High stick on the puck: where is the face-off?
Rule numbers: USAH 621(d) USAH 612(b)(4)
Batting the puck with the stick above normal shoulder height is not a penalty; it is a stoppage. Play is stopped immediately and the face-off goes to an end-zone spot in the offending team's defending zone, not to a last-play location. Two exceptions let play go on: an opponent ends up with the batted puck, or a defender bats it into his own net (the goal stands). An attacker who knocks the puck straight in with a stick above shoulder height does not get the goal. During a delayed penalty against the other team, a high stick by the non-offending team sends the face-off to the neutral zone under 612(b)(4). High-sticking an opponent is a separate offense.
- On the ice
- Immediate whistle unless the puck goes to an opponent who gains possession.
Example
A Team A forward in the neutral zone knocks a lob down with the stick above the shoulder, and a teammate collects it. The whistle blows, and the face-off is at an end-zone spot in Team A's defending zone.
Common mistake: Using a last-play face-off for a high-stick stoppage, or stopping play when the batted puck goes straight to an opponent.
Sources
- USA Hockey 2025-29 Official Rules and Casebook of Ice Hockey, Rule 621(d), p. 195 (PDF p. 229)
- USA Hockey 2025-29 Official Rules and Casebook of Ice Hockey, Rule 612(b)(4), p. 186 (PDF p. 220)
Verified