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Rule 65. Kicking the Puck Kicking the puck shall be permitted in all zones. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks the puck directly into the net, whether intended or not. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks the puck and it is deflected into the net off any player, goalkeeper or Official. Rule 66. Leaving Players' or Penalty Bench a.No player may leave the players' or penalty bench at any time during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation. Substitutions made prior to the altercation shall be permitted, provided the players so substituting do not enter the altercation. b.For violation of this rule, a game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on the player who was the first or second player to leave the players' or penalty bench from either or both teams. c.The first player to leave the players' or penalty bench from either or both teams shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next ten (10) regular League and/or playoff games of his team. d.The second player to leave the bench from either or both teams shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next five (5) regular League and/or playoff games. (NOTE) The determination as to the players penalized under (c) and (d) of this rule shall be made by the Referee in consultation with the Linesmen and off-ice officials. In the event that he is unable to identify the offending players, the matter will be referred to the Commissioner or his designee and such determinations may be made subsequently based on reports and other information including but not limited to television tapes. e.Any team that has a playev penalized under (a) shall be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for the first instance. This fine shall be increased by five thousand dollars ($5000) for each subsequent occurrence over the next following three-year period. f.All players including the first and second players who leave the bench during an altercation shall be subject to an automatic fine in the amount equal to the maximum permitted under the collective bargaining agreement. g.Any player who leaves the penalty bench during an altercation and is not the first player, shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next five (5) regular League and/or playoff games. h.Except at the end of each period or on expiration of his penalty, no player may, at any time, leave the penalty bench. i.A penalized player who leaves the penalty bench before his penalty has expired, whether play is in progress or not, shall incur an additional minor penalty, after serving his unexpired penalty. j.Any penalized player leaving the penalty bench during stoppage of play and during an altercation shall incur a minor penalty plus a game misconduct penalty after serving his unexpired time. k.If a player leaves the penalty bench before his penalty is fully served, the Penalty Timekeeper shall note the time and signal the Referee who will immediately stop play. l.In the case of a player returning to the ice before his time has expired through an error of the Penalty Timekeeper, he is not to serve an additional penalty, but must serve his unexpired time. m.If a player of the attacking side in possession of the puck shall be in such a position as to have no opposition between him and the opposing goalkeeper, and while in such position he shall be interfered with by a player of the opposing side who shall have illegally entered the game, the Referee shall impose a penalty shot against the side to which the offending player belongs. n.If the opposing goalkeeper has been removed and an attacking player in possession of the puck shall have no player of the defending team to pass and a stick or a part thereof or any other object is thrown or shot by an opposing player, or the player is fouled from behind thereby being prevented from having a clear shot on an open goal, a goal shall be awarded against the offending team. If when the opposing goalkeeper has been removed from the ice, a player of the side attacking the unattended goal is interfered with by a player who shall have entered the game illegally, the Referee shall immediately award a goal to the non-offending team. o.If a Coach or Manager gets on the ice after the start of a period and before that period is ended, the Referee shall impose a bench minor penalty against the team and report the incident to the Commissioner for disciplinary action. p.Any club executive or Manager committing the same offense will be automatically fined two hundred dollars ($200). q.If a penalized player returns to the ice from the penalty bench before his penalty has expired by his own error or the error of the Penalty Timekeeper, any goal scored by his own team while he is illegally on the ice shall be disallowed but all penalties imposed on either team shall be served as regular penalties. r.If a player shall illegally enter the game from his own players' bench or from the penalty bench, any goal scored by his own team while he is illegally on the ice shall be disallowed but all penalties imposed on either team shall be served as regular penalties. s.A bench minor penalty shall be imposed on a team whose player(s) leave the players' bench for any purpose other than a change of players and when no altercation is in progress. t.Any player who has been ordered to the dressing room by the Referee and returns to his bench or to the ice for any reason before the appropriate time shall be assessed a game misconduct penalty and shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next ten (10) regular League and/or playoff games. u.The Coach of the team whose players left the benchs during an altercation may be suspended, pending a review by the Commissioner. The coach may also be fined a maximum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000). v.For all suspensions imposed on players under this rule, the club of the player shall pay to the League a sum equal to the pro-rata of that player's salary covered by the suspension. For purposes of computing amounts due for a player's suspension, the player's fixed salary shall be divided by the number of days in the regular season and then, said result shall be multiplied by the number of games suspended. In addition, any club that is deemed by the Commissioner to pay or reimburse to the player the amount of the fine or loss of salary assessed under this rule shall be fined automatically one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). (NOTE) In the event that suspensions imposed under this rule cannot be completed in regular League and/or playoff games in any one season, the remainder of the suspension shall be served the following season. Rule 67. Physical Abuse of Officials a.Any player who deliberately applies physical force in any manner against an official, in any manner attempts to injure an official, deliberately makes contact with an official, physically demeans an official or deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall receive a game misconduct penalty. In addition, the following disciplinary penalties shall apply: CATEGORY I Any player who deliberately strikes an official and causes injury or who deliberately applies physical force in any manner against an official with intent to injure, or who in any manner attempts to injure an official shall be automatically suspended for not less than 20 games. (For the purpose of the rule, intent to injure shall mean any physical force which a player knew or should have known could reasonably be expected to cause injury.) CATEGORY II Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner (excluding actions as set out in Category One), which physical force is applied without intent to