GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
Does the puck or the goalkeeper decide an NHL trapezoid penalty?
The puck’s position decides whether the goalkeeper played it outside the marked restricted area behind the goal line; the goalkeeper’s body position is not the test. Rule 27.8 defines the area and provides an exception when the goalkeeper plays the puck while maintaining skate contact with the goal crease.
For Hockey viewers seeking a rule-based explanation of an anonymous, fully stipulated NHL situation. · Updated
The rule follows where the puck is played
Rule 27.8 defines the area behind the net with lines beginning six feet from either goalpost and extending diagonally to points 28 feet apart at the end boards. A delay-of-game minor applies when the goalkeeper plays the puck outside this area behind the goal line.
The rule identifies the puck’s position as the determining factor. A goalkeeper’s torso or skates being inside or outside the trapezoid does not by itself answer where the puck was when it was played. The rule addresses playing the puck, rather than merely standing in a location.
Skate contact with the crease is an express exception
The minor is not assessed when the goalkeeper plays the puck while maintaining skate contact with the goal crease. Keep that condition separate from the puck-location test: skate contact must be maintained at the time of the play.
The underlying rule states a geographic line and an action. It does not make every movement beyond the painted area a penalty, and it does not resolve unrelated goalkeeper infractions.
Stipulate the puck and skate positions
In one fictional play, the goalkeeper’s torso is over the marked area, but the puck is stipulated to be outside it behind the goal line when the stick plays it; neither skate touches the crease. The puck’s position meets the location condition for the minor. In a second stipulated play, the puck is again outside the marked area, but the goalkeeper keeps a skate in contact with the crease while playing it; the express exception applies. For contrast, a goalkeeper may reach outside the painted area with the body while the puck remains inside the designated area: body position alone does not create the restricted-area violation.
Related questions
Is the goalkeeper penalized for standing outside the trapezoid?
Rule 27.8 covers a goalkeeper playing the puck outside the designated area behind the goal line. The puck’s position determines the test; standing there alone is not the described action.
Does a goalie’s foot on the crease line matter?
The rule says the minor is not assessed while the goalkeeper plays the puck and maintains skate contact with the goal crease.