Quick answer
A hockey penalty is a punishment for breaking a rule, and the guilty player has to sit in the penalty box while their team plays a man short. There are three common lengths: a minor penalty is 2 minutes (tripping, hooking, slashing, interference, roughing), a major penalty is 5 minutes for a more dangerous version of the same fouls (like boarding), and a misconduct is 10 minutes, usually for arguing or unsportsmanlike behavior. When your kid's team has a player in the box, the other team is "on the power play" and your team is "killing the penalty." The exact rules vary by league and age level.
Key takeaways
- Penalties come in three main lengths: 2-minute minors, 5-minute majors, and 10-minute misconducts.
- The team with the extra skater is on the power play; the short-handed team is on the penalty kill.
- Most whistles you hear are minor penalties for stick or body fouls — tripping, hooking, slashing, interference, and roughing.
- A delayed penalty lets play continue until the fouling team touches the puck, which is why you sometimes see a goalie sprint to the bench.
- Coincidental penalties (one on each team) cancel out, so nobody goes on the power play.
- At youth levels the rules are tuned for safety, and the goal is teaching kids to play hard and clean at the same time.
What are the three main types of penalties?
Almost everything you will see called in a youth game fits into three buckets, and they are named by how long the player sits. The referee raises an arm to signal the penalty, blows the whistle when the fouling team touches the puck, and sends the player to the penalty box. From there, a clock runs the player back onto the ice.
| Type | Time in the box | What causes it | Does the team play short? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor | 2 minutes | Most stick and body fouls: tripping, hooking, slashing, interference, roughing | Yes |
| Major | 5 minutes | A dangerous version of a foul: fighting, or a hard hit like boarding | Yes |
| Misconduct | 10 minutes | Unsportsmanlike conduct, arguing with the referee, abusive language | No — a substitute serves the ice time |
The important wrinkle is the misconduct. A 10-minute misconduct removes the player, but a teammate can take their spot on the ice, so the team does not play short for those 10 minutes. A minor or major, on the other hand, means the team is genuinely down a skater. There is also a special case called a penalty shot — awarded when a player on a clear breakaway is fouled from behind — where the fouled player gets a free one-on-one against the goalie instead of a power play.
Coach Joel's tip: Don't panic when your kid takes a penalty — the 2-minute minor is part of the game, and even the best defensemen take them. What I watch for is which penalty. A tripping call from good body position is a bang-bang play; a slash out of frustration or a retaliation cross-check is a habit worth fixing. Coach the reason behind the penalty, not the penalty itself.
Common penalties in plain language
The names sound harsh, but each one describes a specific action. Here is what the most common calls actually look like from the stands, and how long they cost.
| Penalty | What it looks like | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Tripping | Using the stick or a leg to knock an opponent's feet out from under them | 2 |
| Hooking | Putting the blade of the stick on an opponent and pulling to slow them down | 2 |
| Slashing | Swinging or chopping the stick down onto an opponent's body or stick | 2 (5 if it injures) |
| Interference | Blocking or bumping a player who does not have the puck | 2 |
| Roughing | Shoving, throwing a punch, or getting too physical after the whistle | 2 |
| Boarding | Checking an opponent dangerously into the boards | 2 or 5 |
Notice that a few of these can be either a minor or a major. That is the referee's judgment call: the same foul is 2 minutes if it looks routine and 5 minutes if it looks dangerous or causes an injury. Slashing and boarding are the classic examples. Other calls you will hear less often include high-sticking (the stick above shoulder height contacting an opponent), holding, cross-checking (hitting with the shaft of the stick held in two hands), and delay of game. If you ever want to know exactly what the official is calling, learn the arm signals — our guide to hockey referee signals explained walks through each one.
What do "power play" and "penalty kill" mean?
These two phrases confuse more new parents than any rule in the book, and they are really two sides of the same coin. When one team has a player in the box, that team is short a skater — usually five skaters against four. The team with the extra body is on the power play, and they will try to move the puck quickly and score before the penalty expires. The short-handed team is on the penalty kill, and their job is to defend, clear the puck down the ice, and survive until their teammate is released.
A minor penalty ends early if the power-play team scores — the box door opens the moment the puck goes in. A major penalty runs the full 5 minutes no matter how many goals are scored against the short-handed team. Killing penalties well is a real skill, built on positioning and smart clears rather than chasing; if your player wants to get better at it, our breakdown of how to kill a penalty covers the basics.
