(a) A Minor and a Misconduct penalty, or a Major and a Game Misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the Referee based on the degree of violence of impact, shall be assessed to any player who checks an opponent to the head area in any manner.

(b) A Major and a Game Misconduct penalty, or a Match penalty shall be assessed any player who injures an opponent by Checking to the Head.

(c) A Match penalty shall be assessed any player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent by Checking to the Head. Note: Referees are instructed not to substitute other penalties when a player is Checked to the Head with signiicant impact.

CLARIFICATIONS ON CHECKiNG TO THE HEAD
Referees should be aware of the tragic consequences of head injuries and concussions and strictly enforce the rule. it is the responsibility of players, team oficials and Referees to make every attempt possible to reduce the incident of this frightful injury. Team oficials can teach players legitimate methods of checking an opponent, while players can be educated to the dangers of checks to the head. The Referee has the responsibility to penalize players who check an opponent to the head. if the Referees are consistent and strict in calling infractions that may lead to concussions, then along with the cooperation of players and team oficials, these type of fouls and the chances of a player suffering such injuries can be signiicantly reduced. The Checking to the Head penalty is based on the “degree of violence of impact” and can be deined in three categories: minimal, moderate and severe.

Minimal impact would be called under other appropriate rules. e.g. elbowing, highsticking, roughing, roughing after the whistle, etc. A glancing blow or minimal impact to the head where a penalty is warranted. Moderate impact would be a more signiicant degree of violence without injury that warrants a Minor and Misconduct penalty under Checking to the Head rule. Severe impact would be a high degree of violence, with or without injury, that warrants a Major and Game Misconduct or a Match penalty, at the discretion of the Referee under the Checking to the Head rule. What previously may have been considered a legal check with a shoulder check to the head shall now be penalized as Checking to the Head if moderate or severe impact is made. These Checking to the Head infractions can occur anywhere on the playing surface as a result of the initial contact to the Head. Checking to the Head could also be the result of an open ice hit, with or without the fouled player’s head being down. Body checking has not be been removed from the game, but high hits or targeting the head shall be penalized. A ight is still to be called a fight, not Checking to the Head. Referees are to strictly enforce penalties that call for infractions as a result of low hits as these types of infractions may increase. The penalty signal for “Checking to the Head” will be patting lat (open palm) of the nonwhistle hand on the side of the head.