Hockey Bench Minor Penalties

Bench Minors

A bench minor penalty is a minor penalty committed by a player or coach that is not on the ice. It is like a minor penalty in that it calls for the offending player to serve two minutes in the penalty box. There are a handful of rule violations that result in a bench minor penalty, including delay of game, illegal substitutions, and unsportsmanlike conduct.

The coach of the offending team will choose a player from the bench to serve the two-minute penalty. The offender’s team will be short-handed, or down a player, for two minutes. During this time, the other team is on a power play and has a better chance of scoring a goal. After the two minutes are up, the offending player can return to the ice to bring their team to full strength.

If a goal is scored while a bench minor penalty is being served, the penalty clock will end, and the player can immediately come back onto the ice.

List of Bench Minor Penalties

Here is a list of bench minor penalties in ice hockey:

• Delay of game
• Face-off violation
• Illegal substitution
• Too many players on the ice
• Throwing objects on the ice
• If the coach steps on the ice during play
• Illegal stick measurement
• Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Interference with an on-ice official
• Illegal starting line-up

Delayed Penalty Rule

If a bench minor penalty is called on a player and there are already two other players on his team serving penalties, the penalty clock will not start ticking until at least one of the other penalties has expired. A team cannot have fewer than four players on the ice (one goalie and three skaters).

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