) Coming up
  6. Major or match plus a minor: which is served first? USAH 402(e), USAH 408(c) Coming up
  7. Officials under 18 must wear a neck laceration protector USAH 501(c) Coming up
  8. Icing whistled in error? The face-off goes to center ice USAH 624(c) Coming up
  9. Goalkeeper's puck over the glass is no longer an automatic minor USAH 610(c), USAH 631(d) Coming up
  10. Kick shots: stop play immediately USAH 627(c) Coming up
  11. Challenging a mouthpiece now carries a risk USAH 307(a), USAH 307(c), USAH 304(f) Coming up
  12. Cameras and microphones on players mean a misconduct USAH 308(a), USAH 308(b), USAH 308(c) Coming up
  13. Hateful or discriminatory language: match penalty and a 24-hour report USAH 601(e)(3) Coming up
  14. Obscene language after the game: a game misconduct USAH 601(d)(10), USAH 601(c)(2) Coming up
  15. Refusing to start play: a second warning before suspending the game USAH 633(a), USAH 633(b) Coming up
  16. Power-play goal: which penalty ends? USAH 402(c) Coming up
  17. Coincidental minors: no 4-on-4 USAH 402(f) Coming up
  18. A goal during a delayed minor: recorded, but treated as served USAH 409(a), USAH 409(b) Coming up
  19. Minor plus misconduct: two players go to the box USAH 404(a), USAH 403(d) Coming up
  20. Third penalty: a delayed penalty, and when players may return USAH 408(a), USAH 408(b) Coming up
  21. Penalty shot or the minor? The fouled team chooses USAH 406(a), USAH 406(b) Coming up
  22. Delayed penalty, then a violation by the other team: neutral-zone face-off USAH 612(b), USAH 409(a) Coming up
  23. High stick on the puck: where is the face-off? USAH 621(d), USAH 612(b)(4) Coming up
  24. Hand passes are legal only in your defending zone USAH 618(b) Coming up
  25. Helmet off during play: stop play, and the skater sits out the face-off USAH 304(e) Coming up
  26. An attempted punch is fighting, even if it misses USAH 615 (Note), USAH 615(a), USAH 615(d) Coming up
  27. The goal crease: when an attacker's position stops play USAH 625(b) Coming up
  28. One 60-second time-out, and none in curfew games USAH 636(f) Coming up
  29. Competitive Contact: no body checking, but not 'no contact' USAH 604(a), USAH 604(b), USAH 604(c) Coming up

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NFHS NFHS cards 26

  1. Delayed penalty, then a goal: on the scoresheet but not on the clock NFHS 4-10-1, NFHS 4-10-2 Card of the week Oct 5, 2026
  2. Coincident minors: substitute right away, release at the next stoppage NFHS 4-2-7 Card of the week Oct 12, 2026
  3. Power-play goals end one minor, and never on a penalty shot NFHS 4-2-2, NFHS 4-2-3, NFHS 4-2-4, NFHS 4-2-5 Card of the week Oct 19, 2026
  4. Goalkeeper penalties: who sits for what NFHS 4-8-1, NFHS 4-8-2, NFHS 4-3-2, NFHS 4-4-3 Card of the week Oct 26, 2026
  5. Neck laceration protectors are required equipment NFHS 3-4-4, NFHS 3-3-1 Coming up
  6. Helmet or face mask comes off: immediate whistle NFHS 3-4-8, NFHS 8-2-5 Coming up
  7. Icing in NFHS: no race, and the penalty-expiring exception NFHS 9-5-1, NFHS 9-5-2, NFHS 9-5-3 Coming up
  8. Offside and the delayed offside NFHS 9-6-1, NFHS 9-6-2, NFHS 9-6-3 Coming up
  9. Majors: five full minutes, and a second major means a game misconduct NFHS 4-3-1, NFHS 4-3-3, NFHS 4-3-4, NFHS 4-2-6 Coming up
  10. Misconduct: ten minutes for the player, no shorthanded team NFHS 4-4-1, NFHS 4-4-2 Coming up
  11. Five penalties in one game equals a game misconduct NFHS 4-5-1, NFHS 4-5-2 Coming up
  12. Game disqualification: a major, the rest of the game, and suspensions NFHS 4-6-1, NFHS 4-6-2, NFHS 4-6-5, NFHS 7-4-4 Coming up
  13. Never fewer than four: stacked (delayed) penalties NFHS 4-9 Coming up
  14. Penalty shot on a breakaway: all five conditions must be met NFHS 4-7-9, NFHS 7-16-4 Coming up
  15. Penalty shot or minor: the fouled team chooses NFHS 4-7-2, NFHS 4-7-3, NFHS 4-7-8 Coming up
  16. How a penalty shot is run NFHS 4-7-4, NFHS 4-7-5, NFHS 4-7-6, NFHS 4-7-7 Coming up
  17. Line change procedure: visitors first, then home NFHS 2-5-4, NFHS 2-5-5 Coming up
  18. Illegal substitution late in the game becomes a penalty shot NFHS 2-5-8, NFHS 2-5-9, NFHS 2-5-10 Coming up
  19. Captain's choice: who serves, and whose record it goes on NFHS 2-2-6, NFHS 4-2-8 Coming up
  20. Mouth protectors and bench helmets NFHS 3-4-5, NFHS 3-4-9 Coming up
  21. Contact to the head: indirect versus direct NFHS 7-6-1, NFHS 7-6-2, NFHS 7-6-3 Coming up
  22. Checking from behind: open ice versus into the boards NFHS 7-19-1, NFHS 7-19-2 Coming up
  23. Fighting and leaving the bench: automatic game disqualification NFHS 7-24-1, NFHS 7-24-2, NFHS 7-24-3, NFHS 7-26 Coming up
  24. Slurs, spitting and abuse of officials: game disqualification NFHS 6-1-6, NFHS 6-1-7, NFHS 6-1-9 Coming up
  25. Hand passes, control and possession NFHS 9-4-1, NFHS 9-4-3, NFHS 9-4-4, NFHS 9-4-5, NFHS 9-4-6 Coming up
  26. Overtime and the one time-out NFHS 9-11-1, NFHS 9-12-4, NFHS 4-1-3 Coming up

