3-1-1    ART 1. Sticks must be free of any projections, and all edges of the stick must be beveled.

Rationale: Prohibits using a stick that could be dangerous to a participant. General revision of stick language as aluminum is no longer used and the NFHS Ice Hockey Committee does not review sticks.

3-3-1    ART 1. Goalkeepers must cover his/her legs with pants or socks. 

Rationale: The HECC/ASTM language was added for clarification. This is stated in the protective equipment section and has existed there for many years. Goalkeepers have been observed wearing goalie pads without any covering on the back of their legs.  This creates a dangerous situation with skate blades, sticks and pucks that could cause injury to these exposed areas.

4-2-8    ART. 8. When the penalty, "captain's choice of players" occurs, the player selected will serve the penalty on behalf of the team. S/he will not be charged with the penalty individually. 

Rationale: The player selected to serve for a “captain’s choice of players” penalty should not be penalized personally, therefore it should not count toward the player’s five penalty allotment at which time the player receives a game misconduct penalty.

8-2-3    ART. 3. A penalty shot is awarded when a goal cage is displaced on a breakaway or in the last two minutes of regulation. 

Rationale: This change creates consistency with Rule 8-2-5 regarding deliberately displacing a helmet. This will deter players and goalkeepers from attempting to displace the net on a breakaway situation.

9-5-3    ART. 3. The faceoff will be held at the center ice spot when an errant whistle for "icing the puck" occurs. 

Rationale: This change eliminates an advantage for the attacking team, which with a faceoff win could create a scoring opportunity due to an errant whistle from an official. The center ice faceoff does not give an advantage to either team.

Editorial Rules Changes

2-5-1,9-3-3l

2018-19 Points of Emphasis

Health and Safety

• Player Safety/Dangerous Hit
• Concussion Recognition and Management
• Mouthguard Use

Sportsmanship

Role of Officials

Role of Coaches and Administrators