The sport of hockey generally sees the puck propelled along the ice with a hockey stick but there are occasions when parts of a player’s body can legally be used to play the puck and this includes the hands.
Goaltenders are allowed to grab, smother, or catch the puck, while all other players can only use their hands to play the puck in certain situations. A penalty will occur when a player picks up the puck, catches then skates with it, throws it, or closes their hand on the puck.
Can You Use Your Hands in Hockey?
Goaltenders can certainly use their hands to make saves and smother (freeze) the puck and this is why they wear specific goalie gloves for catching and blocking.
But when it comes to the rest of the skaters, their hands can only be used to stop or bat the puck down from mid-air to the ice, deflect it in a defensive manner such as blocking a shot and to swat or push it along the ice. Players are also allowed to direct the puck with their hands to a teammate as long as it occurs in their own defensive zone.
Can You Throw the Puck in Hockey?
Players can stop or bat the puck during a game with an open hand but aren’t allowed to close their hand on it (catch it) and throw it. Any player who is deemed to have closed their hand on the puck is issued with a two-minute minor penalty for doing so.
What is Considered an Illegal Hand Pass in Hockey?
An illegal hand pass is ruled by the on-ice officials when a player directs the puck intentionally or unintentionally directly to a teammate in any area other than their own defensive zone. It’s also an illegal hand pass if the puck strikes or deflects off of an opposing player to a teammate. If a player directs the puck to a teammate anywhere other than inside their own blue line then the play is whistled dead and a faceoff ensues.
If the hand pass takes place inside the attacking zone, the faceoff will be brought outside to the neutral zone to make sure the offending player’s team doesn’t gain an advantage with the puck being dropped in the attacking zone. Which is a similar faceoff to offsides.
Are Hand Passes Ever a Legal Play? (NHL Hand Pass Rule)
A hand pass from one teammate to another is legal in the defensive zone (inside your own blue line), but if the hand pass occurs in the neutral zone (between the two blue lines) or offensive zone it will be whistled down.
Can You Catch a Flying Puck and Pass it to Yourself?
You can legally bat the puck down to yourself during a game but in no instance are you allowed to catch it, close your hand on it, and take a few strides without being penalized. Often you will see a hockey player catch it and throw it down to the ice instantly to avoid being penalized.
Can You Score off Your Hand in Hockey?
A player is not allowed to intentionally propel or direct the puck into the net with their hands. Any goal that is scored from the hand in this manner will be ruled out. If the puck happens to ricochet or deflect off of a player’s hand unintentionally and enters the net it will count as a legal goal though.
You are not allowed to grab the puck and throw it in the net, this will result in no goal and potentially a 2 minute penalty.
Can a Hockey Goalie Grab the Puck?
A goaltender can grab the puck with their hands when making a save and also catch it. In fact, the catcher glove is designed specifically for catching the puck.
Can a Goalie Throw the Puck?
Hockey goaltenders aren’t allowed to literally throw the puck in the air in an overhand or underhand manner to a teammate or to clear the zone by moving it forward. However they can drop it on the ice to a teammate and can usually get away with tossing it behind the net or into a defensive corner.
If a netminder does happen to throw the puck forwards then a two-minute minor penalty will be assessed to the culprit. In addition, goalies, just like any other player, can legally bat the puck to to a teammate as long as the action takes place in their defensive zone.
Can You Get a Penalty for Using Your Hands in Hockey?
A two-minute minor penalty for handling the puck can be handed out to skaters who deliberately close their hand on the puck to gain an advantage. In some leagues, players are allowed catch the puck however as long as they immediately drop it to the ice without attempting to gain any type of advantage.
A penalty is also assessed to a player who deliberately gathers the puck into their body or covers it while laying on the ice. If a player covers the puck in their own goal crease with their hand it will result in a penalty shot being awarded to the opposition. If a player covers the puck in their own goal crease when their goaltender has been pulled for an extra attacker, the opposition will be awarded a goal.
If a goaltender gathers the puck deliberately into their body or covers it with their hand while outside of the crease it should result in a minor penalty for delay of game. Minor penalties only can be called for handling-the-puck infractions. Five-minute majors, 10-minute misconducts and match penalties can’t be dished out for these type of infractions.
Read related: Can You Lay on the Puck in Hockey?
What are Some NHL Controversial Hand Pass Goals?
St. Louis Blue vs San Jose Sharks – Erik Karlsson Controversial Goal
The most controversial hand pass goal took place in overtime of game three of the 2018/19 Western Conference Final between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks. San Jose forward Timo Meir batted the puck in mid-air towards the St. Louis net while in the attacking attacking zone.
It ended up on the stick of teammate Gustav Nyquist, who passed it to Erik Karlsson, who then scored for a 5-4 win. This put San Jose ahead two games to one in the series but the Blues bounced back to win it in six games and eventually won the Stanley Cup that season.
The next day the NHL admitted that the on-ice officials should have called the play dead and disallowed the goal but it stood since the play wasn’t re-viewable by camera replay at the time according to league rules. Since then the NHL revised its rule book and hand passes can now be challenged by a team’s coach and the outcome is decided by video replay.
Disallowed Alexander Kerfoot Goal
Early in the 2022/23 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs were trailing the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 and thought they had tied the game with 39 seconds remaining in the third period. However, the goal scored by Alex Kerfoot was disallowed after officials reviewed the play on video as it was ruled that teammate Morgan Rielly had deflected the puck with his hand to teammate John Tavares in the attacking zone. Tavares then shot the disc and Kerfoot buried the rebound.
The on-ice officials originally missed the call but video replay showed that Rielly played the puck with his hand at the blue line and although it deflected off of an Arizona player, the next player to possess the puck was Toronto’s Mitch Marner, who then passed it to Tavares. Therefore it was ruled as an illegal hand pass as it took place in the attacking zone.
Final Thoughts
The rules regarding playing the puck with your hand may differ slightly in various leagues but no league allows hand passes in the attacking zone and most leagues don’t allow players to catch the puck or propel it with a closed hand.
That being said, you may occasionally see an NHL player catch the puck in mid air and get away with it as long as he immediately drops it to the ice.
Read more about hockey pucks in our related posts:
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.