GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
When is an NHL penalty-shot attempt over, and can a rebound still score?
A penalty-shot attempt is complete when the puck crosses the goal line or comes to a complete stop; once shot, the play is complete, and a second shot on a rebound cannot score. The narrow exception is an original puck path off the post or crossbar, then the goalkeeper, and directly into the goal. Rule 24.4 requires a retake in its specified goalkeeper-violation cases when the attempt fails; repeated failed violations bring escalating consequences. Separately, a goalkeeper throwing a stick or any object, or deliberately dislodging the goal, results in a goal being awarded. If the goalkeeper accidentally dislodges the goal while attempting a save, the referee awards a goal if the puck would have entered the area normally occupied by the net; if the player does not score or the referee cannot determine whether it would have entered, the shot is retaken.
For Hockey viewers seeking a rule-based explanation of an anonymous, fully stipulated NHL situation. · Updated
One shot completes the play
The referee places the puck on the center face-off spot. On the referee’s instruction, the shooter plays it from there and must keep the puck moving toward the opponent’s goal line. If the puck crosses that line or comes to a complete stop, the attempt is complete. The rule also says that once the puck is shot, the play is complete.
That is why a puck that comes back from the goalkeeper is not a fresh chance for the shooter to put it in. The narrow exception is a single original puck path that contacts the goal post or crossbar, then the goalkeeper, and goes directly into the goal. It is not a second shot after a save.
Some moves have specific limits
The rule allows the lacrosse-like move only if the puck is never raised above shoulder height and, when released, is not carried higher than the crossbar. A shooter’s 360-degree spin-o-rama is prohibited; the referee stops the attempt and no goal results. These are penalty-shot conditions, separate from the rebound test.
A retake depends on why the attempt failed
Assume the shooter and goalkeeper have already been designated under the applicable rules. If the goalkeeper leaves the crease before the shooter touches the puck, the shot proceeds; if it fails, Rule 24.4 calls for a retake. It also specifies escalating consequences for repeated goalkeeper violations that cause failed attempts, so the rule does not create unlimited consequence-free retries. A major or match infraction by the goalkeeper that causes failure also brings a retake and the stated penalty.
If the goalkeeper leaves the crease before the shooter touches the puck, or commits another infraction, the attempt proceeds; if it fails, Rule 24.4 requires a retake. When a goalkeeper infraction that causes failure is worthy of a minor, the rule says no penalty is assessed but the shot is repeated. A second failed violation brings a misconduct penalty and retake; a third brings a game misconduct and a retake against the alternate goalkeeper. A major or match infraction causing failure also brings a retake and the applicable penalty. These consequences are limited to the Rule 24.4 failed-attempt cases, not general discipline guidance.
Rule 24.4 also gives a retake when interference or distraction by the opposing team causes the attempt to fail, and when a spectator throws an object that the referee judges interferes with the attempt. If someone from the shooting team interferes with the goalkeeper and the shot succeeds because of that interference, the goal is disallowed. These are specific attempt outcomes; this guide does not cover broader discipline.
A save is not a second shot
In a fictional, properly awarded attempt, the shooter’s first shot hits the goalkeeper and rebounds into the crease. The shooter makes a second shot and scores: that second shot cannot count under the penalty-shot procedure. In a different stipulated play, the original shot hits the post, then the goalkeeper, and goes directly into the goal; that path fits the narrow exception. If the puck instead comes to a complete stop before reaching the line, the attempt is complete. If the goalkeeper left the crease before the shooter touched the puck and the shot then failed, the rule provides a retake. If a second goalkeeper violation causes a failed attempt, the rule specifies a misconduct and retake; a third specifies a game misconduct and a retake against the alternate goalkeeper. In an earlier save branch, before the original puck crosses the goal line, the goalkeeper accidentally dislodges the frame while trying to make a save. If the referee determines the puck would have entered the normal goal area, a goal is awarded; if the player does not score or the referee cannot determine whether it would have entered, the shot is retaken. In a separate timing branch, the original puck crosses the goal line before the frame moves; the attempt is complete, so Rule 24.4’s accidental-displacement award or retake determinations do not apply.
Related questions
Does a penalty-shot rebound ever count?
Not as a second shot. The specified exception is the original puck path off the post or crossbar, then the goalkeeper, then directly into the goal.
Does a delayed whistle keep a penalty shot alive?
No. The attempt is complete when the puck crosses the goal line or stops completely, as stated in Rule 24.2.