Referees are provided wide latitude in penalties they may impose under this rule. This is done to enable them to differentiate between the obvious degrees of responsibility of the participants either for starting the fighting or persisting in continuing the fight.

Definition – A player who jostles or strikes an opponent, during game action, after a whistle, or any time during the regular course of a game or a prolonged player confrontation.

1. A player involved in a confrontation with an opponent may be assessed a minor, double minor, major or major and automatic game-misconduct penalty.
   
   
2. All fighting situations (where a 5-minute major is to be called) will be assessed a game-misconduct with the exception of a fight with 2 willing combatants (No automatic game-misconduct shall be assessed if the following criteria are fulfilled):
   
   
   1. The fight is only between 2 willing combatants who are involved in the initial situation with no other player to be involved.
      
      
   2. The fight stopped immediately after the linesmen are in.
      
      
   3. After stoppage of the fight, no throwing of punches or resisting officials once the fight is done, players have to enter the penalty bench immediately and without hesitation.
      
      * Any penalty called for fouls committed before the start of the fisticuff/scrum has to be assessed in addition to the penalties which resulted from the altercation.
      ** A player receiving 2 fighting majors in the same game will be assessed an automatic game-misconduct

Fines and Suspensions – Instigator/Aggressor in final five minutes of regulation time (or anytime in overtime)

1. A player who is deemed to be the instigator/aggressor of an altercation in the final five minutes of regulation time or at any time in overtime shall be suspended for one additional game, pending a review of the incident.
   
   
2. When the one-game suspension is imposed, the coach shall be suspended 1 game – a suspension that will double for each subsequent incident.
   
   
3. The suspension shall be served unless, upon review of the incident, the Director of Hockey Operations, at his discretion, deems the incident is not related to the score, previous incidents in the game or prior games, retaliatory in nature, “message sending”, etc. This suspension shall be served in addition to any other automatic suspensions a player may incur.

Helmet – No helmet on or removal of a helmet before engaging in an altercation/fight:

1. In all circumstances, any player engaging in a fight must have a helmet on and properly fastened. If the players helmet is not on or is taken off before engaging in a fight, the player(s) will be assessed a 2-minute minor penalty and 10-minute misconduct.
   
   
2. Helmets that come off in the course of, and resulting from the altercation, will not result in a penalty to either player.

Automatic Supplementary Discipline (DOPS):

1. If a player is assessed a fighting major for the 2^nd time during the ICE Hockey League regular season, such player is assessed an automatic one game suspension, in addition to any other penalties assessed.
   
   
2. If a player is assessed a fighting major for the 3^rd time or more during the ICE Hockey League regular season, such player is assessed an automatic two game suspension for each additional fighting major, in addition to any other penalties assessed.
   
   
3. If a player is deemed to be the instigator in any of the fights above the two-game threshold, such player would be assessed an automatic two game suspension, in addition to any other penalties assessed.

Note: If a player is not the instigator, the fighting major is not included in the player’s total number of fights.