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NCAA NCAA cards 27

  1. Last five minutes and overtime: a major-versus-minor differential goes up at once NCAA 19.3, NCAA Appendix G Card of the week Oct 5, 2026
  2. Goalkeeper's major or misconduct is now served by a teammate NCAA 28.1, NCAA 28.2 Card of the week Oct 12, 2026
  3. Second major in a game means an automatic game misconduct NCAA 20.1, NCAA 20.4, NCAA 22.1, NCAA 22.2 Card of the week Oct 19, 2026
  4. Hand passes in your own defending zone no longer stop play NCAA 84.1, NCAA 84.2 Card of the week Oct 26, 2026
  5. High-sticking the puck: face-off spot, line changes and goals NCAA 84.4, NCAA 93.4(b) Coming up
  6. The trapezoid comes to NCAA men's hockey NCAA 28.4, NCAA 1.6 Coming up
  7. Fighting now means repeated punches NCAA 48.1, NCAA 48.2, NCAA 48.4, NCAA 53.1 Coming up
  8. Head-butting is now a three-step scale NCAA 49.1, NCAA 49.2, NCAA 49.3, NCAA 49.4 Coming up
  9. Throwing a stick out of the playing area: game misconduct NCAA 55.5, NCAA 55.1, NCAA 55.2 Coming up
  10. Spitting and offensive language: major plus disqualification NCAA 79.5, NCAA 79.3, NCAA 23.1 Coming up
  11. Face-offs: full blade down, stick order, and the second violation NCAA 81.1, NCAA 81.3, NCAA Points of Emphasis (Face-off Mechanics) Coming up
  12. No-change situations: icing, the frozen dump-in and the net knocked off NCAA 85.4, NCAA 67.6, NCAA 92.1 Coming up
  13. Off-side: skates decide, and the carrier must control the puck with the stick NCAA 86.1, NCAA 86.2 Coming up
  14. Time-outs in 2026-28: one per game, and no extra one in men's overtime NCAA 92.1, NCAA 92.2, NCAA 92.3 Coming up
  15. Goalkeeper interference, and the new challenge of a no-goal call NCAA 73.1, NCAA 73.2, NCAA 73.3, NCAA 93.4(b)5 Coming up
  16. Video review before an ejection: who can start it NCAA 93.4(c), NCAA 93.7 Coming up
  17. Pulled goalkeeper leaves the stick behind: awarded goal NCAA 28.6, NCAA 26.1 Coming up
  18. Helmets: displaced, removed, and the goalkeeper's mask on a breakaway NCAA 9.4 Coming up
  19. Cut-resistant equipment: recommended now, required for Division I next season NCAA 9.7 Coming up
  20. Coach's challenge: what it costs and how to ask NCAA 93.1, NCAA 93.4(b), NCAA 93.6, NCAA 93.7 Coming up
  21. Coincidental penalties: 4-on-4, or substitute and keep going? NCAA 19.1, NCAA 19.2, NCAA 19.4 Coming up
  22. When a power-play goal lets a player out NCAA 16.2, NCAA 18.2, NCAA 20.2 Coming up
  23. A goal during a delayed penalty NCAA 15.1, NCAA 15.2, NCAA 15.3 Coming up
  24. Minor plus misconduct: who comes out when NCAA 21.1, NCAA 21.2, NCAA 21.3 Coming up
  25. Delayed penalties: the third player in the box NCAA 27.1, NCAA 27.2, NCAA 27.3 Coming up
  26. Hybrid icing: decided by the end-zone dots NCAA 85.1, NCAA 85.2, NCAA 85.5, NCAA 85.6 Coming up
  27. Delayed off-side, tag-ups and disallowed goals NCAA 86.3, NCAA 86.4, NCAA 86.5, NCAA 86.6 Coming up

