1. Penalties can be called at any time during the playing of a game. This constitutes the 60 minutes of regulation play, the overtime, penalty-shot shootout, stoppages in play, and the departure of the teams from the ice to the dressing rooms.

2. An on-ice official must witness first-hand any infraction if a penalty is to be assessed and incorporated into the official game sheet. This includes events before, during, and after the playing of the game.

3. "Before" the game constitutes the minutes prior to the opening faceoff when the on-ice officials and players are on the ice but game action has yet to begin.

4. Any violations of the rules committed during the pre-game skate or underneath the stands cannot be punished by the assessment of penalties during the game because the on-ice officials do not participate in events at this time. Instead, these violations will be noted by the standby referee and dealt with, if necessary, by the proper authorities.

5. No player or team official is allowed to enter the dressing room of the on-ice officials during the course of or immediately prior to or following the game. Any violation of this rule will be reported to the proper authorities.