An NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee proposal to extend a review option to game misconduct penalties was approved Wednesday for the 2025-26 season.
Last season, a conference was able to request a review by the NCAA secretary-rules editor and national coordinator of officials for possible adjustment. This process was used rarely, but in those instances, it was successful and corrected a handful of decisions. Committee members think this should extend to the game misconduct penalties, which have a progressive component and essentially the same rationale of fairness to the student-athlete.
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the change today.
PROP approved three other ice hockey proposals for the 2025-26 season:
Face mask penalty
Adjustments to the face mask rule's penalty structure include:
- A minor penalty for intentionally placing the hand on the mask and pushing the face mask of an opponent.
- A minor penalty for moving an open hand back and forth across an opponent's face mask (previously a major penalty).
- Major penalty and either a game misconduct or game disqualification at the referee's discretion for a player grasping and pulling or twisting to control an opponent's face mask.
Major penalty review options
When the on-ice officials are planning to enforce a major penalty, a replay review must be conducted in games that have instant replay. The panel approved adjusting the rule regarding video reviews of major penalties. After the review, on-ice officials will have three options:
- Confirm a major penalty.
- Reduce the major penalty to a minor penalty.
- Remove the penalty completely, if warranted by the video review.
Teams are not permitted to challenge the result of the review.
High-sticking the puck
The panel approved clarifying the rule on high-sticking the puck by separating the scoring of a goal (puck may not be played higher than 4 feet, which is the height of the crossbar) and all other plays (puck may not be played higher than above a player's shoulder, which is defined as that player's normal standing height). This is an adjustment from last season, when the rule did not include the "player's normal standing height."