OFFICIAL RULES TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Section 1 - Playing Area
  • Rule 1 - Rink
  • Rule 2 - Goal Posts and Nets
  • Rule 3 - Benches
  • Rule 4 - Signal and Timing Devices
• Section 2 - Teams
  • Rule 5 - Team
  • Rule 6 - Captain and Alternate Captains
  • Rule 7 - Starting Line-up
  • Rule 8 - Injured Players
• Section 3 - Equipment
  • Rule 9 - Uniforms
  • Rule 10 - Sticks
  • Rule 11 - Goalkeeper's Equipment
  • Rule 12 - Illegal Equipment
  • Rule 13 - Puck
  • Rule 14 - Adjustment to Clothing or Equipment
• Section 4 - Types of Penalties
  • Rule 15 - Calling of Penalties
  • Rule 16 - Minor Penalties
  • Rule 17 - Bench Minor Penalties
  • Rule 18 - Double-minor Penalties
  • Rule 19 - Coincidental Penalties
  • Rule 20 - Major Penalties
  • Rule 21 - Match Penalties
  • Rule 22 - Misconduct Penalties
  • Rule 23 - Game Misconduct Penalties
  • Rule 24 - (Not in use)
  • Rule 25 - Penalty Shot
  • Rule 26 - Awarded Goals
  • Rule 27 - Delayed Penalties
  • Rule 28 - Goalkeeper's Penalties
  • Rule 29 - Supplementary Discipline
  • Rule 30 - Signals
• Section 5 - Officials
  • Rule 31 - Appointment of Officials
  • Rule 32 - Referees
  • Rule 33 - Linesman
  • Rule 34 - Official Scorer
  • Rule 35 - Game Timekeeper
  • Rule 36 - Penalty Timekeeper
  • Rule 37 - Goal Judge
  • Rule 38 - Real Time Scorers
  • Rule 39 - Video Goal Judge
  • Rule 40 - Abuse of Officials
  • Rule 41 - Physical Abuse of Officials
• Section 6 - Physical Fouls
  • Rule 42 - Boarding
  • Rule 43 - Charging
  • Rule 44 - Checking from Behind
  • Rule 45 - Clipping
  • Rule 46 - Elbowing
  • Rule 47 - Fighting
  • Rule 48 - Head-butting
  • Rule 49 - Kicking
  • Rule 50 - Kneeing
  • Rule 51 - Roughing
  • Rule 52 - Slew-footing
  • Rule 53 - Throwing Equipment
• Section 7 - Restraining Fouls
  • Rule 54 - Holding
  • Rule 55 - Hooking
  • Rule 56 - Interference
  • Rule 57 - Tripping
• Section 8 - Stick Fouls
  • Rule 58 - Butt-ending
  • Rule 59 - Cross-checking
  • Rule 60 - High-sticking
  • Rule 61 - Slashing
  • Rule 62 - Spearing
• Section 9 - Other Fouls
  • Rule 63 - Delaying the Game
  • Rule 64 - Diving / Embellishment
  • Rule 65 - Equipment
  • Rule 66 - Forfeit of Game
  • Rule 67 - Handling Puck
  • Rule 68 - Illegal Substitution
  • Rule 69 - Interference on the Goalkeeper
  • Rule 70 - Leaving the Bench
  • Rule 71 - Premature Substitution
  • Rule 72 - Refusing to Play the Puck
  • Rule 73 - Refusing to Start Play
  • Rule 74 - Too Many Men on the Ice
  • Rule 75 - Unsportsmanlike Conduct
• Section 10 - Game Flow
  • Rule 76 - Face-offs
  • Rule 77 - Game and Intermission Timing
  • Rule 78 - Goals
  • Rule 79 - Hand Pass
  • Rule 80 - High-sticking the Puck
  • Rule 81 - Icing
  • Rule 82 - Line Changes
  • Rule 83 - Off-side
  • Rule 84 - Overtime
  • Rule 85 - Puck Out of Bounds
  • Rule 86 - Start of Game and Periods
  • Rule 87 - Time-outs
• Reference Tables
  • Table 1 - Penalties to Coaches and Non-playing Club Personnel
  • Table 2 - Minor Penalties
  • Table 3 - Bench Minor Penalties
  • Table 4 - Double Minor Penalties
  • Table 5 - Major Penalties
  • Table 6 - Game Misconduct Penalties That Result in an Automatic Game Misconduct
  • Table 7 - Major Penalties That Result in an Automatic Game Misconduct When There is Injury to the Face or Head
  • Table 8 - Match Penalties
  • Table 9 - Misconduct Penalties
  • Table 10 - Game Misconduct Fouls Included in the "General Category"
  • Table 11 - Game Misconduct Fouls Included in the "Stick-Related Category"
  • Table 12 - Game Misconduct Penalties
  • Table 13 - Penalty Shots
  • Table 14 - Awarded Goals (When Goalkeeper Has Been Removed for an Extra Attacker)
  • Table 15 - Goalkeeper Penalties
  • Table 16 - Goals Scored Against a Short-handed Team
  • Table 17 - Coincidental Penalties
  • Table 18 - Interference on the Goalkeeper Situations
  • Table 19 - Penalties in Effect Prior to the Start of Overtime - Regular Season
  • Table 20 - Penalties Assessed in Overtime - Regular Season
• Alphabetical Index
  • A - C
  • D - F
  • G - I
  • J - L
  • M - O
  • P - R
  • S - T
  • U - Z

2009-10 Official NHL Rulebook

No new changes to the Rules for 09-10. It is a rare year that the NHL does not tinker with at least one or two of its rules, but for the 2009-2010 season there is nothing new for referees to call.

Terry Gregson, who has replaced Stephen Walkom as the NHL director of officiating, says the priorities this season will be calling the instigator penalty on fights more often and standardizing the way officials drop the puck for faceoffs.

Download the rulebook: .pdf | .doc