NHL OFFICIAL RULE BOOK
THE TEAM
RULES 13 - 19
 

Rule 13. Composition of Team

  1. A team shall be composed of six players on the ice who shall be under contract to the Club they represent.

  2. Each player and each goalkeeper listed in the line-up of each team shall wear an individual identifying number at least ten inches (10") high on the back of his sweater and, in addition, each player and goalkeeper shall wear his surname in full, in block letters three inches (3") high, across the back of his sweater at shoulder height.

    All players of each team shall be dressed uniformly with approved design and colour of their helmets, sweaters, short pants, stockings and skates.

    Altered uniforms of any kind, i.e. velcro inserts, over-sized jerseys, etc. will not be permitted. Any player or goalkeeper not complying with this rule shall not be permitted to participate in the game.

    Each Member Club shall design and wear distinctive and contrasting uniforms for their home and road games, no parts of which shall be interchangeable except the pants.

Rule 14. Captain of Team

  1. One Captain shall be appointed by each team, and he alone shall have the privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game. He shall wear the letter "C", approximately three inches (3") in height and in contrasting colour, in a conspicuous position on the front of his sweater.

    In addition, if the permanent Captain is not on the ice, Alternate Captains (not more than two) shall be accorded the privileges of the Captain. Alternate Captains shall wear the letter "A" approximately three inches (3") in height and in contrasting colour, in a conspicuous position on the front of their sweaters.

    (NOTE)
    Only when the captain is not in uniform, the Coach shall have the right to designate three Alternate Captains. This must be done prior to the start of the game.

  2. The Referee and official Scorer shall be advised prior to the start of each game, of the name of the Captain of the team and the Alternate Captains.

  3. Only the Captain, when invited to do so by the Referee, shall have the privilege of discussing any point relating to the interpretation of rules. Any Captain or player who comes off the bench and makes any protest or intervention with the officials for any purpose must be assessed a misconduct penalty in addition to a minor penalty under Rule 42(b) - Abuse of Officials.

    A complaint about a penalty is NOT a matter "relating to the interpretation of the rules" and a minor penalty shall be imposed against any Captain or other player making such a complaint.

  4. No playing Coach or playing Manager or goalkeeper shall be permitted to act as Captain or Alternate Captain.

Rule 15. Players in Uniform

  1. At the beginning of each game, the Manager or Coach of each team shall list the players and goalkeepers who shall be eligible to play in the game. Not more than eighteen players, exclusive of goalkeepers, shall be permitted.

  2. A list of names and numbers of all eligible players and goalkeepers must be handed to the Referee or Official Scorer before the game, and no change shall be permitted in the list or addition thereto shall be permitted after the commencement of the game.

    1. If a goal is scored when an ineligible player is on the ice, the goal will be disallowed.

    2. The ineligible player will be removed from the game and the club shall not be able to substitute another player on its roster.

  3. Each team shall be allowed one goalkeeper on the ice at one time. The goalkeeper may be removed and another player substituted. Such substitute shall not be permitted the privileges of the goalkeeper.

  4. Each team shall have on its bench, or on a chair immediately beside the bench, a substitute goalkeeper who shall, at all times, be fully dressed and equipped ready to play. The substitute goalkeeper may enter the game at any time following a stoppage of play, but no warm-up shall be permitted.

  5. Except when both goalkeepers are incapacitated, no player in the playing roster in that game shall be permitted to wear the equipment of the goalkeeper.

  6. In regular League and playoff games, if both listed goalkeepers are incapacitated, that team shall be entitled to dress and play any available goalkeeper who is eligible. No delay shall be permitted in taking his position in the goal, and he shall be permitted a two-minute warm-up. However, the warm-up is not permitted in the event a goalkeeper is substituted for a penalty shot.

  7. The Referee shall report to the Commissioner for disciplinary action any delay in making a substitution of goalkeepers.

Rule 16. Starting Line-Up

  1. Prior to the start of the game, at the request of the Referee, the Manager or Coach of the visiting team is required to name the starting line-up to the Referee or Official Scorer. At any time in the game, at the request of the Referee made to the Captain, the visiting team must place a playing line-up on the ice and promptly commence play.

  2. Prior to the start of the game, the Manager or Coach of the home team, having been advised by the Official Scorer or the Referee the names of the starting line-up of the visiting team, shall name the starting line-up of the home team which information shall be conveyed by the Official Scorer or the Referee to the Coach of the visiting team.

  3. No change in the starting line-up of either team as given to the Referee or Official Scorer, or in the playing line-up on the ice, shall be made until the game is actually in progress. For an infraction of this rule, a bench minor penalty shall be imposed upon the offending team, provided such infraction is called to the attention of the Referee before the second face-off in the first period takes place.

