DOPS: Week 03 of 2026
Milton Keynes Lightning #37 Patrik Forsberg
Rule 46 - Fighting @ 2/19:13
On review it has been adjudicated that the minor plus major plus game misconduct for Fighting (Aggressor) was appropriately assessed for this incident.
46.4 AGGRESSOR
The “Aggressor” in an altercation shall be the Player who continues to throw punches in an attempt to inflict punishment on their opponent who is in a defenseless position or who is an “unwilling combatant”.
A Player who is deemed to be the “Aggressor” of an altercation shall be assessed a minor penalty (“Aggressor”) plus a major penalty (“Fighting”) and an automatic game misconduct penalty (2’+5’+GMP)
Contact was made between the Milton Keynes netminder and the opposition player. The contact was initiated by the netminder in the action of trying to take possession of the puck. Milton Keynes #37 intervened and was the aggressor in a fighting situation with a player that was an unwilling combatant. The altercation stopped quickly without excessive blows, but the recipient was an unwilling participant hence the appropriate application of the Aggressor penalty.
The player receives 0 penalty points and the team is awarded 5 penalty points. As a tier 1 offence, the player is suspended for 1 game.
Total games suspended: 1. Note: this sanction has already been served and the player is free to play.
Bristol Pitbulls #77 Bayley Harewood
Rule 48 - Illegal Check to the Head or Neck area @ 3/16:36
On review it has been adjudicated that the major and game misconduct penalty for Illegal Check to the head or neck was required for the incident.
48.1. ILLEGAL CHECK TO THE HEAD OR NECK
There is no clean check to the head or neck. The Player delivering the hit must avoid hitting the opponent’s head or neck. A hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable is not permitted. This rule supersedes all similar actions regarding hits to the head and neck
48.3. MAJOR PENALTY AND GAME MISCONDUCT PENALTY
The Referee, at their discretion, may assess a major penalty and an automatic game misconduct penalty if, in their judgment, the Player recklessly endangers their opponent by an “illegal check to the head or neck”. Such assessment of reckless endangerment shall be based on the severity of the infraction, severity of the contact, the degree of violence and the general reprehensibility involved.
48.4. DISCIPLINARY MEASURES
If deemed appropriate, Supplementary Discipline can be applied by the Proper Authorities at their discretion
It is important to note that there are a number of factors that separate this play from other cross-checking violations elevating the incident to merit this level of supplemental discipline. This is not an inadvertent or accidental use of the stick while leveraging for body position or other hockey purposes, where players can reasonably expect escalated contact, or for both players’ sticks to come up high or other hockey purposes.
While battling for position with Leeds #43 in front of the Leeds goal, both players were using their sticks to move the other around. #77 was caught high with the stick, for which #43 was correctly penalised with a minor penalty. In response, #77 raised his stick and, with an upward motion, delivered with force a cross check to the side and back of the head/neck area of the Leeds #43. This was a directed strike and the contact with the head/neck area was the primary point of contact. This is not a valid hockey play, but a direct strike to an opponent's head using his stick as a weapon.
The player receives 0 penalty points on their record. As a Tier 1 tariff offence, the Player is suspended for 3 games. The team shall receive 5 Penalty points.
Total Games suspended is 3 games.
