Hockey penalties are easy to recognize in the moment — somebody did something they shouldn't have, an arm goes up, two minutes get added to the clock — and surprisingly hard to keep straight on paper. There are twenty-nine distinct penalty types in the standard scorekeeping vocabulary, divided across four severity tiers, with different durations and different consequences for the player and the team.
This is the reference: every penalty, what it means, and how it is enforced. If you are tracking penalties on a roster, this is the list to track against.
The Four Severity Tiers
- Minor (2 minutes): The most common penalty. The offending player sits in the penalty box for two minutes, and the team plays shorthanded. If the opposing team scores during the power play, the penalty ends immediately.
- Major (5 minutes): Reserved for more serious infractions, especially those involving deliberate force or risk of injury. The full five minutes are served regardless of how many goals the opposing team scores.
- Misconduct (10 minutes): The player is removed for ten minutes, but the team is not shorthanded — a substitute serves the on-ice penalty if there is one, and the team plays at full strength after.
- Match / Game Misconduct: The player is ejected for the rest of the game and faces league review. A five-minute major is typically served by a teammate.
Stick Infractions
- 1. Hooking — Using the blade of the stick to impede an opponent by hooking their body or stick. Two-minute minor.
- 2. Slashing — Swinging the stick at an opponent, whether contact is made or not. Two minutes for a regular slash, five and a game misconduct if injury results.
- 3. Tripping — Using the stick, knee, or leg to cause an opponent to fall. Two-minute minor unless the trip prevents a clear scoring chance, in which case a penalty shot may be awarded.
- 4. High-Sticking — Carrying the stick above the shoulders and making contact with an opponent. Two-minute minor; double minor (four minutes) if the contact draws blood.
- 5. Cross-Checking — Hitting an opponent with the shaft of the stick held in both hands, with no part of the stick on the ice. Two minutes; can escalate to a major depending on force and result.
- 6. Spearing — Stabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick. Major and game misconduct, regardless of contact severity, due to the deliberate intent.
- 7. Butt-Ending — Using the top end of the stick to jab an opponent. Double minor or major; treated similarly to spearing.
- 8. Holding the Stick — Grabbing an opponent's stick. Two-minute minor.
Body Contact Infractions
- 9. Holding — Restraining an opponent with the hands, arms, or body. Two-minute minor.
- 10. Interference — Impeding a player who does not have the puck, or a goalie outside the crease. Two-minute minor.
- 11. Charging — Taking more than two strides or jumping into a check. Two minutes; can be elevated for severity.
- 12. Boarding — Hitting an opponent into the boards in a manner that causes them to fall violently. Two-minute minor or five-minute major plus game misconduct depending on severity.
- 13. Checking from Behind — Hitting a player from behind, particularly into the boards. Major and game misconduct in most leagues, given the injury risk.
- 14. Elbowing — Using the elbow to strike an opponent. Two-minute minor; major if injury results.
- 15. Kneeing — Striking an opponent with the knee. Two-minute minor or major depending on result.
- 16. Roughing — Light shoves and punches that do not rise to fighting. Two-minute minor.
- 17. Fighting — Throwing punches with an opponent. Five-minute major; in some leagues a game misconduct is added automatically.
Goalie and Goal-Area Infractions
- 18. Goaltender Interference — Contact with the goalie inside the crease. Two-minute minor; can result in a disallowed goal.
- 19. Delay of Game — Includes shooting the puck over the glass from the defensive zone, freezing a puck unnecessarily, or displacing the net. Two-minute minor.
- 20. Throwing the Stick — Throwing or shooting any equipment to break up a play. Penalty shot if it prevented a scoring chance, otherwise a minor.
Procedural Infractions
- 21. Too Many Men on the Ice — More than the legal number of skaters on the ice during a line change. Two-minute bench minor served by a designated player.
- 22. Illegal Equipment — Stick, pads, or other equipment outside specifications. Two-minute minor; can be checked on demand by officials.
- 23. Diving / Embellishment — Faking or exaggerating contact to draw a penalty. Two-minute minor; often called concurrently with the original penalty, resulting in coincidental minors.
- 24. Unsportsmanlike Conduct — Verbal abuse, gestures, or other non-physical conduct. Two-minute minor or ten-minute misconduct depending on severity.
- 25. Abuse of Officials — Verbally or physically directing abuse at the referees or linesmen. Misconduct or game misconduct depending on degree.
Severe Infractions
- 26. Match Penalty — Reserved for deliberate attempts to injure. The player is ejected and a five-minute major is served by a teammate. Automatic league review.
- 27. Game Misconduct — Ejection for the remainder of the game, typically attached to another penalty (e.g., five-and-a-game for fighting). Does not necessarily result in suspension.
- 28. Gross Misconduct — A more severe form of misconduct, typically for conduct that brings the game into disrepute. Game ejection plus league review.
- 29. Attempt to Injure — Specifically charged for any deliberate action intended to cause injury, regardless of whether contact was made. Match penalty plus suspension.
How Penalties Stack and Cancel
The list above tells you what each penalty is. What it does not tell you is how penalties combine on the ice, which is where most scorekeeping confusion happens.
Coincidental minors. When players from both teams take penalties at the same stoppage, the penalties offset and both teams play four-on-four. Neither team is shorthanded, and neither has a power play. This is most common in scrums after a whistle.
Coincidental majors (a fight). Same idea, but with five-minute majors. Both teams play full strength because each has a player in the box for the full five minutes.
Power play with multiple penalties on the same team. If one team takes two penalties before the first one expires, they are shorthanded by two — playing five-on-three. The first penalty's clock starts immediately; the second penalty's clock starts when the first ends. A two-minute five-on-three is the most dangerous power play situation in hockey.
Major plus minor on the same team. Plays out as a five-on-three for two minutes (until the minor expires), then a five-on-four for the remaining three minutes of the major. Goals scored during the five-on-three end the minor early but do not affect the major.
Penalties that follow a goal. Minor penalties end the moment the opposing team scores. Major penalties do not — they are served in full regardless of how many goals the opposing team scores during the five minutes.
Tracking Penalties Across a Season
Tracking penalty type matters for two reasons. First, repeat offenders often cluster around one or two specific infractions — a defenseman who keeps taking holding penalties, a forward whose whole PIM total is roughing — and you cannot coach what you cannot see. Second, leagues care about discipline records when it comes to playoff eligibility and end-of-season awards.
If you are tracking by hand, the simplest format is a long log: one row per penalty, with date, game, player, period, time, penalty type, and minutes. Counts and totals roll up from there.
Hockey Stats Keeper includes all twenty-nine penalty types as a built-in selectable list — tap the player, tap the type, and the season totals update on every player's profile page automatically. Start your free trial.