Penalties/Safety

Alright, here’s the part that confuses most beginners — penalties. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds. Think of it like this: if it looks dangerous, unfair, or reckless, it’s probably a penalty.

Common Penalties You’ll See

Tripping – Using your stick, foot, or leg to make another player fall. Not cool.

Hooking – Wrapping your stick around someone to slow them down. Easy to do by accident when you’re learning.

Slashing – Swinging your stick at someone. Don’t. Seriously.

Holding – Grabbing someone’s body or stick. Only okay if you’re hugging your cat, not a player.

Interference – Bumping someone who doesn’t even have the puck. Oops.

High-Sticking – Your stick goes above shoulder height and touches someone. Watch that top hand.

Boarding – Hitting a player into the boards dangerously. Beginners, just don’t.

Other minor stuff: cross-checking, charging, roughing. Basically, anything aggressive or reckless will get called.