While fighting in the NHL may not be anywhere as frequent as it once was, it’s still part of the game and a well-timed bout of fisticuffs can be a huge momentum changer for a team that needs a spark. The league still has certain regulations when it comes to fighting though and one of these is the jersey tie down rule.
In this article, we will explain exactly what the tie down rule means and how it’s dealt with.
What is a Fight Strap on a Hockey Jersey?
An NHL hockey jersey comes outfitted with a fight strap, which is used to keep the jersey in place during a fight. The strap itself is a loop of fabric which is sewn into the back bottom of the player’s jersey, and it ties down to his hockey pants.
Fight straps can be attached to the pants with metal snaps, a clip, a button or a strip of Velcro. However a tie down strap doesn’t guarantee that it will keep the jersey in place but it would take an enormous amount of force or struggling to have it come off.
Different Types of Fight Straps
Fight straps come in various lengths, attachment methods, and materials. For example, they may be made of nylon, polyester, leather, or cotton and can be attached by a button snap, Velcro strip, or a clip. The most popular option today is the snap-on button straps that are sewn directly onto the jersey.
They can usually be found in short lengths from 6 to 10 inches for a snug fit; medium or standard length from 11 to 14 inches and long from 15 to 18 inches for taller players. Most modern-day fight straps allow you to adjust the length however.
NHL Jersey Tie-Down Rule Explained:
When it comes to tie down fight straps the NHL deals with it in rule 46.13 of the league’s rule book. It states:
Any player who engages in a fight and loses his jersey will receive an automatic game misconduct penalty if his jersey isn’t correctly attached or tied down to his pants.
- The rule adds that for a player to be penalized, the jersey must come completely off of his torso during the altercation.
- In addition, the rules says that if the player loses his jersey during the fight and is wearing a tie down fight strap which remains attached to his pants, then he won’t be handed a game misconduct penalty but the incident must be reported to the league office. The league will then examine the player’s jersey and tie down do see why it failed to do its job.
- The rule goes on to state that if the opponent instigates the fight and a player loses his jersey during the altercation because it was pulled off by the opponent or by an official who tried to separate the combatants, then a game misconduct penalty won’t be assessed. This rule covers any player regardless if his jersey was tied down or not.
Do Players Need to Wear the Strap Even if They Never Fight?
According to Rule 9 of the NHL rule book, all players’ jerseys must be properly tied down at all times.
Who is Rob Ray?
Rob Ray was known as an NHL enforcer who played 900 career regular-season games from 1889/90 to 2003/04 with 889 of them coming with the Buffalo Sabres and 11 with the Ottawa Senators.
The forward accumulated 3,207 penalty minutes in those contests and is currently the Sabres’ all-time penalty leader at 3,189 minutes and is ranked sixth-all time in the NHL. Many of Ray’s penalty minutes came from fighting and he often lost his jersey during battles.
He also wore a very loose-fitting jersey so he could slide his arm out of it to gain an advantage during a fight. His jersey and shoulder pads would often come off during fights and his opponents had nothing to hold onto because of this, giving Ray an advantage in the scuffle.
The NHL then brought in the tie down rule due to Ray’s antics and the rule was then nicknamed the Rob Ray Rule.
Ray was quoted as saying:
At first I was just wearing a loose sweater with the idea that I could get my arm out of it and then the guy I was going against couldn’t grab my arm and hold it down. After awhile the sweater started coming off all together, and then it was my shoulder pads and it kind of went on from there.
He added:
It was amazing the things guys would do. I knew guys who would cut various pieces of their equipment so that it would rip away in a fight. I knew guys who would spray silicone on themselves (mostly the arms of their sweaters) to make them slippery and impossible to grab. Guys would practice the quickest ways to lose their gloves and some guys would sew Velcro into their equipment so when they went to shed something it wouldn’t fall and then the other guy would drop his stuff and end up with a penalty. There were all kinds of things and I guess I tried most of them. Losing the shirt was just something that kind of progressed to that point.
The following video shows prime examples of Rob Ray’s fights without the use of a fight strap.
Like fighters and tough guys? See our post of the 10 Most Feared Enforcers in the NHL here.
When Was the Jersey Tie Down Rule Implemented?
The mandatory tie down fight strap rule was introduced at the beginning of the 1996/97 season to help stop jerseys from being pulled over a combatant’s head during a bout. Fight straps were sewn into jerseys prior to this, but they weren’t mandatory at that time.
Why is the Tie Down Rule Important?
If a jersey ends up over a player’s head during a fight and he can’t see it could result in a serious injury. Also, once a player’s jersey is pulled up, it enables his shoulder pads and elbow pads to come off or to move out of position.
The NHL also didn’t like the idea of players naked from the waist up throwing punches at each other in the middle of the ice as it appeared to degrade the league.
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.