Spitting and offensive language: major plus disqualification
Rule numbers: NCAA 79.5 NCAA 79.3 NCAA 23.1
Spitting on an official, a player or any non-playing person is a major and game disqualification. So is offensive language under 79.3: profane, threatening or vulgar remarks, or derogatory comments about a person's race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or disability; medical personnel go to supplementary discipline instead. A disqualification is more than an ejection: the player may not occupy any player area or contact the team for the duration, and a substitute serves the five-minute major. The progressive scale is that game plus one for the first disqualification, plus two for the second, and so on. Disqualifications carry over to the next season, and exhibitions cannot be used to serve them.
A player shall not spit on an official, player or non-playing person.
- On the ice
- The player leaves the bench area for the rest of the game; the team plays shorthanded for 5:00.
- Clock
- 5:00 major served by a substitute placed in the box immediately.
- Scoresheet
- Major and game disqualification, plus the report for the suspension.
Example
After a scrum A8 spits on B3. A8 receives a major and disqualification; a teammate serves the five minutes, and A8 leaves the bench area and sits out Team A's next game against an NCAA opponent.
Common mistake: Writing spitting up as a game misconduct from an older book, or leaving the suspension off the game report.
Sources
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 79.3, 79.5, p. 87 (PDF p. 90)
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 23.1, pp. 39-40 (PDF pp. 42-43)
Verified