Boarding is a penalty in ice hockey called when an offending player pushes, trips, or checks an opposing player violently into the boards (walls) of the hockey rink. The following are some key points about boarding in hockey:
- Boarding is usually assessed against a player when the opposing player is hit 4-5 feet from the boards.
- In ice hockey, the boarding call is quite often a major penalty due to the likelihood of injury sustained by the player who was boarded, and officials have the discretion to call a game misconduct or a match penalty (if they feel the offense was a deliberate attempt to injure) on the offending player.
- If a major penalty is assessed and the boarded player sustains a head or facial injury, the offending player receives an automatic game misconduct. If no injury is sustained, then a minor penalty will be called.
- In college ice hockey, the player does not need to be injured for it to be a major penalty.
- Boarding is when a player intentionally pushes, trips, or body checks a defenseless and unaware opponent into the boards.
- Defenseless means that the player has their back to the checking player, or is otherwise unable to defend themselves.