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ACHA ACHA cards 26

  1. Which rulebook? The 2026-28 NCAA book plus the ACHA additions ACHA Manual Part Three, Art. II, Sec. 1, ACHA Additions (introduction) Card of the week Oct 5, 2026
  2. Men's Division 1: four officials at every home game ACHA Manual Part Four, Art. I (Game Day Requirements), ACHA Manual Part Four, Art. III, Sec. 1(D) Card of the week Oct 12, 2026
  3. ACHA overtime and shootouts by division NCAA 91.1, NCAA 91.3, ACHA 2026-28 Overtime and Shootout Requirements Card of the week Oct 19, 2026
  4. Overtime strength when regulation ends on a power play ACHA 2026-28 Overtime and Shootout Requirements, OT Notes 1-3 Card of the week Oct 26, 2026
  5. Last five minutes: a major-versus-minor differential goes up at once NCAA 19.3, NCAA Appendix G, ACHA Additions Rule 19 Coming up
  6. Goalkeeper's major or misconduct: a teammate serves it NCAA 28.1, NCAA 28.2, ACHA Additions 28.2 Coming up
  7. A second major means an automatic game misconduct NCAA 20.4, NCAA 22.3, ACHA Additions Rule 20 Coming up
  8. Fighting redefined: repeated punches, or a wrestle the linespersons can't break up NCAA 48.1, NCAA 48.2, NCAA 48.3, NCAA 48.4, ACHA Additions Rule 48.1 Coming up
  9. Roughing tiers and the women's sucker punch NCAA 53.1, NCAA 53.2, NCAA 53.3 Coming up
  10. Thrown objects: a penalty shot in the defending zone, a game misconduct out of the rink NCAA 55.3, NCAA 55.4, NCAA 55.5, ACHA Additions 59.1 Coming up
  11. Awarded goals: obstacles left by a pulled goalkeeper, nets moved on a breakaway NCAA 28.6, NCAA 67.5, ACHA Additions 'Rule 55' and 67.5 Coming up
  12. Face-offs: full blade on the ice, and who puts the stick down first NCAA 81.1, ACHA Additions Rule 81 Coming up
  13. Hand passes and high sticks: the ACHA version NCAA 84.2, NCAA 84.4, ACHA Additions 84, 84.3/84.4 Coming up
  14. Off-side: control with the stick before both skates cross NCAA 86.1, ACHA Additions 86.1 Coming up
  15. Goalkeeper freezes a long dump-in: no change, attacker picks the dot NCAA 67.6, NCAA 85.2, NCAA 85.4, ACHA Additions 67.6 Coming up
  16. Time-outs: one per team, and none extra in overtime NCAA 92.1, NCAA 92.2, ACHA Additions 92.1, 92.2 Coming up
  17. Helmets: deliberate removal, and the goalkeeper's mask on a breakaway NCAA 9.4, NCAA 53.1, NCAA 67.5, ACHA Additions 9.4 Coming up
  18. Spitting and offensive language: game disqualification NCAA 79.3, NCAA 79.5, ACHA Manual Part Three, Art. II, Sec. 1(C) Coming up
  19. Contact to the head: no stand-alone major NCAA 45.1 Coming up
  20. Shootout eligibility and the goalkeeper's misconduct NCAA 91.2, NCAA Appendix B, ACHA Additions 91.2 Coming up
  21. ACHA: blow the whistle when a goal is scored ACHA Rule Update Memo: Whistle after Goals Coming up
  22. Full face protection: half-shields are not allowed ACHA Manual Part Three, Art. II, Sec. 1(E), NCAA 9.4 Coming up
  23. Men's Division 1 game protocol: the 60-minute clock NCAA 82.2, NCAA 82.3, ACHA Manual Part Four (M1 Game Day Requirements, item 10) Coming up
  24. Scoring during a delayed minor: the minor goes away NCAA 15.1, NCAA 15.2, NCAA 15.3, NCAA 16.2 Coming up
  25. Hybrid icing: the race to the end-zone dots NCAA 85.1, NCAA 85.3, NCAA 85.6 Coming up
  26. Women's ACHA: body contact, not body checking NCAA 94.1, 2026-27 NCAA women's point of emphasis on Rule 94 (in the ACHA additions) Coming up

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