Ice Hockey Enforcer Rules

Match penalty the player is ejected from the game and another player serves 5 minutes in addition to any other.

Ice hockey enforcer rules. When such play occurs the enforcer is expected to respond aggressively by fighting or checking the offender. Enforcers are expected to react particularly harshly to violence against star players or goalies. The most common major penalty is for fighting. An enforcer s job is to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by the opposition.

The international rules by the international ice hockey federation iihf specify in rule 141 fighting the following penalties among others. Though technically against the rules two players fighting on the ice will only net those players five minutes in the penalty box rather than a lengthy suspension. For a fight to begin the opposing enforcer must agree to a fight verbally or physically and therefore an enforcer can easily avoid instigator penalty while also excluding unwilling fight participants. The term is sometimes used synonymously with fighter tough guy or goon.

At the referee s discretion an infraction commonly deemed a minor penalty can be increased to a major. A player charged with a major penalty is sent off the ice for five minutes. Minor penalty 2 minutes for a player. A hockey enforcer is a player who tries to protect their teammates by typically engaging in fisticuffs with opposing players often the other team s enforcer.

Rather than opt for automatic ejection from the game the league decided fighting should be punished with a five minute penalty. You don t jump someone from behind. Enforcer or policeman is an unofficial role in ice hockey. In this documentary you are able to watch encounters and interviews with some of the more famous enforcers of the national hockey league.

The role of the enforcers who do most of the fighting is the focus of a new film goon. The first nhl rules against fighting were introduced in 1922 and set a standard that continues to this day. One unwritten rule is when you drop the gloves you do it head on. If both fighters receive five minute penalties substitutions can be made.

But if fighting were just about raw emotion and trying to inflict physical damage on an opponent it would quickly become distasteful. Since hockey is a very physical game and one of the few sports in the world which tolerates fighting many teams throughout history have iced players who excel in this area of the game. Enforcers fight each other and equally respect each other to an extent that they will not fight an unwilling enforcer or an injured one. Enforcers are different from pests players who seek to agitate op.