A proposed NCAA men’s hockey rules package for the 2026-27 season would move the college game closer to the NHL rule book in several key areas, including offsides, goaltender puck-handling restrictions, timeouts, faceoffs, coincidental penalties and coach’s challenges.
The changes have been approved by the NCAA membership and presented to the NCAA men’s hockey oversight panel for review and comment. If passed through the remaining process, the rules would take effect for the 2026-27 season.
The 2026-27 season would also mark the first time NCAA men’s and women’s hockey will operate under separate rule books.
NHL-aligned rule changes
Several of the proposed changes are intended to bring NCAA men’s hockey closer to the NHL rule book.
The NCAA men’s game would add the NHL’s goaltender trapezoid restriction. Under that rule, a goaltender would only be permitted to play the puck behind the goal line inside the trapezoid area behind the net. The position of the puck would determine whether a penalty is assessed.
Additional, an NHL-style offsides interpretation is also recommended. Under the proposal, the puck must be on a player’s stick if that player’s skates enter the attacking zone ahead of the puck.
Timeout rules would also move closer to the NHL model. Teams would receive one timeout for all regular-season games, including five-minute overtime. Under current NCAA rules, teams receive a timeout at the start of overtime. That overtime timeout would be removed for regular-season games.
Postseason games would continue to include one timeout at the start of every overtime period for health and safety purposes.
Faceoffs and puck-location procedures
The rules package also includes several changes to faceoff procedures and faceoff locations.
The NCAA would adopt the NHL interpretation for stick blade placement on faceoffs. The defensive team would be required to put its stick down first at all faceoff dots except center ice, where the visiting team would put its stick down first.
Defensive-zone hand passes would be allowed. A high-sticked puck in the defensive zone would no longer create a no-change situation.
Faceoff locations after hand passes and high-sticked pucks would also change. Instead of moving the faceoff back one full zone, the faceoff would move back one dot. For example, a high-sticked puck in the neutral zone that is touched in the neutral zone would result in a neutral-zone faceoff, rather than a faceoff in the end zone.
Pucks shot over the glass in the defensive zone would remain a no-change situation.
A puck shot from behind the center red line and tied up by the goaltender would become a no-change situation.
Coach’s challenges, replay and technology
Coach’s challenge and replay procedures would also be revised.
The first failed coach’s challenge would continue to cost a timeout if the team has one available. Officials would only be able to initiate a review on their own when a major penalty is involved. If there is no call on the ice, the play would have to be challenged by a coach.
Teams would be limited to one challenge per stoppage.
A disallowed goal involving a goaltender interference minor penalty could be challenged. If the challenge is successful, the goal would be allowed and the minor penalty would be removed.
Technology rules would also be updated. Video capability would not be permitted on the bench. Communication between the bench and video coaches upstairs would be allowed through a cell phone and AirPods, but coaches would not be permitted to look at the phone.
Video access for upstairs coaches would be required to be equitable for both teams. For example, if the home team has access to seven camera angles, the visiting team would also need access to seven angles. The provision is intended to address unequal video access, particularly in nonconference games.
Technology for heart-rate monitoring would be permitted for health and safety purposes only.
Penalties and game management
The proposed rules package includes several changes to penalty administration.
In the final five minutes of regulation or in overtime, if there is a coincidental major penalty to one team and a minor penalty to the other, the remaining three minutes of the major penalty would immediately go on the clock.
Goaltenders would no longer serve major or misconduct penalties. Those penalties would be served by a skater who was on the ice at the time of the infraction.
A second major penalty in the same game would become an automatic game misconduct.
The appeal process for game misconducts would move to a 48-hour response window, except in cases where a player has three game misconducts and has a game the following day.
The current minor penalty for hits from behind on open-ice hits would be removed, though officials could still call charging or interference when applicable.
Player safety and supplemental discipline
Cut-resistant protection for the neck, wrists and socks would be recommended for the 2026-27 season and required for 2027-28.
Standards would be based around NHL, AHL and PWHL requirements, with the NCAA expected to determine those standards before Sept. 1, 2026. Initial noncompliance would result in a warning, with conferences working through any issues.
The fighting and roughing rules would also be restructured. The proposal would add language to better define disqualification penalties and revise the roughing rule to more clearly allow a major and game misconduct.
Officials would have wider latitude when assessing penalties after scrums involving punches. Available penalties would include a minor, major and game misconduct, or disqualification.
Spitting would be changed from a game misconduct to a disqualification.
Head-butting would also be modified. A slight bump of the head could be assessed as a minor penalty. Egregious head-butting would remain a major penalty and game misconduct.
Overtime and shootouts
Regular-season overtime would remain three-on-three for five minutes, followed by a shootout if tied. Shootout rules would remain unchanged.
Diving and embellishment
The diving and embellishment rule would remain unchanged. Officials are expected to receive additional education on calling embellishment penalties consistently across conferences before the upcoming season.