Committing a Foul

Players use their hips and shoulders to hit other players if the player has the puck or has just passed it. This is called body-checking and is perfectely legal. The following are forbidden and incur penalties:

 

Boarding: Throwing an opponent violently into the boards.

Butt-Ending: Jabbing an opponent with the shaft of one's stick.

Charging: Taking more than two steps towards an opponent before body checking him.

Clipping: Throwing one's body below an opponents knees.

Cross-Checking: Hitting an opponent with the shaft of the stick while both hands are on the shaft.

Elbowing: Impeding or striking an opponent with one' elbow.

Delay of Game: Failing to keep the puck in motion.

High-Sticking: Hitting an opponent above the shoulders.

Holding: Impeding an opponent with hands or arms.

Hooking: Impeding an opponent with one's stick.

Interference: Body-checking an opponent who does not have the puck or who has just passed it.

Kneeing: Hitting an opponent with one's knee.

Slashing: Swinging one's stick at an opponent.

Spearing: Jabbing an opponent with the blade of one's stick.

Tripping: Impeding an opponent around his legs.

 

Officials Signals

There are two categories of officials: on ice officials are the referees and linesmen that enforce the rules during game play; off-ice officials have an administrative role rather than an enforecement role. The referee will halt the game using a whistle followed by a signal when he spots any of the offences outlined above. The signals used in ice hockey are unique to the game. There are more than a dozen signals used by referees, below are some of the most commonly seen during a game.