Rule 37. Goaltender Penalties

(a) No goaltender shall be sent to the penalty bench for an infraction which incurs a Minor, Major or Misconduct penalty. Instead, such a penalty shall be served by any player of their team who was on the floor at the time of the infraction. Such player shall be designated by the Manager or Coach of the penalized team through the Captain. Unless the penalty being served is a time penalty, any player serving a penalty on behalf of a goaltender shall leave the penalty box if the offending goaltender is subsequently ejected from the game.

(b) An alternate goaltender may replace a regular goaltender who has been ejected from the game or has been assessed a Game Misconduct, Gross Misconduct or a Match penalty. In the event there is no alternate goaltender recorded on the playing line-up, the regular goaltender’s place may be taken by any player on the Game Report designated by the Manager or Coach of the penalized team through the Captain. Such substitute will be allowed fifteen minutes to put on the full goaltender’s equipment.

(c) When a goaltender leaves their goal crease during a fight, they shall be assessed a Minor penalty, plus any other penalties they incurs.

(d) When a goaltender leaves their goal crease to join in a fight, act as a peacemaker, or take part in another fight, during the same stoppage of play, they shall receive a Game Misconduct penalty, plus any other penalties they incurs.

(e) If a goaltender intentionally participates in the play in any manner when they is beyond the centre red line, they shall be assessed a Minor penalty.

(f) A Minor penalty shall be assessed a goaltender who, after catching the ball, drop kicks the ball. If injury results, a Major penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty shall be assessed.

SITUATION 1 Rule 37 (a)
In ALL cases where a penalty is assessed to a goaltender requiring their team to send a player to the penalty bench to serve such penalty, the player designated to do so must have been on the floor at the time of the infraction. The following examples illustrate the application of this rule. Please note that in these examples, all players serving goaltender penalties must have been on the floor at the time of the infraction.
EXAMPLE A:
Team “A” 30 (goaltender) – 2
Team “A” plays one player short for 2 minutes.
EXAMPLE B:
Team “A” 30 (goaltender) – 2 + 2
Team “A” plays one player short for 4 minutes.
EXAMPLE C:
Team “A” 30 (goaltender) – 5 + GM + 2
Team “A” plays one player short for 7 minutes.
EXAMPLE D:
Team “A” 30 (goaltender) – 5 + GM Team “B” 14 – 5 + GM
No player serves the 5-minute penalty for goaltender. As the coincidental penalty rule is applied, neither team plays short. No substitute for either player as both receive automatic Game Misconducts.
EXAMPLE E:
Team “A” 30 (goaltender) – 5 + GM +10 Team “B” 14 – 5 + GM
As the coincidental penalty rule is applied, neither team plays short. No substitute for either player as both receive automatic Game Misconducts.
EXAMPLE F:
Team “A” 30 (goaltender) – 5 + GM + 2Team “B” 14 – 2
A player serves the goaltender’s Major penalty with Team A playing short for 5 minutes.
EXAMPLE G:
Team “A” 30 (goaltender) – 5 + GM
Team “A” plays one player short for 5 minutes.
As the goaltender is assessed a Game Misconduct, the substitute goaltender must enter the game without delay and no warm-up shall be permitted, as stated in Rule 16 (f).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          EXAMPLE H:
Team “A” 30 (goaltender) – 5 + GM
Team “B” 14 – 5 + GM
No player is required to serve the Major penalty for the goaltender, as the coincidental penalty rule is applied and the goaltender is sent to the dressing room for the remainder of the game. The substitute goaltender must enter the game without delay and no warm-up shall be permitted – as stated in Rule 16 (f).

SITUATION 2 Rule 37 (a)
A goaltender has been assessed a Misconduct. The player who had been designated to serve the goaltender’s penalty is already on the penalty bench. Before play resumes, the goaltender is assessed another Misconduct (automatic Game Misconduct).
RULING: Allow the player designated to serve the 10 minutes to leave the penalty bench. The goaltender is sent to the dressing room for the remainder of the game.

SITUATION 3 Rule 37 (c)(d)
QUESTION: If a goaltender who leaves the vicinity of their goal crease during a fight is the first player to intervene on that fight, what penalties are
they assessed?
ANSWER: A Minor penalty for leaving the goal crease, plus a Game Misconduct for being the third player to enter a fight, plus any other penalty (penalties) they may receive under the rules.

SITUATION 4 Rule 37 (e)
QUESTION: A goaltender whose feet are over the centre red line plays the ball which is still on their own team’s side of the centre red line. Is this legal?
ANSWER: No. The determining factor is the position of the goaltender’s feet and not the position of the ball. Assess the goaltender a Minor penalty for “Ineligible Player”.