When is a penalty shot given in ice hockey?
I · Intermediate · Penalties · 6 of 13A penalty shot is given when a player with the puck and only the goalkeeper to beat, in the neutral or attacking zone, is fouled from behind and loses a reasonable chance to score. The player starts at centre ice and gets one attempt, with no rebounds. If the goalkeeper had been pulled, a goal is awarded instead.
How it works
- Four tests: the foul is in the neutral or attacking zone; it comes from behind; it denies a reasonable chance to score; no defender is between the player and the goalkeeper.
- Other cases: throwing a stick at the puck carrier, covering the puck in the crease, deliberately displacing the net when a minor cannot be served in time, some illegal substitutions.
- The shooter: chosen by the coach or captain from non-penalised skaters.
- The shot: puck kept moving forward; once it is shot, the attempt ends; no rebounds.
- Allowed: the lacrosse-style move, if the puck stays below the shoulders and under the crossbar.
- Not allowed: the spin-o-rama, a full 360-degree turn.
- The goalkeeper: stays in the crease until the shooter touches the puck.
- Goalkeeper fouls: a retake; a third violation means a goal and a game misconduct.
- Awarded goal: if the goalkeeper had been pulled and the player is fouled with an open net.
- The minor: not served after a penalty shot, whatever the result.
The glossary has the penalty shot, the awarded goal, the empty net, the goalkeeper, the tripping and the hooking.
Tricky cases
The player was tripped but still got a shot away. Penalty shot?
Possibly. A shot does not rule it out if the foul denied a better chance.
The tripping player touched the puck first. Penalty shot?
No. That is a minor penalty for tripping.
The goalkeeper throws a stick at the shooter. What happens?
A goal is awarded.
Two penalty shots are awarded at once and the first goes in. Is the second taken?
No. Only one goal can be scored at one stoppage; the second infraction is penalised instead.
Why the rule exists
A foul from behind on a breakaway takes away a near-certain chance. The penalty shot gives that chance back instead of a two-minute power play.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Penalty shot | Four criteria | IIHF 24.8 |
| Awarded goal | Goalkeeper off the ice | IIHF 25 |
| Shootout | Same procedure | IIHF 84.4 (VII) |
From the rule book
International Ice Hockey Federation, Official Rulebook 2026/27 (version 1.0, June 2026), Rules 24, 25, 53.7, 63.6 and 63.7. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the IIHF Official Rulebook, revised each season.