Icing in Hockey: The NHL Rule in Plain Words

The rulebook this page follows

Every fact on this page comes from one source: the National Hockey League Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 81 — Icing. Rule 81 has six parts, numbered 81.1 through 81.6, and this page explains all six of them, grouped by what they decide.

What icing is (Rule 81.1)

Rule 81.1 begins with the lines on the ice: for the purpose of this rule, the center red line will divide the ice into halves.

Then comes the call itself. Should any player of a team, equal or superior in numerical strength (power-play) to the opposing team, shoot, bat or deflect the puck from his own half of the ice beyond the goal line of the opposing team, play shall be stopped.

In plain words: your team is not short-handed, someone on your team sends the puck from your own half of the ice all the way past the other team’s goal line, and the whistle goes for icing.

The rule adds two details about how that play is judged:

• Deflected pucks. For the purpose of deflected pucks, the rule only applies when the puck was originally propelled down the ice by the offending team.
• The point of last contact. The point of last contact with the puck by the team in possession is used to determine whether icing has occurred or not. The team in possession must “gain the line” for the icing to be nullified — and “gaining the line” means the puck, while on the player’s stick (not the player’s skate), must make contact with the center red line in order to nullify a potential icing.

The race for the puck (Rule 81.1)

The NHL does not wait to see who touches the puck first. Rule 81.1 says there are two judgments required for “icing the puck”:

• The Linesperson must first determine that the puck will cross the goal line.
• Once the Linesperson determines that the puck will cross the goal line, icing is completed upon the determination as to which player (attacking or defending) would first touch the puck.

That decision is made by no later than the instant the first player reaches the end zone face-off dots, with the player’s skate being the determining factor.

The rule then clarifies the point, in its own terms: the determining factor is which player would first touch the puck, not which player would first reach the end zone face-off dots.

Three more points from the same part of the rule:

• If the puck is shot down the ice in such a manner that it travels around the boards and/or back towards the end zone face-off dots, the same procedure is in effect — the Linesperson determines within a similar distance as to who will have touched the puck first.
• If the race for the puck is too close to determine by the time the first player reaches the end zone face-off dots, icing shall be called.
• The puck striking or deflecting off an official does not automatically nullify a potential icing.

No icing when the shooting team is short-handed (Rule 81.6)

Rule 81.6 is headed “Numerical Strength.” If the puck was shot by a player of a side below the numerical strength of the opposing team, play shall continue and the icing violation shall not be called.

In plain words: a short-handed team can send the puck down the ice without an icing call. That follows from Rule 81.1 as well, which applies to a team “equal or superior in numerical strength” to its opponent.

The rule also covers the moment a penalty is about to end:

• When a team is “short-handed” as the result of a penalty and the penalty is about to expire, the decision as to whether there has been an “icing” shall be determined at the instant the penalty expires.
• Should the puck be released from the stick of the player shooting the puck down the ice prior to the penalty expiring, the icing infraction shall not apply. The action of the penalized player remaining in the penalty box will not alter the ruling.

There is one exception the rule states for a major penalty. When a team is “short-handed” by reason of a major penalty, and it has neglected to ensure there is a player on the penalty bench to exit upon the expiry of the penalty, the team will continue to play shorthanded but is not permitted to ice the puck — icing will be called. The team may substitute for this penalized player at the next stoppage of play. The rule points to Rule 20.3 — Major Penalties for that situation.

Other times icing is not called (Rule 81.5)

Rule 81.5 is headed “No Icing.” It lists plays that are not icing, including:

• When the puck is shot and rebounds from the body or stick of an opponent in his own half of the ice so as to cross the goal line of the player shooting, it shall not be considered “icing.”
• When a puck is shot by a team from their own half of the ice and is deflected several times before crossing the center red line, icing shall be nullified if at least one of these deflections was off an opposing player.
• If the puck shall go beyond the goal line in the opposite half of the ice directly from either of the players while facing-off, it shall not be considered a violation of this rule.
• If, in the opinion of the Linesperson, any player (other than the goalkeeper) of the opposing team is able to play the puck before it passes his goal line, but has not done so, play shall continue and the icing violation shall not be called. The rule says this includes the situation where the opposing team, while in the process of making player substitutions during the play, is able to play the puck but chooses not to do so to avoid being called for too many men on the ice — icing should not be called.
• If the puck touches any part of a player of the opposing side, including his skates or his stick, or if it touches any part of the opposing team’s goalkeeper, including his skates or his stick, at any time before or after crossing the goal line, it shall not be considered icing.
• If a goalkeeper takes any action to dislodge the puck from the back of the net, icing shall not be called.

The goalkeeper can wave it off by trying to play the puck (Rule 81.3)

Rule 81.3 is headed “Goalkeeper.” If, in the opinion of the Linesperson, the goalkeeper feigns playing the puck, attempts to play the puck, or skates in the direction of the puck on an icing at any time, the potential icing shall not be called and play shall continue.

The rule states two limits on that:

• If a goalkeeper is legitimately out of the crease in an attempt to go to the players’ bench to be substituted for an extra attacker and in no way makes an attempt to play the puck, the icing should not be nullified under this section.
• If the goalkeeper is out of his crease prior to the shot being taken, and simply retreats to his crease making no attempt to play the puck or feign playing the puck, the potential icing shall remain in effect.

Where the face-off goes after an icing (Rule 81.2)

Rule 81.2 is headed “Face-Off Location.” Following an icing, the attacking team will have the choice of which end zone dot the face-off will take place.

The same part of the rule covers two other situations:

• If, in the opinion of the Referee, the defending side intentionally abstains from playing the puck promptly when they are in a position to do so, he shall stop the play and order the resulting face-off on the adjacent corner face-off spot nearest the goal of the team at fault.
• If the Linesperson shall have erred in calling an “icing the puck” infraction (regardless of whether either team is short-handed), the puck shall be faced-off on the center ice face-off spot.

The team that iced the puck cannot change players (Rule 81.4)

Rule 81.4 is headed “Line Change on Icing.” A team that is in violation of this rule shall not be permitted to make any player substitutions prior to the ensuing face-off.

The rule allows a substitution in only these stated cases:

• to replace a goalkeeper who had been substituted for an extra attacker,
• to replace an injured player, or
• when a penalty has been assessed which affects the on-ice strength of either team.

The determination of players on ice will be made when the puck leaves the offending player’s stick.

The rule, in one look

• What it is: a player of a team equal or superior in numerical strength shoots, bats or deflects the puck from his own half of the ice beyond the opposing team’s goal line, and play is stopped (Rule 81.1).
• How it is decided: the Linesperson judges that the puck will cross the goal line, then judges which player would first touch the puck, deciding by the instant the first player reaches the end zone face-off dots (Rule 81.1). A race too close to call means icing is called.
• Not icing: a shot by a team below the opposing team in numerical strength (Rule 81.6); the plays listed in Rule 81.5; and a potential icing where the goalkeeper feigns playing the puck, attempts to play it, or skates toward it (Rule 81.3).
• The face-off: on the end zone dot the attacking team chooses (Rule 81.2).
• No fresh players: the team that iced the puck may not substitute before that face-off, apart from the exceptions Rule 81.4 states.