Audio and health/safety technology will be allowed in bench area
NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey players and National Collegiate women’s players will be required to wear cut-resistant equipment starting with the 2027-28 season. Currently, players have the option of wearing this type of equipment.
For the 2026-27 academic year, players are encouraged to wear protective equipment intended to protect the neck, wrist and ankle areas. The change was approved last month.
Division III members of the Division II and III Playing Rules Oversight Panel this week supported a request by the NCAA Division III Management Council for comment on this proposal from the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports’ Prevention and Performance Subcommittee. Division III PROP members will take action on this proposal at their September meeting.
Bench technology
A rule for all of NCAA ice hockey was approved to clarify that teams may use devices for audio communication and health and safety tracking. Teams may not use video for coaching purposes on the bench. This issue will continue to be monitored by the committees and conferences.
Women’s overtime/shootout
After a thorough review, the regular-season format for overtime will remain 3-on-3 for five minutes for both genders. For women’s play, if the game remains tied after the five minutes, conference policy will dictate whether a shootout is used.
In nonconference games, the shootout policy will be determined by the home team’s conference. If the game is played at a neutral site, the shootout decision will be determined by the designated home team’s conference policy (or by in-season tournament policy).
Trapezoid area
Starting with the 2026-27 season, Division I men’s ice hockey games will use a trapezoid area marked below the end line. Goalkeepers will be allowed to play the puck below the goal line in this area of the ice but not outside this area toward the corners of the rink.
This aligns with National Hockey League rules and markings. Division III men’s ice hockey will add this for the 2027-28 competition season to allow planning for this adjustment.
Other rule changes:
- In all NCAA ice hockey competition, hand passes will be allowed in the defensive zone.
- In men’s games, both players taking a faceoff must have the blades of their sticks flat on the ice before the puck is dropped.
- In Division I men’s competition only, a timeout will not be permitted by a team that is not able to change its players (e.g., after an icing call).
- In NCAA women’s ice hockey championship competition that uses video replay, all goals are required to be cleared before play resumes.
