Regel 24: Penalty Shot

A “Penalty Shot” is designed to restore a scoring opportunity which was lost as a result of a foul being committed by the offending Team, based on the parameters set out in these rules.

The Referee shall announce the reason for the assessed “Penalty Shot” and shall have the Player selected by the Team entitled to take the “Penalty Shot” announced over the Public Address System.
The Referee shall then place the puck on the Center Face-off Spot and the Player taking the “Penalty Shot” will, on the instruction of the Referee, by blowing their whistle, play the puck from there and shall attempt to score on the Goalkeeper.

The puck must be kept in motion towards the opponent’s Goal Line and once it is shot, the play shall be considered complete.

No goal can be scored on a rebound of any kind (an exception being the puck off the Goal Post or crossbar, then the Goalkeeper and then directly into the goal), and any time the puck crosses the Goal Line or comes to a complete stop, the “Penalty Shot” shall be considered complete.

The “lacrosse-like move” whereby the puck is picked up on the blade of the stick and “whipped” into the net shall be permitted provided the puck is not raised above the height of the shoulders at any time and when released, is not carried higher than the crossbar.
→ Rule 80.1 – High-Sticking the Puck

The “spin-o-rama type move” where the Player completes a 360° turn as they approache the goal, shall not be permitted. Should a Player perform such a move during the “Penalty Shot”, the shot shall be stopped by the Referee and no goal will be the result. Only a Player designated as a Goalkeeper or alternate Goalkeeper may defend against a “Penalty Shot”.

The Goalkeeper must remain in their crease until the Player taking a “Penalty Shot” has touched the puck.
If at the time a “Penalty Shot” is awarded, the Goalkeeper of the penalized Team has been removed from the ice to substitute another Player, the Goalkeeper shall be permitted to return to the ice before the “Penalty Shot” is taken.
The Team against whom the “Penalty Shot” has been assessed may replace their Goalkeeper to defend against the shot, however, the substitute Goalkeeper is required to remain in the game until the next stoppage of play.
While the “Penalty Shot” is being taken, Players of both sides shall withdraw to the sides of the Rink and in front of their own Player’s Bench.

In all cases where a “Penalty Shot” has been awarded, the “Penalty Shot” shall be taken by a Player selected by the Coach or Captain of the non-offending Team from any non-penalized Player of their Team. Such selection shall be reported to the Referee and cannot be changed.

Should the Goalkeeper leave their Crease prior to the Player taking the “Penalty Shot”, touching the puck, or committing any foul, the Referee shall allow the “Penalty Shot” to be taken.

If the “Penalty Shot” fails, the Referee shall permit the “Penalty Shot” to be taken over again. When an infraction worthy of a Minor Penalty is committed by the Goalkeeper during the “Penalty Shot” causing it to fail, no penalty is assessed but the Referee shall permit the “Penalty Shot” to be taken over again.

Should a Goalkeeper commit a second (2nd) violation and the “Penalty Shot” fails, they shall be assessed a Misconduct Penalty and the Referee shall permit the “Penalty Shot” to be taken over again.

A third (3rd) such violation shall result in the Goalkeeper being assessed a Game Misconduct Penalty and a goal shall be awarded. When a Major or Match Penalty is committed by the Goalkeeper that causes the shot to fail, the Referee shall permit the “Penalty Shot” to be taken over again and the appropriate penalties shall be assessed to the Goalkeeper.
The Goalkeeper may attempt to stop the “Penalty Shot” in any manner except by throwing their stick or any object, or by deliberately dislodging the goal, in which case a goal shall be awarded.

During the “Penalty Shot”, should the Goalkeeper, in an attempt at making a save, dislodge the goal accidentally, the Referee shall make one of the following determinations:
(I) Award a goal if they deem the Player would have scored into the area normally occupied by the net had it not been dislodged.
(II) Allow the “Penalty Shot” to be re-taken if they do not score or it could not be determined if the puck would have entered the area normally occupied by the net.
(III) If the goal becomes dislodged after the puck has crossed the Goal Line thus ending the “Penalty Shot”, the above determinations do not apply, the “Penalty Shot” is complete.

If, while a “Penalty Shot” is being taken, any Player, Coach or non-playing Team Personnel of the opposing Team interferes with or distracts the Player taking the “Penalty Shot” and, because of such action, the “Penalty Shot” fails, a second (2nd) attempt shall be permitted.
The Referee shall impose a Bench Minor Penalty to the offending Team, and if a Player on the Bench is responsible, a Misconduct Penalty on the Player responsible shall be assessed.
When a Coach or non-playing Team Personnel is guilty of such an act, a Game Misconduct Penalty shall be assessed on the responsible person and the matter will be reported to the Proper Authorities for possible further disciplinary action.

If, while the “Penalty Shot” is being taken, any Player, Goalkeeper, Coach or non-playing Team Personnel of the Team taking the “Penalty Shot” interferes with or distracts the Goalkeeper defending the “Penalty Shot” and, because of such action, the shot is successful, the Referee shall rule no goal and shall impose a Bench Minor Penalty to the offending Team.

