The stacked penalty rule
The Canadian rulebook calls it a deferred penalty, in Rule 4.14; USA Hockey calls it a delayed penalty, in Rule 408. The substance is the same. Only two players serve time at once, so a team never has fewer than three skaters plus a goaltender. A third penalized player goes straight to the box and is replaced on the ice, but their time does not start until the first of the running penalties is over (Canadian Rule 4.14(a), USA Rule 408(a)). With three in the box and a substitute on for the third, nobody may return until play stops, unless the team becomes entitled to more skaters; then the timekeeper lets players out in the order their penalties expired (Canadian Rules 4.14(b) and (c), USA Rule 408(b)).
On the console that means the third penalty is posted but does not count yet. Most consoles stack it automatically; if yours does not, hold it and post it the moment a slot frees. On the sheet, its Start is the time it began counting, not the time it was called.
- P1 8:00 Penalty: Away #4, tripping (TRIP), minor
- P1 7:20 Penalty: Away #6, hooking (HOOK), minor
- P1 7:00 Penalty: Away #8, slashing (SLASH), minor
- P1 3:30 Whistle, stoppage
What the sheet and the door should show
three away minors at 8:00, 7:20 and 7:00
| Team | P | # | Served by | Offence | Min | Off | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 1 | 4 | TRIP minor | 2 | 8:00 | P1 8:00 | P1 6:00 | |
| Away | 1 | 6 | HOOK minor | 2 | 7:20 | P1 7:20 | P1 5:20 | |
| Away | 1 | 8 | SLASH minor | 2 | 7:00 | P1 6:00 | P1 4:00 |
Box door
- Away #4 at P1 5:20 (team entitled to another skater)
- Away #6 at P1 4:00 (team entitled to another skater)
- Away #8 at P1 3:30 (at the stoppage)
This is the example the Canadian rulebook works through under Rule 4.14. Away #8's penalty starts at 6:00 when #4's ends, but #4 cannot come out then: #8's time has taken the slot, and the team is still two short. At 5:20 #6's time ends, the team may add a skater, and the first player whose time ran out, #4, comes out. At 4:00 #8's time ends and #6 comes out. #8, replaced on the ice long ago, waits for the whistle at 3:30.
The arm-up delayed call
When the team without the puck commits a foul, the referee raises an arm and play goes on until that team touches the puck (Canadian Rule 4.15(b), USA Rule 409(a)). The penalty is assessed at that stoppage, and its time starts then, like any other. Nothing happens at the bench until the whistle, except that you should be ready to write the call.
The difficult case is a goal during the delay. If the team that was fouled scores, a delayed minor may never be served at all, and the Canadian 2026-28 rules changed how it counts toward ending a penalty already on the clock. That has its own guide: when a penalty ends on a goal.
Common mistakes
- Starting the third penalty's time at the whistle when it was called, instead of when a slot frees.
- Releasing the first player on expiry while the stacked penalty is running; they wait.
- Releasing players in the wrong order: it is the order their time ran out, not the order they were penalized.
- Letting the substitute for the third player come off when the third penalty ends; the penalized player waits for a stoppage.
- Writing the call time as the Start of a deferred penalty on the sheet.
The stacked scenarios on the practice page stop the clock whenever one of your penalty clocks runs out, so you can decide who may leave before play goes on.
Sources
Checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. Rules are paraphrased with their numbers, never quoted at length. Leagues and associations add their own rules; where yours differ, follow them.
- Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028. PDF from the Hockey Canada officiating downloads page. Sections 4 (types of penalties), 5 (officials, including Rules 5.5 penalty timekeeper and 5.7 game timekeeper) and 6.17 (time of game and time-outs). Read 27 September 2026.
- USA Hockey Official Rules of Ice Hockey 2025-29. PDF from the USA Hockey rules and resources page. Rules 401 to 409 (penalties), 506 (game timekeeper), 507 (penalty timekeeper) and 636 (time of game and time-outs). Read 27 September 2026.