PENALTIES

I. DELAYED PENALTY

--Automatic: Ref HUD indicates a delayed crease penalty is pending if 2 penalties are already active on a team.
--Ref may have to manually pause play when the team is down to one penalty and has puck possession, if this does not automatically get triggered.
--Team which is not getting the penalty may elect to pull the goalie and replace them with another attacker until play stops.
--Team that committed the penalty will serve the required time when play stops.
--Should the team not facing the penalty score before the game is automatically paused, the delayed penalty should be negated.

II. PENALTY SHOTS
In the event that a team plays with only 3 skaters and 1 goalie, after taking a total of three minor penalties during a game, the opposing team is awarded a penalty shot.
--The captain of the team making the shot chooses the player who will shoot.
--Whoever takes it must have been on the ice at that time (no one from the bench, and no one who's serving a penalty).
--The player has 10 seconds to make his shot.
--If the shorthanded team trails by 5 goals or more, then this rule will no longer apply and the team will not have to face a penalty shot.
--If the team takes three more penalties, they will face another penalty shot and will continue to do so for every three penalties thereafter.

III. MINOR PENALTIES

Alternate teammate may be selected by captain to serve a minor penalty for a goaltender.

A. CREASE PENALTY

Length of Penalty: To be served 1-minute or until opposing team scores.

--Initiated automatically when the puck carrier enters the crease or a player gains possession of the puck while in the crease

Allowable Exceptions:
--If the goalie is outside of the crease, 1 player on the team may defend inside the crease.
--If that player gains control of the puck while in the crease, the scoreboard will automatically initiate a penalty, but the referee should clear that penalty. If the referee did not observe the goaltender out of the crease, the penalty may stand.
--Face-off will be held at the closest face-off circle.
--Ref may decide to clear the penalty if it was clear to his/her observation that a player was nowhere near the crease and it is felt the crease automation was due to lag.

B. FLYING/SKATING UP WALLS OR NET:

Length of Penalty: To be served 1-minute or until opposing team scores.

Initiated for:
Player flying/leaping while in possession of the puck, or to anyone using the net or rink to illegally move.

Additional Information:
--If no significant interference in game play has occurred, and the player immediately stops and passes off puck, the ref may elect not to incur the penalty.
--Goals achieved while flying/leaping is occurring by the scoring team will be disallowed.
--If a player is flying, he or she will go face-down animation.
--If player is suffering the effects of a collision error, they will appear to leap through the air.
--If flying/leaping, player must stop moving and pass off the puck.
--If you are having problems with avatar leaping after being checked, attempt to sit on the net when play is stopped, and this will resolve the collision error.

C. DELAY OF GAME

Length of Penalty: To be served 1-minute or until opposing team scores.

Initiated for:
Shooting puck out of play, shooting the puck straight up, jumping the face-off, goalie crossing blue line, subs crossing red line, too many players on ice.

Shooting Puck Out:
--Delay of Game penalty is given for 3 instances of a team shooting the puck out of play.
--This is given for pucks going out the side walls.

Shooting Puck Straight Up:
--One-minute delay of game penalty, except in the last minute of play.
--Refs will add back 5 seconds if someone does hit the puck straight up.

**Exception**
--In the last minute of play, shooting the puck straight up will result in a 5-minute major penalty.
--5-minute penalty will carry to the team's next game if game doesn't go into overtime.
--Goaltender will have to serve their own penalty in this instance with Captain allowed to place another team member in as goaltender.

Face-off Jumping
--Initiated for a player too close to the face-off dot or jumping the face-off
--If the puck has dropped, Ref will blow the play dead and have player replaced at face-off.
--First infraction: Player is replaced from the face-off circle No penalty given.
--Further infractions: 1-minute Delay of Game penalty

Goaltender Across Blue Line:
--Initiated for crossing the blue line on their side
--Penalty to be served by a teammate of the captain's choosing.

Too Many Players On Ice:
--Initiated for having excessive skaters on ice, for whatever reason.
--Captain will chose a player who was on the ice at the time of the infraction to serve the penalty.

Sub Player Crosses Red Line:
--Initiated on sub player crosses the red line (at Ref's discretion)
--If sub crossed the red line, passed to a regular player(s) who scored before Ref could pause the game, the goal is disallowed.

IV. MAJOR 2-MINUTE PENALTY FOR GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE

Length of Penalty: 2 minutes to be served completely, regardless of goals scored.

