The LPHF will severely punish hits to the head

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The LPHF will become the first professional hockey league to automatically award a major penalty and game misconduct for illegal contact to the head. This is what the women’s circuit announced Tuesday in a series of modifications to its rule book in anticipation of the new season which will begin on November 30.

An illegal hit to the head will be automatically reviewed by the LPHF video review center, after which the referees can confirm their original decision, reduce the penalty to a minor if the hit was accidental or overturn it completely if the replay determines that the head was not the initial point of contactstipulates article 48 of the LPHF rule book.

Furthermore, a player who gives a header will now receive a major penalty and a game misconduct. A player who pulls an opponent’s hair or grabs a rival’s helmet strap will also be punished in this way.

The league also added a new rule aimed at promoting the offensive aspect of the game. When a team receives a penalty, all players on the penalized team must remain on the ice until after the next faceoff.

This novelty, similar to the rule where changes are not allowed on disallowed icing, could lead to situations where teams start a penalty kill with three attackers and one defenseman on the ice until the opportunity to make changes presents itselfexplains the league.