Section 7: Violations & Penalties
Technical Fouls - Rule 4: These cover ball-handling infringements such as overcarrying or overholding the ball (4.1), throwing the ball or handpassing it without a definite striking action (4.2), lifting the ball off the ground with the knees (4.3), lying on the ball (4.4), touching the ball on the ground with the hand(s) outside the permitted exception (4.5), catching the ball more than twice before playing it away (4.6), an attacking player entering the opponents' small rectangle before the ball (4.10), and standing too close to a free puck, sideline puck, or puck-out before it is taken (4.11, 4.17). The standard penalty for Technical Fouls is a free puck from where the foul occurred, except as otherwise provided under Rule 2.2.
Aggressive Fouls - Rule 5: These are graded into escalating categories. Category I infractions (pulling down an opponent, tripping, threatening or abusive language to an opponent, rough play, careless use of the hurley, and similar - Rules 5.1-5.15) carry a caution (Yellow Card) with an order-off on a second cautionable foul, plus a free puck. Category III infractions (striking, kicking, or attempting to strike an opponent with minimal force, spitting, contributing to a melee - Rules 5.16-5.23) carry an immediate order-off. Category IV infractions (striking or attempting to strike with force or causing injury, striking with the head, striking with a hurley with force or causing injury, stamping, reckless infliction of injury, abusive language to a match official - Rules 5.24-5.34) carry an order-off and, per the Official Guide Part 1 suspension schedule referenced in Rule 5, a minimum two-match suspension escalating to three matches on repeat infraction. Category V (interference with, or threatening/abusive conduct toward, match officials), Category VI (racist, sectarian, or anti-inclusion conduct), and Category VII (striking or assaulting a match official) infractions carry an order-off with minimum suspensions ranging from 12 weeks up to 96 weeks, doubling on repeat infraction, with the offender's team liable to disqualification for Category VI and VII repeat infractions.
Denial of a Goal-Scoring Opportunity - Rule 5.45: In Inter-County Senior, Under 20, and Minor (Under 17) competitions only, where pulling down an opponent (5.1), tripping (5.2), or careless use of the hurley (5.6) denies an attacking player a clear goal-scoring opportunity, a Penalty Puck is awarded to the fouled team and the offender is issued a Black Card and sent to the Sin Bin for ten minutes; if the offender has already received a Black Card or a Yellow Card in the game, the offender is ordered off for the remainder of the game, including Extra Time.
Dissent - Rule 6: Challenging the authority of a Referee, Umpire, or Sideline Official is penalised by a caution, with an order-off for a second cautionable foul (6.1). Showing dissent at the award of a free puck moves that free puck 30m further downfield toward the offending team's own goal, up to the opponents' 20m line (6.4); at Under 18 or younger grades, an additional ten-minute Sin Bin period on a Black Card applies. Refusing to leave the field when ordered off, or a team/player(s) leaving the field or refusing to continue playing, triggers a three-minute warning procedure followed by termination of the game if not complied with (6.5-6.6).