Initiated for:
Knocking the opposing goalie from position in the crease by physically colliding with him or her, or restricting movement of the goaltender.

Additional Information:
--Not be called on a player who knocks their own goalie from the crease.
--If knocked out by the opponent's team, and the opponent scores, the goal is automatically disallowed.
--If knocked out by his/her own team, and the opponent scores, goal will stand.
--Penalty may be called regardless of whether a goal was scored or not.
--Initiated regardless of which end the puck was in play.

V. MAJOR 5-MINUTE PENALTIES WITH PENALIZED TEAM TO PLAY SHORT-HANDED

Length of Penalty: 5 minutes to be served completely, regardless of goals scored.

Initiated for:
--Arguing with Referee
--Non-captains contacting the referee via IM
--Harassing/taunting other players
--Use of profanity or provoking language/behavior
--Flagrant poor sportsmanship
--Refusing to remove an inappropriate or illegal attachment
--Deliberately ramming opposing goalie, whether play in progress or not
--Harassing visitors/fans
--Stacking the Crease (See Below)
--Shooting Puck Straight Up in last minute of game (See Below)
--8-Goal Advantage (See Below)

Additional Information:
--Goaltender must serve their penalty. Captain may substitute a different goaltender, but the penalized team must still play shorthanded.
--All penalties are 100% Ref discretion

A. STACKING THE CREASE

Length of Penalty: 5 minutes to be served completely, regardless of goals scored.

Initiated for:
--Players standing in and crowding the defensive crease, at Ref's discretion.

Additional Information:
--The ref may choose the player to take the penalty.
--If player continues to cause problems after this is initiated, proceed to below.

B. SHOOTING THE PUCK STRAIGHT UP (IN LAST MINUTE OF PLAY)

Length of Penalty: 5 minutes to be served completely, regardless of goals scored.

Initiated for:
--Puck is shot straight up in attempt to waste time in last minute of game.

Additional Information:
--If not in the last minute of game, see Delay of Game penalties above
--5-minute penalty will carry to the team's next game if game doesn't go into overtime.
--Goaltender will have to serve their own penalty in this instance with Captain allowed to place another team member in as goaltender.

C. 8-GOAL ADVANTAGE

Length of Penalty: 5 minutes to be served completely, regardless of goals scored.

Initiated for:
Team is ahead by 8 goals or more, but continues overly aggressive attack, at Ref's discretion.

Additional Information:
--If ahead by 8 or more goals, the team's defense cannot move past center ice, and the team cannot have more than 3 players on the attack, even during a power play.
--Penalty to be served by the team captain/acting captain.

VI. MAJOR GAME MISCONDUCT WITH TEAM TO PLAY FULL-STRENGTH

Length of Penalty: Remainder of Game, Immediate Game Misconduct, potential withdrawal of future ability to participate in league activities pending commissioner review.

Initiated for:
--Conduct problems continue after initial Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty is given or served.
--Leaving game without cause.
--Use of Illegal equipment
--Use of weapons
--Accusations of Ref Bias
--Discriminatory Remarks
--Severe Game Disruption, at Discretion of Ref

Additional Information:
--Player must leave the ice and sim at once.
--No penalty given to team.
--The team may substitute another player in any position, but must communicate with the ref throughout the incident. Refs are responsible for communicating with both captains on the situation.
--Discriminatory remarks includes text/voice/gesture harassment on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or disability.
--Commissioner will review all instances. Referee to submit a note to commissioner with full description of events.

VII. BENCHING PLAYERS

Captains may bench immediately any player who does the following:
--Refuses to play a position the captain requests
--Directing the captain on game setup and line changes without the captain's request
--Arguing with the captain
--If the captain has to be forced to bench a key player, the captain will be allowed to utilize any GOHA member, in any position.
--Captain must communicate with the ref throughout the incident
--Refs are responsible for communicating with both captains on the situation.
--Commissioner will review all instances. Referee to submit a note to commissioner with full description of events.

VIII. PENALTIES OUTSIDE OF GAME PLAY

GOHA members are expected to follow our Code of Conduct and Mission. Players who participate in the following activities, while during a game or not, may receive conduct warnings and possibly lose the ability to further participate in league activities.

--Griefing; verbal abuse of any player, ref or fan.
--Gossip, drama, and non-constructive complaining: If you have a problem with a policy, game issue, person or other GOHA-related issue, you are to bring it to your captain or division manager/commissioner in an adult manner.
--Behaving with hostility/sarcasm/disrespect towards other league members, hosts, and refs is not allowed.