playing rules – head contact

Rule 86. Head Contact

a) A Minor Penalty shall be assessed to any player who accidentally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with any part of the player’s body or equipment other than the stick.

b) A 4 minute minor penalty or a Major Penalty plus a Game Misconduct penalty at the discretion of the Referee and based on the degree of violence of impact shall be assessed to any player who intentionally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with any part of the player’s body or equipment other than the stick.

c) A Major Penalty plus a Game Misconduct penalty shall be assessed any player who injures an opponent under this Rule.

d) A Match Penalty shall be assessed to any player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent under
this Rule.

Note: Contact an opponent in the head, face or neck with a stick is to be penalized under the appropriate stick penalty.

CLARIFICATIONS ON HEAD CONTACT
Referees should be aware of the tragic consequences of head injuries and concussions and strictly enforce this rule. It is the responsibility of players, team officials and Referees to make every attempt possible to reduce the incident of this frightful injury. Team officials can teach players legitimate methods of checking an opponent, while players can be educated the dangers of head contact. The Referee has the responsibility to penalize players who contact an opponent to the head. If the Referees are consistent and strict in calling infractions that may lead to concussions, then along with the cooperation of the players and team officials, these types of fouls and the chances of players suffering such injuries can be significantly reduced.

A fight is still to be called a fight, not Head Contact. Referees are to strictly enforce penalties that call for infractions as a result of low hits. The penalty signal for Head Contact will be patting flat (open palm) of the no whistle hand on the side of the head.