Decision Review System

The National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) takes player safety and fair play seriously. To ensure that incidents are reviewed thoroughly and impartially, the Decision Review System (DRS) allows National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) teams to request a review of incidents related to player safety, major penalties and incidents not called during gameplay.  

All DRS requests are handled by the Game Review Panel, escalating to the IHUK Department of Player Safety (DOPS) where necessary. 

Review Limits and Outcomes

• Permitted Reviews: Each team is allowed three (3) DRS reviews during the regular season. Teams will receive one (1) DRS review for the Playoff series and knock-out stages.
• Outcomes: A review will be categorised as:
  • Refuted: The review is disagreed with, and the team loses one (1) review.
  • Upheld: The review is agreed with, and no review is lost.
  • No Outcome: A decision could not be made due to poor video quality or other mitigating factors, and no review is lost.

Additional Review Requests 

• If a team has used all three reviews, they may request further reviews.
• If an additional review is requested an application fee of £100 will need to be paid. 

Eligible Incidents for Review 

Teams may request a review under the following conditions: 

• Matters concerning safety of players 
  
• Major, Misconduct or Game Misconduct penalties that were not originally called during the game 
  
• Cases of potential misjustice such as mistaken identity 

Submission Guidelines

• All review requests must be submitted via Cognito Forms. Email requests will not be accepted. 
• Submission Deadlines:
  • For weekend games, requests must be submitted by 10 PM on the following Monday
  • For midweek games, requests must be submitted by 10 PM the day after the game (e.g. for a Wednesday game, the deadline is 10 pm Thursday)
• Only one incident per request shall be submitted
  • Submissions must include at least two minutes of footage before and after the incident being requested for review
  • Teams should upload the footage to a private YouTube channel as an Unlisted video or use a file transfer service such as WeTransfer
• Fan-recorded footage will not be accepted

Extensions

• The visiting team may request an extension if the footage is not available in time
  • This must be flagged to support@nihlnational.com before the DRS submission deadline
  • The review must be submitted within 24 hours of the footage becoming available

Review Process

• All footage will be reviewed by the Game Review Panel after the deadline
• A response will be issued within 48 hours via Cognito
• In cases where a DRS review would have a material impact on player availability for the next game, GRP and IHUK DOPS may be able to expedite a decision
• The review is based solely on the video footage and the context provided. No appeal will be considered for the review outcome

Last updated 26-Aug-2026