(Note) A punch, or an attempted punch, thrown by any player in the direction of an opponent, regardless as to whether contact is made, is considered fighting.
(a) A major plus a game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to any player who engages in fighting. An additional minor penalty shall be assessed to any player who starts or instigates fighting.
A minor penalty shall be assessed to any player who drops his stick and/or removes his glove(s) during an altercation and is not a participant in the original altercation. A game misconduct penalty shall be added if, in the judgment of the Referee, such player is deemed to be the instigator of a subsequent altercation.
A minor, double minor or major plus game misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the Referee, shall be assessed to any player who, having been struck, continues the altercation by retaliating. A player who does not retaliate after being struck shall not be assessed a penalty for fighting under this rule.
(Note) The Referee is provided very wide latitude in the penalties that he may impose under the rules, including Rule 601 “Abuse of Officials and Other Misconduct” in an effort to discourage fighting. This is done intentionally to enable the Referee to differentiate between the obvious degrees of responsibility of the participants either for starting the fighting or persisting in continuing the fighting.
(b) A major plus game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to any player involved in fighting off the playing surface, before, during or after the game.
(c) A match penalty (for all age classifications) shall be assessed to any player who deliberately removes his helmet/facemask prior to an altercation.
A match penalty (for all age classifications) shall be assessed to any player who deliberately removes his opponent's helmet/facemask prior to or during an altercation.
A game misconduct penalty (for all age classifications) shall be assessed to any player whose actions during an altercation causes the removal of an opponent's helmet and facemask. The player or goalkeeper shall be suspended for his team's next two scheduled games. This two-game suspension is in addition to any other required suspensions incurred during the same incident.
A game misconduct penalty (for all age classifications) shall be assessed to any player who doesn't wear his helmet/facemask as designed and the helmet/facemask is removed during an altercation.
(d) A game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to any player or goalkeeper who is the first to intervene in an altercation then in progress. This penalty is in addition to any other penalty incurred in the same incident.
(e) A minor penalty shall be assessed to any player who fails to move immediately and directly to their players’ bench (or goal crease for a goalkeeper) when instructed to do so by the Referee during an altercation.
(f) Any player who receives a second major penalty for fighting with the same team during the same season shall receive a three-game suspension. For a third fighting major with the same team in the same season, the player shall be suspended until a hearing is conducted by the proper authorities under Rule 410 Supplementary Discipline.