Match Penalty

Match Penalty is a type of penalty that usually results from an attempt to deliberately injure another player. It may also be imposed if the intent to injure was aimed at an official or fan. A match penalty results in a five minute penalty and a one-game suspension. The player earning the penalty may have to attend a hearing in front of a board regarding their actions leading to the penalty, and could face a longer suspension.

A match penalty is considered one of the more severe penalties, so the repercussions of the action can be severe as well. In the NHL, the match penalty factors into the player’s statistics as ten penalty minutes, while in the IIHF it shows up as 25 penalty minutes. If a hockey goaltender receives a match penalty, another player who was on the ice at the time of the penalty must sit in the box and serve the penalty time for the goaltender. Meanwhile, the team must insert their backup goaltender, as the one who received the penalty will be dismissed from the game.