playing rules – tripping

Rule 85. Tripping

(a) A Minor penalty or, at the discretion of the Referee, a Major penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty shall be assessed any player who trips an opponent. If injury results, a Major penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty shall be assessed.

Note: A penalty shall not be assessed if, in the Referee’s opinion, a player is unquestionably hook-checking the ball and obtains possession of it, thereby tripping the ball carrier.

(b) A 4 minute minor penalty, or at the discretions of the Referee, a Match penalty based on the degree of violence o f impact with the floor shall be assessed any player who uses his feet to knock an opponents feet out from under him with a kicking or leg dragging motion from behind (“slew footing”). “A match penalty shall be assessed to any player who injures an opponent with a slew foot”

Note: If a player in the process of falling or sliding along the floor, hits or knocks the ball from her opponent’s stick prior to making actual body contact, the tripping shall be called.

(c) Where a player uses her stick, knee, hand, foot, arm or elbow in any manner or falls or slides along the floor directly in the path of the ball, causing the ball carrier to trip and lose possession of the ball, a penalty shall be assessed.

Note: If a player in the process of falling or sliding along the floor, hits or knocks the ball from her opponent’s stick prior to making actual body contact, the tripping action shall be called.

(d) When a player in control of the ball on a breakaway in the neutral or attacking zone is tripped or otherwise fouled from behind and thus prevented from having a clear shot on goal, having no other opponent to pass other than the goaltender, a Penalty Shot shall be awarded to the non-offending team. Nevertheless, the Referee shall not stop play until the attacking team has lost control of the ball to the defending team.

Note: “Control of the ball” shall be defined as the act of propelling the ball with the stick, the foot(s) or the glove(s). If, while it is being propelled, the ball shall touch the person, stick or foot of another player or should hit the goal post or go free, the player shall be deemed no longer in control. The intention of this rule is to restore a good scoring opportunity which has been lost by reason of the foul, and therefore, where there is no reasonable scoring chance lost by reason of the foul, a Penalty Shot should not be awarded.