NCAA may boost penalties for hockey head shots
June 11, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The NCAA is considering a crackdown on hits to the head inhockey.
Under a proposal by the sport’s rules committee, a hit to the head wouldcarry a minimum five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct ordisqualification. The committee’s proposals must be considered by the PlayingRules Oversight Panel in July before being implemented.
Committee chair Forrest Karr, the athletic director at the University ofAlaska Fairbanks, said player safety is “critically important” in collegehockey and that players will be “penalized severely” for contact that targetsthe head and neck area.
Earlier this year, the National Hockey League outlawed blindside hits to thehead and recommended that offenders be given a 5-minute major and a gamemisconduct.