When I played, the penalty kill was where you found out who actually wanted to compete. Anyone can score on a power play with time and space. Blocking a shot, winning a puck battle in the corner, and diving to clear the zone with your team down a man — that is where compete level shows up, and it is worth pointing out to your kid when you see it.
Delayed and coincidental penalties
Two situations look strange the first time you see them, so they are worth explaining before you are staring at them in a rink at 7 a.m.
A delayed penalty happens when the referee sees a foul but the team that got fouled still has the puck. Instead of stopping play, the official raises an arm and waits until the offending team touches the puck, then blows the whistle. This is why you sometimes see a goalie sprint to the bench for an extra attacker: the fouled team can't be scored on during the delay, so they pull the goalie to add a skater and press for a goal.
Coincidental penalties are when players from both teams get penalties on the same play — say, two players who rough each other after the whistle. Because each team loses one skater, they cancel out. Both players sit, but neither team goes on the power play; the teams simply play four-on-four (or whatever the matching number is) until the penalties expire. It feels like nothing happened on the scoreboard, but two players are still in the box.
What penalties look like at youth levels
Youth hockey tunes the rules toward safety and learning. Body checking is not allowed at the younger age groups in most associations, so a hit that would be legal in an older division draws a penalty for a younger player. Many leagues also use progressive discipline: repeated or dangerous fouls escalate faster than they would among adults. Because standards differ, check your own association's rulebook and ask your coach how strict the local officials tend to be.
Here is how I frame it for the families I work with: at these ages the penalty box is a teaching tool, not a scarlet letter. A kid who takes an aggressive-but-clean penalty while competing hard is a different case than a kid who slashes because they lost the puck. Praise the effort, correct the habit, and let the 2 minutes do the rest.
Coach Joel's tip: Teach the "reset" habit. The best young penalty-takers I coach are the ones who skate straight to the box without a word to the ref, sit, and come out ready to help kill it off. Arguing a call just risks a 10-minute misconduct on top of the 2 minutes. Sit, breathe, watch the kill, get back in the fight.
Common misconceptions
- "A penalty means my kid played dirty." Not usually. Most minors are timing or positioning errors made while competing hard. Fix: look at the type of penalty before you judge it.
- "The penalty always lasts the full time." A minor ends early if the power-play team scores. Fix: watch the box — the door opens on the goal.
- "A misconduct puts the team short-handed." No — a 10-minute misconduct is served by the player, but a teammate replaces them on the ice. Fix: only minors and majors leave the team a skater down.
- "Fighting is just a small penalty." Fighting is a 5-minute major and, at youth levels, usually comes with an ejection and a suspension. Fix: know your league's supplementary discipline rules.
- "Every league calls it the same way." Standards vary by league and age. Fix: read your association's rulebook rather than assuming the rules you see on TV apply.
FAQ
How long is a minor penalty in hockey?
A minor penalty is 2 minutes. The player sits in the penalty box and the team plays one skater short. The penalty ends early if the opposing team scores on the resulting power play.
What is the difference between a minor and a major penalty?
Length and severity. A minor is 2 minutes for a routine foul like tripping or hooking. A major is 5 minutes for a more dangerous version of a foul, such as fighting or a hard hit, and it runs the full time even if the other team scores.
What does "on the power play" mean?
It means a team has more skaters on the ice than their opponent because the other team has a player in the penalty box. The team with the extra skater is on the power play and tries to score before the penalty expires. The short-handed team is on the penalty kill.
Why does a goalie sometimes skate to the bench during a penalty?
That is a delayed penalty. The referee has signaled a foul but is waiting for the offending team to touch the puck before stopping play. Since the fouled team can't be scored on until then, they pull the goalie for an extra attacker to press for a goal.
Do youth hockey penalties work the same as the pros?
The core idea is the same, but youth rules are tuned for safety. Body checking is often banned at younger ages, some fouls escalate faster, and standards vary by league and association. Check your own league's rulebook for the exact rules.
What happens with coincidental penalties?
When both teams get a penalty on the same play, they cancel out. Both players sit in the box, but neither team goes on the power play. The teams play with matching reduced numbers until the penalties expire.
Summary
Penalties are simpler than the names make them sound: 2 minutes for a minor, 5 for a major, 10 for a misconduct, and a free shot for a penalty shot. When your team has a player in the box, the other side is on the power play and yours is killing the penalty. Learn to spot the type of penalty rather than reacting to the whistle, and remember that the exact rules vary by league and age. For more of the basics that make watching your kid's game easier, see what is offside in hockey and browse the full Hockey Parents hub. The more of these rules you know, the more you will see in the game.