If while the “Penalty Shot” is being taken a spectator throws any object onto the ice that in the judgment of the Referee interferes with the Player taking the “Penalty Shot” or the Goalkeeper defending the “Penalty Shot”, they shall permit the “Penalty Shot” to be taken again.

For incidents involving stick measurements refer to:
→ Rule 10.5 – Stick Measurement and → Rule 10.6 – Stick Measurement - Prior to “Penalty Shot”

If a goal is scored from a “Penalty Shot”, the puck shall be faced-off at Center ice.
If a goal is not scored, the puck shall be faced-off at either of the end Face-off Spots in the zone in which the “Penalty Shot” was attempted, except when another rule dictates the “face-off” location should be in an alternate location, such as when the “point men” enter the zone beyond the outer edge of the End-Zone Face-off Circle or when the attacking Team has been penalized on the same play.
→ Rule 76.2 – Face-off locations

Should a goal be scored from a “Penalty Shot”, a further penalty to the offending Player or Goalkeeper shall not be applied unless the offense for which the “Penalty Shot” was awarded is a Major, Match or Misconduct Penalty, in which case the appropriate penalty shall be imposed.

If the offense for which the “Penalty Shot” was awarded would normally incur a Minor Penalty, then regardless of the outcome of the “Penalty Shot”, no further Minor Penalty shall be served.

If the offense for which the “Penalty Shot” was awarded was to incur a Double-minor Penalty, or where the offending Team is assessed an additional Minor Penalty on the same play, the first Minor Penalty is not assessed since the “Penalty Shot” was awarded to restore the lost scoring opportunity.
The second Minor Penalty would be assessed and served regardless of whether the “Penalty Shot” results in a goal. This will be announced as a Double-minor Penalty for the appropriate foul and the Player will serve two (2) minutes only.

No penalty shall expire when a goal is scored against a Team on a “Penalty Shot”.

Should two (2) “Penalty Shots” be awarded to the same Team at the same stoppage of play (two (2) separate fouls on two (2) separate Players), only one (1) goal can be scored or awarded at a single stoppage of play.
Should the first “Penalty Shot” result in a goal, the second “Penalty Shot” would not be taken but the appropriate penalty would be assessed and served for the infraction committed.

If the foul upon which the “Penalty Shot” is based occurs during actual playing time, the “Penalty Shot” shall be awarded and taken immediately in the usual manner notwithstanding any delay occasioned by a slow whistle by the Referee to allow play to continue until the attacking side has lost possession of the puck to the defending side, to which this delay results in the expiry of the regular playing time in any period.
The time required for the taking of a “Penalty Shot” shall not be included in the regular playing time or Overtime.

When a Player, in the Neutral or Attacking Zone, in “control” of the puck (or who could have obtained “possession and control” of the puck) and having no other opponent to pass than the Goalkeeper, is fouled from behind, thus preventing a reasonable scoring opportunity, a “Penalty Shot” shall be awarded to the non-offending Team.
Nevertheless, the Referee shall not stop play until the attacking Team has “lost possession” of the puck to the defending Team.

The intention of this rule is to restore a reasonable “scoring opportunity” which has been lost. If, however, the Player fouled is able to recover and obtain a “reasonable scoring opportunity” (or a Teammate is able to gain a reasonable scoring opportunity), no “Penalty Shot” should be awarded but the appropriate penalty should be signaled and assessed if a goal is not scored on the play.

“Control of the puck” means the act of propelling the puck with the stick, hand, or feet.

In order for a “Penalty Shot” to be awarded for a Player being fouled from behind, the following four (4) criteria must have been met:
(I) The infraction must have taken place in the Neutral or Attacking Zone (i.e., over the puck carrier’s own Blue Line)
(II) The infraction must have been committed from behind (except a foul committed from the front by the Goalkeeper on a “breakaway” situation);
(III) The Player in “possession and control” (or, in the judgment of the Referee, the Player clearly would have “obtained possession and control” of the puck) must have been denied a reasonable chance to score. The fact that the Player got a shot off does not automatically eliminate this play from the “Penalty Shot” consideration criteria. If the foul was from behind and the Player was denied a “more reasonable scoring opportunity” due to the foul, then the “Penalty Shot” should still be awarded;
(IV) The Player in “possession and control” (or, in the judgment of the Referee, the Player clearly would have “obtained possession and control”) must have had no opposing Player between themself and the Goalkeeper.

If, in the opinion of the Referee, a Player makes contact with the puck first and subsequently trips the opponent in doing so, no “Penalty Shot” will be awarded, but a Minor Penalty for “tripping” shall be assessed.

It should be noted that if the attacking Player manages to get around the Goalkeeper and has no defending Player between them and the “open goal”, and they are fouled from behind by the Goalkeeper or another defending Player, no goal can be awarded since the Goalkeeper is still on the ice. A “Penalty Shot” would be awarded.