Ice hockey / Rule 20
Major penalties
IIHF · 2026/27In short
Serious fouls and full penalty time.
Severity and duration
A major addresses a physical foul involving reckless endangerment and lasts 5 minutes. The full penalty continues even if the opponent scores. Some infractions also require automatic game misconduct; a second major in the same game also causes removal.
Video and reporting
Where the championship uses the system, referees review major calls and may confirm, reduce or cancel them. Fighting is generally excluded except dangerous sucker punches. Major penalties and their circumstances must be reported to the disciplinary authorities.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Independent topic summaries of the supplied IIHF Rule Book 2026/27, version 1.0, June 2026. This is not the NHL rulebook or a complete reproduction. Women’s, junior and pilot provisions are identified separately; competition regulations govern applicable formats. References use PDF pages.
Sources & approach ↗
Sources & approach ↗