injure, shall be automatically suspended for not less than 10 games. CATEGORY III Any player who, by his actions, physically demeans an official or who deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall be suspended for not less than 3 games. Immediately after the game in which such game misconduct penalty is imposed, the Referee shall, in consultation with the Linesmen, decide the category of the offense. He shall make an oral report to the Commissioner and advise of the category and of the offense. In addition, he shall file a written report to the Commissioner in which he may request a review as to the adequacy of the suspension. The player and club involved shall be notified of the decision of the Referee on the morning following the game and the player may request the Commissioner to review, subject to the provisions of this rule, the penalty imposed by the Referee. Such request must be filed with the Commissioner in writing not later than 72 hours following notification of the penalty. No appeal to the Board of Governors pursuant to By-Law 17 shall be available to the player unless a review has been conducted as provided herein. If a review of the incident is requested by either the player or by the official, a hearing will be conducted by the Commissioner as soon as practical prior to the fourth game of any suspension. The player's suspension shall continue pending the outcome of the hearing by the Commissioner. After any review as called for hereby, the Commissioner shall issue an order either: 1.sustaining the minimum suspension, or . . . 2.increasing the number of games within the category, or . . . 3.changing to a lower category, or . . . 4.changing to a lower category and increasing the number of games within the category. A player shall have the right of appeal from any such order pursuant to By-Law 17.11. Upon such appeal, the Board of Governors' determination shall be one of the four alternatives listed above. The penalties imposed under this rule shall not be deemed to limit the right of the Commissioner with respect to any action that he might otherwise take under By-Law 17. In the event that the player has committed more than one offense under this rule, in addition to the penalties imposed under this offense, his case shall be referred to the Commissioner of the League for consideration of supplementary disciplinary action. (In all instances where the Commissioner is referred to in this rule, it shall mean the Commissioner or his designee.) Any club executive, Manager, Coach or Trainer who holds or strikes an official shall be automatically suspended from the game, ordered to the dressing room, and the matter will be reported to the Commissioner for further disciplinary action. Rule 68. Obscene or Profane Language or Gestures a.Players shall not use obscene gestures on the ice or anywhere in the rink before, during or after the game. For a violation of the rule, a game misconduct penalty shall be imposed and the Referee shall report the circumstances to the Commissioner of the League for further disciplinary action. b.Players shall not use profane language on the ice or anywhere in the rink before, during or after a game. For violation of this rule, a misconduct penalty shall be imposed except when the violation occurs in the vicinity of the players' bench in which case a bench minor penalty shall be imposed. (NOTE) It is the responsibility of all game officials and all club officials to send a confidential report to the Commissioner setting out the full details concerning the use of obscene gestures or language by any player, Coach or other official. The Commissioner shall take such further disciplinary action as he shall deem appropriate. c.Club executives, Managers, Coaches and Trainers shall not use obscene or profane language or gestures anywhere in the rink. For violation of this rule, a bench minor penalty shall be imposed. Rule 69. Off-Sides a.The position of the player's skates and not that of his stick shall be the determining factor in all instances in deciding an "off-side". A player is off-side when both skates are completely over the outer edge of the determining center line or blue line involved in the play. (NOTES) 1.A player is "on-side" when either of his skates are in contact with or on his own side of the line at the instant the puck completely crosses the outer edge of that line regardless of the position of his stick. However, if while an off-side call is delayed, players of the offending team clear the zone, the Linesman shall drop his arm and the play is no longer off-side. 2.It should be noted that while the position of the player's skates is what determines whether a player is off-side, nevertheless the question of an off-side never arises until the puck has completely crossed the outer edge of the line at which time the decision is to be made. b.If, in the opinion of the Linesman, an intentional off-side play has been made, the puck shall be faced-off at the end face-off spot in the defending zone of the offending team. (NOTES) 1.An intentional off-side is one which is made for the purpose of securing a stoppage of play regardless of the reason, whether either team is short-handed. 2.If, while an off-side call is delayed, a player of the offending team deliberately touches the puck to create a stoppage of play, the Linesman will signal an intentional off-side. c.If a Linesman errs in calling an off-side pass infraction (regardless of whether either team is short-handed), the puck shall be faced-off on the center ice face-off spot. Rule 70. Passes a.The puck may be passed by any player to a player of the same side within any one of the three zones into which the ice is divided, but it may not be passed forward from a player in one zone to a player of the same side in another zone, except by players of the defending team who may make and take forward passes from their own defending zone to the center line without incurring an off-side penalty. This forward pass from the defending zone must be completed by the pass receiver who is preceded by the puck across the center line, otherwise the play shall be stopped and the face-off shall be at the point from which the pass was made. (NOTES) 1.The position of the puck and not that of the player's skates shall be the determining factor in deciding from which zone the pass was made. 2.Passes may be completed legally at the center red line in exactly the same manner as passes at the attacking blue line. 3.In the event the player has preceded the puck at the center line he may become eligible to play the puck if he makes skate contact with the line prior to playing the puck. b.Should the puck having been passed, contact any part of the body, stick or skates of a player of the same side who is legally on-side, the pass shall be considered to have been completed. c.The player last touched by the puck shall be deemed to be in possession. Rebounds off goalkeepers' pads or other equipment shall not be considered as a change of possession or completion of the play by the team when applying Rule 34(b) - Calling of Penalties. d.If a player in the neutral zone is preceded in the attacking zone by the puck passed from the neutral zone, he shall be eligible to take possession of the puck anywhere in the attacking zone except when the "icing the Puck" rule applies. e.If a player in the same zone from which a pass is made is preceded by the puck into succeeding zones, he shall be eligible to take possession of the puck in that zone except where the Icing the Puck rule applies. f.If an attacking player passes the puck backward toward his own goal from the attacking zone, an opponent may play the puck anywhere regardless of whether the opponent was in the same zone at the time the puck was passed. (No slow whistle.)