NCRHA Rule of the Week, Issue 2

This week?s rule is not related to something that?s not allowed, but rather how to administer penalties when they occur. In the past, roller hockey in general, and CRHL in particular had in place a rule that came to be known as the ?2-for-1? rule. It goes like this: When a team is already shorthanded, and another delayed call is coming against them, and the opposing team scores, both the penalty being served and the delayed penalty are cancelled, and the teams resume playing at full-strength. The feeling now is that this rule is inconsistent with the logic of how other penalties are cancelled. In general, if there are two minor penalties being served when a power play goal is scored, the player with the least amount of time remaining is released from the box, but not both players. To be more consistent with this logic, the NCRHA rule is now as follows: Rule 409: Calling of Penalties (d) If, after the Referee has signaled a penalty, but before play has been stopped, the puck enters the goal of the non-offending team as the direct result of the action of a player of that team, the goal shall be allowed and the penalty signaled shall be assessed in the normal manner. (e) If the Referee signals an additional minor penalty(s) against a team that is already shorthanded because of one or more minor or bench minor penalties, and a goal is scored by the nonoffending team before the whistle is blown, the goal shall be allowed, the delayed penalty(s) shall be assessed and the first minor penalty being served which caused the team to be shorthanded shall terminate automatically. Therefore, under 409(e), if a there is a delayed penalty with a player serving a penalty already, and the team on the power play scores, the player serving the minor is released, and a new penalty is called on the delayed penalty. You can find this and other exciting rules in the NCRHA rulebook by downloading it from the Documents section of www.ncrha.org. If you have any questions about this or any other NCRHA rules, follow them up with your league director or referee-in-chief.