The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a significant overhaul to the video replay process in men’s and women’s hockey effective for the 2022-23 academic year.
In the new process, coaches may challenge a reviewable play. If the play is not reversed, a timeout will be charged for the unsuccessful challenge. Any subsequent unsuccessful challenges would result in a minor penalty for delay of game.
According to an NCAA release, committee members think the previous process created significant issues with game flow and put unnecessary pressure on officials to review plays without a formal challenge being made. Previously, teams that lost a challenge could not formally request another.
Several reviewable plays will require a coach’s challenge, including goaltender contact, offsides infractions and high sticking the puck that leads to a goal. Referees continue to have discretion to review most aspects of the scoring of a goal and player action where a major penalty is being considered.
Overtime/shootout
The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee reviewed data and comments regarding the overtime format, which was altered two seasons ago to include a mandatory five-minute period with three skaters on each side. The group decided to continue with this policy for all regular-season contests. The committee voted to allow a shootout in situations where the game remains tied after the overtime period. The host school’s conference policy on shootouts will be followed.
Major penalty option
Since the 2010-11 season, the penalty for contact to the head and hitting from behind into the sideboards or goal cage has been a minimum of a major penalty coupled with either a game misconduct or disqualification, depending on the severity of the foul. In a growing number of cases, the committee thinks ejecting a student-athlete in some situations is out of line with the severity of the infraction.
To address this, the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved providing officials with an option of a major (five-minute) penalty without an ejection. An educational video will be developed to illustrate the differences between a major penalty by itself and a major penalty with an ejection.
Other adjustments
The panel approved several other adjustments, including:
Offsides: A player shall be considered onside if the skate is over the blue line when the puck enters the attacking zone, which is the rule used in the National Hockey League. Previously, the skate was required to be in contact with the blue line.
Supplementary discipline: The committee added language to clarify that this provision is intended for egregious situations.
Video review — offsides and possession and control: The provision that nullified a review opportunity of a potential offsides play if the defending team gained possession and control of the puck was removed.
Pregame/intermission protocols: The committee added language to the pregame protocol to clarify that student-athletes should not be on the ice before the start of the pregame process. Additionally, after intermissions, players should proceed directly to the bench, except for the players who will start the period.
Intermissions: The length of intermissions shall be 12 or 15 minutes. The 18-minute option for intermissions was removed.
High sticking in defensive zone: To be consistent with a hand pass infraction in the defensive zone, when the defensive team high sticks the puck in the defensive zone, the team will not be able to change its players.
Covering puck in crease: The committee added covering the puck in the crease by a skater as a reviewable play through a coach’s challenge.
