Icing in USA Hockey, NFHS, NCAA and ACHA rules
Icing stops play when a team sends the puck from its own half all the way past the other team's goal line. The codes agree on the idea but differ on how the race for the puck is judged, who may ice, and where the face-off goes.
USA Hockey Icing under USA Hockey rules
USA Hockey 2025-29 rules (2026-27 season)
- New in 2025-29: a shorthanded team may ice the puck at Youth 15-Only and older, Girls 16U and older, High School and Adult. Younger levels still call icing on a shorthanded team. USAH 624(b)(1) p. 196 USA Hockey 2025-29 Official Rules and Casebook of Ice Hockey
- Whether a team is shorthanded is judged when the puck is shot, not when it crosses the goal line. USAH 624(b)(1); Casebook 624 Situation 18 pp. 196, 288 USA Hockey 2025-29 Official Rules and Casebook of Ice Hockey
- New in 2025-29: when officials blow an icing whistle in error, the face-off goes to center ice. USAH 624(c) p. 197 USA Hockey 2025-29 Official Rules and Casebook of Ice Hockey
Rule of the Week cards
NFHS Icing under NFHS rules
NFHS 2026-27 (page cites from the 2024-25 book where noted)
- NFHS icing is no-touch: it is called the instant the puck is past the goal line, when a team at equal or greater strength sent it from its own half. NFHS 9-5 p. 48 (2024-25 book) NFHS Ice Hockey Rules Book 2024-25 (page cites; the 2026-27 book is sold by the NFHS)
- Icing is waved off when the team is shorthanded, the puck came straight from a face-off, an opponent touched it, an opponent other than the goalkeeper could have played it, or the goalkeeper played it. NFHS 9-5 p. 48 (2024-25 book) NFHS Ice Hockey Rules Book 2024-25 (page cites; the 2026-27 book is sold by the NFHS)
- New for 2026-27, where the state association adopts it: the non-offending team may choose the face-off location after icing. NFHS 9-1-12 (new) 2026-27 rules release NFHS 2026-27 ice hockey rules release, as republished by CHSAA Now (2026-05-21)
Rule of the Week cards
- Icing in NFHS: no race, and the penalty-expiring exception NFHS 9-5-1, NFHS 9-5-2, NFHS 9-5-3
NCAA Icing under NCAA rules
NCAA 2026-28 rules (IH28)
- NCAA uses hybrid icing: icing is waved off if an onside attacker with no opponent in the way is clearly going to touch the puck first. The linesperson must call it before the first player gets to the end-zone dots, and a race too close to call is icing. NCAA 85.1-85.6 pp. 102-103 NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28)
- A team killing a penalty that is about to end may ice the puck until the instant the penalty expires. NCAA 85.1-85.6 pp. 102-103 NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28)
- After an icing, the attacking team chooses which end-zone face-off dot is used. NCAA 85.1-85.6 pp. 102-103 NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28)
Rule of the Week cards
- No-change situations: icing, the frozen dump-in and the net knocked off NCAA 85.4, NCAA 67.6, NCAA 92.1
- Hybrid icing: decided by the end-zone dots NCAA 85.1, NCAA 85.2, NCAA 85.5, NCAA 85.6
ACHA Icing under ACHA rules
ACHA 2026-27 (NCAA Men's D-I rules + ACHA additions)
- ACHA plays NCAA hybrid icing, decided by the race to the end-zone dots. NCAA 85.1-85.6 pp. 102-103; ACHA additions p. 1 ACHA: 2026 NCAA Major Ice Hockey Rule Changes and ACHA Additions (updated 8/27/2026)
Rule of the Week cards
- 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
- Hybrid icing: the race to the end-zone dots NCAA 85.1, NCAA 85.3, NCAA 85.6
See it on the rink
Icing waved off: the defender could have played it (USAH rules): Home ices the puck from its own half, but an Away defender has a clear chance to play it and lets it go. The linesperson waves the icing off; play and the clock never stop.