2nd Period · Lesson 6 of 12 · Rink Pass
Penalties, from 2 minutes to the next game
Minor, major, misconduct, game misconduct and disqualification in plain words.
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1/3 A visiting player trips a home player who is carrying the puck.
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2/3 Once the visitors gain control of the puck, the whistle goes, and the tripper heads to the penalty bench for a minor: two minutes.
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3/3 Now home has five skaters against four: a power play. The visitors are "shorthanded" until the penalty ends or home scores.
A minor is two minutes in the box and the team plays a player short. A major is five minutes, and it is served in full even if the other team scores. A player with two majors in one game also gets a game misconduct.
A misconduct is ten minutes for the player, but the team does not play short: a substitute goes on right away. A player who reaches five penalties in one game, in any mix, gets a game misconduct and is done for that game.
A game disqualification (GD) is the most serious: it includes a major, the player is gone for the rest of the game, and the player sits out the next game too (more games for repeats; states can be stricter). Fighting is always a GD.
NFHS sorts physical fouls into three groups: most (tripping, hooking, slashing and others) can be a minor; a smaller group (for example checking from behind) starts at a major; and the worst (fighting, spearing, butt-ending and similar) are always a GD.