Illegal substitution late in the game becomes a penalty shot
Rule numbers: NFHS 2-5-8 NFHS 2-5-9 NFHS 2-5-10
Too many men on the ice means the extra skater must come off right away, and the team takes a minor served by a player the captain picks. The stakes rise late in the game: inside the last two minutes of regulation, or at any point in overtime, a deliberate illegal change (an extra skater jumping on, or a player leaving the box early, for example) gives the other team a penalty shot. A separate rule covers a skater who comes off the bench or out of the box and breaks up, or tries to break up, a breakaway: the whistle is delayed and the ruling is a penalty shot plus a misconduct. Keep an eye on the game clock when it happens.
- Clock
- Before the last two minutes: minor. Last two minutes or overtime, deliberate: penalty shot.
Example
With 1:20 left in the third, a team knowingly sends a sixth skater over the boards. The referee awards the other team a penalty shot.
Common mistake: Calling just a minor for a deliberate illegal change in the final two minutes, or leaving off the misconduct when an extra skater stops a breakaway.
Sources
- 2024-25 NFHS Ice Hockey Rules Book, Rule 2-5-8 to 2-5-10, p. 15
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