Rule 17. Equalizing of Teams

DELETED

Rule 18. Change of Players

  1. Players may be changed at any time from the players' bench provided that the player or players leaving the ice shall be within five feet (5') of his players' bench and out of the play before the change is made. A goalkeeper may be changed for another player at any time under the conditions set out in this section.

    (NOTES)

    1. When a goalkeeper leaves his goal area and proceeds to his players' bench for the purpose of substituting another player, the rear Linesman shall be responsible to see that the substitution made is not illegal by reason of the premature departure of the substitute from the bench (before the goalkeeper is within five feet (5') of the bench). If the substitution is made prematurely, the Linesman shall stop the play immediately by blowing his whistle unless the non-offending team has possession of the puck in which event the stoppage will be delayed until the puck changes hands. There shall be no time penalty to the team making the premature substitution but the resulting face-off will take place on the center "face-off spot".

    2. The Referee shall request that the public address announcer make the following announcement: "Play has been stopped due to premature entry of a player from the players' bench." If in the course of making a substitution, the player entering the game plays the puck with his stick, skates or hands or who checks or makes any physical contact with an opposing player while the retiring player is actually on the ice, then the infraction of "too many men on the ice" will be called. If in the course of a substitution either the player entering the play or the player retiring is struck by the puck accidentally, the play will not be stopped and no penalty will be called.

  2. If by reason of insufficient playing time remaining, or by reason of penalties already imposed, a bench minor penalty is imposed for deliberate illegal substitution (too many men on the ice) which cannot be served in its entirety within the legal playing time, a penalty shot shall be awarded against the offending team.

  3. A player serving a penalty on the penalty bench, who is to be changed after the penalty has been served, must proceed at once by way of the ice and be at his own players' bench before any change can be made. For any violation of this rule, a bench minor penalty shall be imposed.

  4. Following the stoppage of play, the visiting team shall promptly place a line-up on the ice ready for play and no substitution shall be made from that time until play has been resumed. The home team may then make any desired substitution which does not result in the delay of the game. If there is any undue delay by either team in changing lines, the Referee shall order the offending team or teams to take their positions immediately and not permit a line change.

    (NOTE)
    When a substitution has been made under the above rule, no additional substitution may be made until play commences.

  5. The Referee shall give the visiting team a reasonable amount of time to make their change after which he shall put up his hand to indicate that no further change shall be made by the visiting club. At this point, the home team may change immediately. Any attempt by the visiting team to make a change after the Referee's signal shall result in the assessment of a bench minor penalty for delay of game.

Rule 19. Injured Players

  1. When a player other than a goalkeeper is injured or compelled to leave the ice during a game, he may retire from the game and be replaced by a substitute, but play must continue without the teams leaving the ice.

  2. If a goalkeeper sustains an injury or becomes ill, he must be ready to resume play immediately or be replaced by a substitute goalkeeper and NO additional time shall be allowed by the Referee for the purpose of enabling the injured or ill goalkeeper to resume his position. The substitute goalkeeper shall be allowed a two-minute warm-up during all pre-season games. No warm-up shall be permitted for a substitute goaltender in all regular season or playoff games. (See also Section (d).

  3. The Referee shall report to the Commissioner for disciplinary action any delay in making a goalkeeper substitution. The substitute goalkeeper shall be subject to the regular rules governing goalkeepers and shall be entitled to the same privileges.

  4. When a substitution for the regular goalkeeper has been made, such regular goalkeeper shall not resume his position until the first stoppage of play thereafter.

  5. If a penalized player has been injured, he may proceed to the dressing room without the necessity of taking a seat on the penalty bench. If the injured player receives a minor penalty, the penalized team shall immediately put a substitute player on the penalty bench, who shall serve the penalty without change. If the injured player receives a major penalty, the penalized team shall place a substitute player on the penalty bench before the penalty expires and no other replacement for the penalized player shall be permitted to enter the game except from the penalty bench. For violation of this rule, a bench minor penalty shall be imposed. The penalized player who has been injured and been replaced on the penalty bench shall not be eligible to play until his penalty has expired.

  6. When a player is injured so that he cannot continue play or go to his bench, the play shall not be stopped until the injured player's team has secured possession of the puck; if the player's team is in possession of the puck at the time of injury, play shall be stopped immediately unless his team is in a scoring position.

    (NOTE)
    In the case where it is obvious that a player has sustained a serious injury, the Referee and/or Linesman may stop the play immediately.

  7. When play has been stopped by the Referee or Linesman due to an injured player, such player must be substituted for immediately (except goalkeeper). If when the attacking team has control of the puck in its attacking zone, play is stopped by reason of any injury to a player of the defending team, the face-off shall take place in the defending team's end zone face-off spot.
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  ©1996 National Hockey League