Restraining Fouls and
Interference Penalty
Standards
BC Hockey
Restraining Fouls
Hooking, Tripping, Holding and Interference
“Impede” the progress of an opponent
Not an exercise to fill the penalty box
Do not anticipate the consequence – react to
infraction and evaluate consequence
 Must be in position to make the call
 Do not focus on player with puck if there is
space between him and opposing players




Restraining Fouls
 Allowed to battle for body position
using strength and balance
 Do not penalize players for using
assets of strength and balance
 Continuously pushing a non-resisting
opponent or blocking his progress is to
be considered interference
Guidelines for Hooking
 Stick can only be used to play the
puck
 Loss of momentum
 Causing diminished space between
players
 Impeding opponent’s progress
 Locking on – is the player continuing
to skate
 Loss of balance
Stick Fouls – Lift Check
 Can lift opponent’s stick to prevent
receiving pass – Lift Check
 Temporarily lifts or knocks an opponent’s
stick upwards with one’s own stick
 Violent lift checks or a prolonged lift (a
restrained action) will result in a penalty
 Officials must be aware of where the stick
is at all times
 Placed on opponent’s body and parallel to
the ice surface – danger zone
Guidelines for Tripping
 Placing stick between opponent’s legs
– danger zone
 Use of the stick (i.e. can
opener/corkscrew – stick between
legs of opponent and twisting) –
impeding progress, loss of balance or
tripping is to be penalized
Guidelines for Holding/Interference
 Use of free arm/hand to clutch, grab,
hold, hold the stick, pin or impede a
player
 Pushing an opponent with free hand,
not roughing, is allowed
 Use of “pick” or “block” is no longer
permitted
Notes
 Finishing the check: Offensive player dumping,
shooting or passing puck may be hit legally if motion
of check was initiated and completed immediately
following release of puck
 Guideline – stick length + arm length
 Defenceman cannot skate out of his line of direction –
must force player around or turn and skate
 Face-offs: Players not permitted to use stick or free
hand to impede or block progress of opponent
Guidelines for Stick Fouls
 Limited to playing the puck
 Aware of stick slashing opponent’s
body or hands
 Aggressive stick on stick
 Can place stick on opponent in
mid/lower back and push with the
shaft – cannot extend arms
Unsportsmanlike Conduct Diving
 What is diving?
 Creating an act to get a call
 Embellish their actions, actions of the player
checking him, look for delay in player’s reaction
and unnatural movement of player
 Expect players to try and gain an
advantage by diving
 Call blatant infractions unsportsmanlike
conduct
 May assess an infraction plus a dive
Pin Against the Boards
 Defensive player may make initial
contact, then play the puck
 Puck leaves area – onus on defensive
player to release opponent
immediately
 Communicate
Goaltender Protection
 Goaltenders must be protected at all
times
 Any unnecessary contact with
goaltender must be called
Summary
 New officials must learn and senior officials
must change from previous standard of
let them play – call hooks or trips if denies
scoring opportunity, let players decide
game or if close game, put whistle away
 Officials are not to make phantom calls; if
you do not see entire play, no call
 Call action, not reaction
Summary
 Do not get caught up in the game
 Must assess penalties as warranted
regardless of flow or how many men
will put team down
 Flow of game will come as players
adapt to standard