Penalties

Fighting:
Called when two players drop the gloves and begin fighting. Normally a five minute penalty.

Instigating:
Called when a player is deemed the instigator of a fight. This adds additional minutes to the five minute penalty and may result in that player's ejection from the game.

Too Many Men On The Ice:
Improper line change which results in an extra player on the ice.

The Penalty Minutes:
A team plays shorthanded when one or more of its players is charged with a penalty. However, no team is forced to play more than two players below full strength (six) at any time. If a third penalty is assessed to the same team, it is suspended until the first penalty expires. When a penalty is called on a goalie, a teammate serves his time in the penalty box.

Minor Penalty:
Two minutes - Called for boarding, charging, cross-checking, elbowing, holding, hooking, high-sticking, interference, roughing, slashing, spearing, tripping and unsportsmanlike conduct.

Major Penalty:
Five minutes - Called for fighting or when minor penalties are committed with deliberate intent to injure. Major penalties for slashing, spearing, high-sticking, butt-ending and cross-checking carry automatic game misconducts.

Misconduct:
Ten minutes - Called for various forms of unsportsmanlike behavior or when a player incurs a second major penalty in a game. This is a penalty against an individual and not a team, so a substitute is permitted.

Penalty Shot:
A free shot, unopposed except for the goalie, given to a player who is illegally impeded from behind when in possession of the puck with no opponent between him and the goal except the goalie. The team which commits the offense is not penalized beyond the penalty shot, whether it succeeds or not.

Delayed Penalty:
The whistle is delayed until the penalized team regains possession of the puck.

The Officials:
Referee: The referee supervises the game, calls the penalties, determines if goals are scored and handles face-offs at center ice at the start of each period.

Linesmen:
Two are used. They call offside, offside pass, icing and handle all face-offs not occurring at center ice. They do not call penalties, but can recommend to the referee that a penalty be called.

Goal Judges:
One sits off-ice behind each goal and indicates when the puck has crossed the red goal line by turning on a red light just above his station. The referee can ask his advise on disputed goals, but the referee has final authority and can overrule the goal judge.

Official Scorer:
He determines which player scores and credits assists if there are any. He might consult the referee, but the scorer is the final authority in crediting points.