(a) If a player, except a goalkeeper, closes his hand on the puck, the play shall be stopped and a minor penalty shall be imposed on him. A goalkeeper who holds the puck with his hands for longer than three seconds shall be given a minor penalty unless he is actually being checked by an opponent.

(b) A goalkeeper must not deliberately hold the puck in any manner which, in the opinion of the Referee, causes a stoppage of play, nor throw the puck forward towards the opponent's net, nor deliberately drop the puck into his pads or onto the goal net, nor deliberately pile up snow or obstacles at or near his net, that in the opinion of the Referee, would tend to prevent the scoring of a goal.

(NOTE) The object of this entire Rule is to keep the puck in play continuously and any action taken by the goalkeeper which causes an unnecessary stoppage must be penalized without warning.

(c) The penalty for infringement of this Rule by the goalkeeper shall be a minor penalty.

(NOTE) In the case where the puck thrown forward by the goalkeeper being taken by an opponent, the Referee shall allow the resulting play to be completed, and if goal is scored by the non-offending Team, it shall be allowed and no penalty given; but if a goal is not scored, play shall be stopped and a minor penalty shall be imposed against the goalkeeper.

(d) A minor penalty shall be imposed on a player, except the goalkeeper, who, while play is in progress, picks up the puck off the ice with his hand.

If a player, except a goalkeeper, while play is in progress, picks up the puck with his hand from the ice in the goal crease area, the play shall be stopped immediately and a penalty shot shall be awarded to the non-offending Team.

(e) A player shall be permitted to stop or "bat" a puck in the air with his open hand, or push it along the ice with his hand, and the play shall not be stopped unless, in the opinion of the Referee, he has deliberately directed the puck to a teammate in any zone other than the defensive zone, in which case the play shall be stopped and the puck faced-off at the spot where the offense occurred. Play will not be stopped for any hand pass by players in their own defensive zone.

(NOTE) The object of this Rule is to ensure continuous action and the Referee should NOT stop play unless he is satisfied that the directing of the puck to a teammate was, in fact, DELIBERATE.

A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who bats the puck with his hand directly into the net. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who bats the puck and it is deflected into the net off any player or goalkeeper.

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