Hockey Canada Head Contact Rule
Info about the 2011 Rule Change
The rule with zero tolerance for head contact was approved at the 2011 Hockey Canada Annual General Meeting. This rule change came come into effect immediately.
Rule 6.5 Head Contact
(a) In Minor and Female, a Minor Penalty shall be assessed to any player who accidentally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with his stick or any part of the player’s body or equipment.
(b) In Minor and Female, a Double Minor Penalty or a Major and a Game Misconduct Penalty, at the discretion of the Referee and based on the degree of violence of impact shall be assessed to any player who intentionally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with her stick or any part of the player’s body or equipment.
(c) In Junior and Senior, a Minor and a Misconduct penalty, or a Major and a Game Misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the Referee based on the degree of violence of impact, shall be assessed to any player who checks an opponent in the head in any manner.
(d) A Major and a Game Misconduct penalty, or a Match penalty shall be assessed any player who injures an opponent under this Rule.
(e) A Match penalty shall be assessed any player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent under this Rule.
Note: All contact above the shoulders (neck, face and head) is to be called Head Contact under one of the above (In minor and female).
For more information about the new rules including rule books, checking videos, public service announcements, videos about concussion awareness, and info about the Hockey Canada Safety Program, check out the Hockey Canada website at: