Ice hockey line changes, penalties and ice time

Contents

The line change is a timed procedure, not a free-for-all: at a stoppage the visiting team places its line first, and each rulebook gives a different window (5 seconds then 8 in the IIHF text, 5 then 5 at Hockey Canada and USA Hockey). For the youngest, the change is part of the format: a signal every 60 seconds, blocks that play identical time. No federation read publishes a shift length for U13 and above.

The line change: a timed procedure

Line change · rule books

The same change, three clocks

At a stoppage the visiting team places its line first. On the fly, the distance to the bench is not the same.

Sources: IIHF, Rules 82.2 and 74.1; Hockey Canada, Rules 6.1(d) and 6.1(a); USA Hockey, Rules 204(a) and 204(b). In all three texts the visiting team places its line first; the IIHF writes that the home team is entitled to “last change” (Rule 82.3).

Point	IIHF 2026/27	Hockey Canada 2026-28	USA Hockey 2025-29
On the fly	the leaving player within 1.50 m of the bench and out of the play (Rule 74.1); the entering player counts when both skates are on the ice	within 3.05 m (10 ft) of the bench and out of play (Rule 6.1(a))	“at the bench” and out of the play, no distance (Rule 204(b))
At a stoppage	visitors up to 5 s (the referee raises a hand); home up to 8 s (the hand drops); then 5 s to be in position on the linesperson's whistle (Rule 82.2)	visitors 5 s, then home 5 s (Rule 6.1(d))	visitors 5 s, then home 5 s (Rule 204(a))
Number of changes	one before the face-off, except a penalty that affects strength (Rule 82.1)	one; exceptions: a penalty after the change, a time-out (Rule 6.1(c))	one, except penalties imposed before the face-off (Rule 204(a))
Sanction	a warning through the coach, then a bench minor “Delay of Game, Improper Line Change” (Rule 82.2)	the player is sent back; any later infraction: a bench minor (Rule 6.1(d))	a warning, then a minor for delay of game (Rule 204(a))
After icing	the offending team may not change before the face-off (Rules 81.4 and 82.1)	only U18 AAA, Junior and, at the Member's option, Senior (Rule 6.1(f))	no sentence found in Rules 204 and 624 (absence of a sentence, not proof of absence)
Time-out	one of 30 s (Rule 87.1)	one of 30 s (Rule 6.17(e))	one of 60 s (Rule 636(f))

Three details. Too many players: a bench minor in the three texts, and a deliberate illegal substitution in the last two minutes or in overtime gives a penalty shot (Hockey Canada, Rule 10.7; USA Hockey, Rule 204(d), which also leaves an optional minor; IIHF, Rule 74.4 when the minor cannot be served in legal time). The goaltender is changed within the same time frame as a player; the skater who replaces them may not enter before the goaltender is within 1.50 m of the bench (IIHF, Rule 71.1). The home team is entitled to “last change” in the IIHF text (Rule 82.3); it loses it after an icing.

In Paak, the team's lines are set up on the team page, and in the live game tracker (Paak Pro) a whole line goes on the ice in one tap: see the help article Change a whole line in one tap.

A penalty cuts the number of players

Penalty (IIHF 2026/27)	Length	The team plays short
Minor, bench minor	2 min	yes; no substitute on the ice
Double minor	4 min	yes
Major	5 min	yes; served in full, a goal does not release it
Misconduct	10 min	no, unless a minor or major comes with it; the substitute enters at once
Game misconduct	rest of the game; 20 min recorded	no

A third penalised player waits: the strength on the ice never falls below three skaters (IIHF, Rules 26.1 and 84.3).
Recorded minutes differ: a game misconduct is 20 in the IIHF text and 10 at Hockey Canada (Rule 4.8(a)) and USA Hockey (Rule 404(b)). Hockey Canada attaches a game misconduct to every major (Rule 4.4), the IIHF only to a second major or a listed infraction (Rule 20.4). Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have a 5-minute match penalty, which the IIHF 2026/27 text read does not contain.
A minor is not always 2 minutes: USA Hockey pro-rates it (1:00 or 1:30) for short periods; the FFHG U11 counts 1 minute, England Ice Hockey U12 3 or 4 minutes.

For the youngest, the change is part of the format

Shift length · as printed

A minute, but only for the youngest

Each bar is a number in a federation document. Above the youngest categories, no length is published.

Heavy tick: 60 s recommended by Hockey Canada, at each Member’s discretion.

Sources: Hockey Canada, U7 and U9 pages; Hockey Québec, Guide des opérations M9; FFHG, cahier U9 U11 U13 2026/27; SIHF, Reglement Spielbetrieb NAFS 2026/27, Art. 112.1; ÖEHV, DÖNAM 2026/27; England Ice Hockey, U10 and junior rules 2026-27. In these formats the change is made on a signal, not on the fly.

The youngest categories' rules write each player's ice time. The texts read, by strength:

Federation, category	What the text writes
Hockey Canada U7, U9, U11	“Shortening of the bench in an attempt to win games is not permitted”; players and goaltenders should receive fair and as close to equal as possible ice time. U7 and U9 shifts do not exceed two minutes.
Hockey Québec M9	coaches “doivent s’assurer que le temps de glace est réparti également entre tous les joueurs”; shifts of 90 to 120 seconds; double shifts when a team has fewer than eight players
FFHG U9, U11, U13 (third-ice)	“Chaque bloc doit jouer un temps de jeu identique au rythme des changements”; coaches must not anticipate changes by encouraging players to move closer to their bench: a warning, then a bench minor; the referee may stop play if the change is dangerous
SIHF U9, U12	a horn every 60 seconds, whole blocks, puck left, no passes, no double shifts; special deployment coaching of the standout players is ruled out
England Ice Hockey U10	“Changes are made on the buzzer only. This is to ensure equal ice time.”
USA Hockey	no rule found; advice articles only

What does not exist in the texts read: a national equal-ice-time text for Hockey Canada U13 and above, the FFHG U15 and above, the SIHF U14 and above, the DEB and Ice Hockey Australia. For U13 and above, no national text read makes it a rule.

The game sheet and the periods

Federation	Players on the sheet	Periods
IIHF	22: 20 skaters and 2 goalkeepers; at least 5 skaters and a goalkeeper to start	3 x 20 minutes of actual play
Hockey Canada	20: 18 skaters and 2 goaltenders	3 x 20 minutes at most; Members and leagues may make their own rules
Hockey Québec (2025-26)	18 players plus one or two goalkeepers	Hockey Canada rules; a table of tournament minimums by division
USA Hockey	20 (18 skaters); 22 (20 skaters) for some classes	3 x 20 minutes at most
FFHG	20 skaters plus 2 goalkeepers (outside the Ligue Magnus, D1 and D2); 10 skaters and a goalkeeper at least	U15: 3 x 15 to 3 x 20 (3 x 20 in the final phase), U18 and U20: 3 x 20; U11 and U13 matches: 2 x 27; tournaments: 72 to 90 minutes of play per team
SIHF	not located in the text read	U14 to U21: 3 x 20 effective minutes; U9 and U12: tournaments
ÖEHV	U12 to U20: 10 skaters and a goalkeeper at least; U11: 12 skaters and 2 goalkeepers at most	U12 to U20: 3 x 20 net; U11: 2 x 15

A “bench size” is a competition value, never an IIHF constant.

What changes in 2026/27 at the IIHF

Captains: one captain and two alternates, or no captain and three alternates (Rule 6.1).
Face-off: a face-off violation ejects the centre (Rule 76).
High-sticking: the definition is modified (Rule 60.1).
Off-side: a player entering ahead of the puck must control the puck with the stick (Rule 83.1).
Equipment: the non-compliance rules are the same for juniors and seniors (Rules 102.7 and 202.7).

The drills of this guide

Two drills carry this guide's ice time and game situations: the rotation between game shift, skills zone and rest, and the special-teams games, kept for the bands that have the full ice.

skaterskating

Game shift, skills zone, rest

A rotation that keeps every child active when two games share the ice: each line plays a game shift, goes to the skills zone, then rests.

Drill detail

Set out: Two games at the ends of the ice, cross-ice, with goals 1 m from the side boards · the middle third is the skills zone and the bench area · goals 130 x 90 cm or inserts · a blue puck
What it trains: A rotation that keeps every child active when two games share the ice: each line plays a game shift, goes to the skills zone, then rests. Changes are made on the buzzer only.
Published frame: The skills zone is pre-planned: decide in advance which station it holds. Changes on the buzzer only, to ensure equal ice time (England Ice Hockey U10).
How it runs: A rotation that keeps every child active when two games share the ice: each line plays a game shift, goes to the skills zone, then rests. England Ice Hockey runs its U10 game day this way, with a pre-planned skills zone in the middle third. Two games at the ends of the ice, cross-ice or half-ice, with goals 1 m from the side boards; the middle third is the skills zone and the bench area; dividers of about 10 x 5 cm; goals 130 x 90 cm or inserts; a blue puck; two on-ice coaches per team. Three skill-aligned lines rotate in the same order: a game shift (60 seconds maximum, running time), then the skills zone, then rest. Changes are made on the buzzer only. The skills zone is pre-planned: it holds a station from another theme.
Players: 12 or more, including 1 goaltender
Coaching points: Coaches group players by ability, age and size in the three lines, and keep the lines at even strength (England Ice Hockey U10). Changes on the buzzer only, to ensure equal ice time (England Ice Hockey U10); no statistics and no standings at this age. A skills zone must be pre-planned: decide in advance which station it holds. Body checking is not part of the game at this age: Hockey Canada penalises it up to U13, Hockey Québec does not permit checking or contact physique in M9 and M11, USA Hockey prohibits it up to 12U, the FFHG bans body charges in U9 to U13 and the SIHF bans them in U9 and U12; England Ice Hockey U10 and U12 are non-checking. Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec. Goaltender kit: a helmet with a mask a puck cannot penetrate and, for U18 and younger, a stick blade must not penetrate it either (IIHF, SIHF, DEB); a neck laceration protector as for skaters (BNQ-certified throat protector at Hockey Canada in minor and female hockey, even with a mask attachment; HECC-certified at USA Hockey).
Harder: Use the skills zone for a drill from the other themes, such as a shooting station or the puck-protection circle.
Easier: A single game with lines of three rotating on the buzzer, no skills zone.

skateropponentcoach or support playermarker

Special teams games: 4 on 3, 5 on 3 and the regroup

Power-play and penalty-kill games from the USA Hockey handbook for 14-, 16- and 18-and-under: 4-on-2 and 4-on-3 special teams on a one-minute change, 5-on-3 with a player in the middle of four cones in a diamond, and a regroup game in which stationary players on the face-off dots turn a 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 into a 4-on-3 or 5-on-4.

Drill detail

Set out: One zone · four cones in a diamond for the 5-on-3 game · two stationary players, one on each face-off dot outside the blue line, for the regroup game
What it trains: The power-play and penalty-kill games of the USA Hockey handbook: 4 on 2 and 4 on 3, 5 on 3 with a player in the middle of four cones, and the regroup game where a stationary player turns a 3 on 3 into a 4 on 3.
Published frame: Special teams exist only where the class has penalties that reduce a team: use the named shapes as names, not as a measure.
How it runs: Power-play and penalty-kill games from the USA Hockey handbook for 14-, 16- and 18-and-under: 4-on-2 and 4-on-3 special teams on a one-minute change, 5-on-3 with a player in the middle of four cones in a diamond, and a regroup game in which stationary players on the face-off dots turn a 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 into a 4-on-3 or 5-on-4. One zone; four cones in a diamond for the 5-on-3 game; two stationary players, one on each face-off dot outside the blue line, for the regroup game. 4-on-2 and 4-on-3 Special Teams: the two sides play 4 on 2 and 4 on 3 and change every minute. 5-on-3 Player in the Middle: five attackers play around the four cones against three defenders in the middle. Regroup game: a team plays 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 until it regroups, and the stationary player on each face-off dot outside the blue line turns it into a 4-on-3 or a 5-on-4.
Players: 7 or more
Coaching points: Special teams exist only where the class has penalties that reduce a team: not at Hockey Canada U7 to U9, Hockey Québec M9, the FFHG third-ice formats or the SIHF U9 and U12 3 on 3, and not in the SIHF's U12 5 on 5 (no power play, no penalty kill). The SIHF's Impact U13 sheet says power play should not be practised deliberately. Named shapes from an old Hockey Canada workbook (CHA 2002): power play 3-2 high umbrella, 1-3-1 and 1-2-2 overload; five on three 2-3 and 2-1-2; penalty kill box and diamond. The workbook's success targets are blank: use the shapes as names, not as a measure. Icing while shorthanded: the IIHF and Hockey Canada do not call it; USA Hockey does so only from Youth 15 Only and Girls 16U. Contact in the game follows your class: body checking is banned up to U13 at Hockey Canada, up to 12U at USA Hockey, from U9 to U13 at the FFHG, in the SIHF U9, U12 and all Animation (A) classes, and in girls' and women's hockey at Hockey Canada and USA Hockey. In a checking class the game is played under that class's rules, as in a match. Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec. If a goaltender takes part, he or she wears the full goaltender kit (see the goaltending drills).
Harder: Rotate the roles every minute and add one of the named shapes as an option for the attackers.
Easier: Start with 4 on 3 and a passive defence.

Frequently asked questions

Does the home team always have the last change?

Not always. The IIHF rulebook writes it (Rule 82.3) and removes it after an icing; Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have the same sequence, visitors first, without the words. In the youngest formats the change is simultaneous on a signal: there is no last change.

Can the goaltender be changed like a player?

Yes, within the same time frame as a player change, with no extra time in the IIHF rules; the skater who replaces them may not enter before the goaltender is within 1.50 m of the bench. At the FFHG, the goaltender may not be removed for an extra skater in U9, U11 and U13 tournaments or in U11 matches.

How long is a shift at U13?

No federation read publishes it: changes there are free. The only numbers read are those of the youngest (60 to 120 seconds) and those of USA Hockey's games: 20 seconds in a scoring game, 30 to 40 seconds in corner games “just like in a real game”, 40 seconds in the 10U plans.

Sources

IIHF Official Rulebook 2026/27, version 1.0 (Rules 5, 6, 20 to 27, 60, 71, 74, 76, 81 to 84, 87, 101). Hockey Canada, Playing Rules 2026-2028 (Rules 2.2, 4, 6.1, 6.7, 6.17, 10.7), U7, U9 and U11 pages. USA Hockey, 2025-29 rules (Rules 201, 204, 205, 404, 624, 636). Hockey Québec, M9 guide and règlements administratifs 2025-2026. FFHG, règlement des activités sportives 2026/27 (Art. 1.5, 7), cahier des charges U9 U11 U13 2026/27 (part 1, par. 3). SIHF, Reglement Spielbetrieb NAFS 2026/27 (Art. 100, 112, 113, 119), Zeitliche Einteilung der Spielabläufe 2026/27. ÖEHV, DÖNAM 2026/27 (par. 14). England Ice Hockey, U10 and junior rules 2026-27. USA Hockey, Small Area Competitive Games Handbook (2018). Content checked on 14 October 2026.

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Last updated: October 14, 2026

Rules, line changes and ice time in ice hockey