playing rules – handling the ball

Rule 61. Handling the Ball

(a) If any player closes her hand on the ball and gains an advantage, play shall immediately be stopped. When a player simply closes her hand on the ball and immediately drops it to the floor, without gaining or attempting to gain an advantage by this action, play shall be allowed to continue.

(b) A Minor penalty shall be assessed a goaltender who deliberately holds the ball and in the opinion of the Referee, is causing an unnecessary stoppage in play.

Note: Where the ball is thrown towards an opponent’s goal by the goaltender and it is received by an opponent, the Referee shall allow play to continue. However if a teammate receives the ball, play shall be stopped.

(c) A Minor penalty shall be assessed any player (except the goaltender) who, while play is in progress, picks up the ball with her hand. If a player of the defending team (except the goaltender) picks up the ball from the floor while it is in her team’s goal crease, the play shall be stopped and a Penalty Shot shall be awarded to the non-offending team.

(d) A player shall be permitted to stop or “bat” a ball in the air with her open hand, or to push it along the floor with her hand and play shall not be stopped, unless the player has directed the ball to a teammate in the neutral or attacking zone. When this occurs play shall be stopped and the ball faced-off at the face-off spot that penalizes the offending team more nearest to the location that the hand pass occurred in accordance to Rule 57. Where an attacking player in the attacking zone, makes a hand pass and the defending team refrains from playing the ball, stop play and conduct the face-off at the nearest face-off spot.

(e) A goal shall not be allowed if the ball has been batted with the hand or any part of the body by the attacking player into the net or, after being batted, the ball deflects off any player or stick into the net.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CLOSING YOUR HAND ON THE BALL.

1. A player closes her hand on the ball and then throws the ball – stop play immediately. A Minor penalty for Handling the Ball must be
assessed.
2. When a player closes her hand on the ball, then tries to maneuver around another player while holding the ball or where a player is prevented from playing the ball by the player changing the general location of the ball while holding it – A Minor penalty for Handling the Ball must be assessed.
3. If a player takes a stride while holding the ball in her hand – Faceoff.