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Delayed penalty: the whistle waits for control

Away #8 trips a Home player while Home has the puck. The referee raises an arm and waits. A rebound to #8 is not control. When #8 actually controls the puck, the whistle goes, the clock stops, the penalty goes on the scoresheet and the penalty clock, and #8 goes to the box.

Rule cycle NFHS 2026-27 (page cites from the 2024-25 book where noted) Last verified

Top-down rink diagram: Delayed penalty: the whistle waits for controlAway #8 trips a Home player while Home has the puck. The referee raises an arm and waits. A rebound to #8 is not control. When #8 actually controls the puck, the whistle goes, the clock stops, the penalty goes on the scoresheet and the penalty clock, and #8 goes to the box.
Home (filled)Away (outlined)Referee (orange band)LinespersonPuck Rules: NFHS · Officials: 3-official (1 referee, 2 linespersons) · Home defends the left goal. Officials' positions are illustrative; rulebooks do not fix exact positions.
HOME
0
--
PERIOD 2
AWAY
1

Home penalties

Away penalties

Scoresheet: penalties

PerTeamNo.InfractionMinTime
No scoresheet entry yet.

What happens

  1. 1.5 s
    Ice: Away #8 trips Home #91. Home has the puck.
  2. 1.6 s
    Official: Referee raises the non-whistle arm: delayed penalty. Play goes on while Home has the puck.
    Clock: Running.
    NFHS 4-10-1
  3. 4.0 s
    Ice: Home #4 shoots from the point. The Away goalie makes the save.
  4. 4.9 s
    Ice: The rebound comes off the goalie to Away #8. A rebound is not control, so the arm stays up.
    NFHS Case Book 4.10.1 Situation A
  5. 5.6 s
    Ice: Away #8 takes control of the puck with the stick.
  6. 5.7 s
    Official: Whistle: the team that committed the foul now controls the puck.
    Clock: Game clock stops at the whistle.
    NFHS 4-10-1
  7. 6.5 s
    Official: Referee signals tripping and reports the penalty to the penalty timekeeper.
    Clock: Penalty clock shows 2:00 for Away #8. It starts when the puck is dropped. A minor is two minutes of actual playing time.
    Scoresheet: Away #8, Tripping, 2 minutes, recorded at the game time when play stopped.
    NFHS 4-1-1 NFHS 4-2-1
  8. 9.0 s
    Ice: Away #8 goes to the Away penalty box. The face-off is at an end-zone spot in Away's defending zone.
    NFHS Case Book 4.10.1 Situation A (ruling)
  9. 10.5 s
    Ice: What if: if Home had scored before #8 controlled the puck, see NFHS 4-10-2. USA Hockey (409(b)) and NCAA (Rule 7.2, changed for 2026-28) treat a goal during a delayed penalty in their own way.
    NFHS 4-10-2 USAH 409(b) NCAA 7.2

Rules behind this play

  • NFHS 4-10-1 When the team without the puck commits a foul, the whistle waits until that team gains control of the puck. NFHS Ice Hockey Rules Book 2024-25, Rule 4 Section 10
  • NFHS Case Book 4.10.1 Situation A A rebound off the goalkeeper is not control. The whistle waits, and the face-off is in the penalized team's defending zone. NFHS 2024-25 Case Book section
  • NFHS 4-1-1, 4-2-1 A minor penalty is two minutes of actual playing time, with no substitute for the penalized player. NFHS 2024-25, Rule 4 Sections 1-2
  • USAH 409(a) USA Hockey works the same way: a delayed penalty, and play stops when the offending team gains possession. Note 1 says a rebound off the goalkeeper is not possession. USA Hockey 2021-25 Official Rules & Casebook, p.91

Rink markings for this code

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