Ice hockey / Rule 05
Teams and players
IIHF · 2026/27In short
The roster and the goalkeeper’s role.
Match roster
The normal game roster allows at most 20 skaters and 2 goalkeepers. A team must start with at least 5 skaters and 1 goalkeeper. Only eligible players listed on the official game sheet may participate.
Replacing the goalkeeper
A team may replace its goalkeeper with an extra skater, who gains no goalkeeper privileges. A substitute goalkeeper must be ready. Some IIHF championships have specific exceptions to goalkeeper roster requirements; tournament regulations also apply.
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.
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