The sport is defined as non-contact in the same way basketball is considered non-contact. The person in control of the puck can not be physically pushed but also may not charge into set opponents.
A simple summary of the rules:
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No body contact unless your stick is on the puck
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no shoving or pushing other player
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no moving picks
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Your stick, and only your stick, can touch the puck
- knocking down passes with any part of your body or equipment is prohibited
- moving the puck with any part of your body or equipment is prohibited
- use of your stick on an opponent is prohibited
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No holding or moving another player (even if you do have the puck)
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no holding onto any part of their body
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no holding onto any part of their equipment
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Shooting the puck at or near an opponent’s head is prohibited
In General:
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IF
- you do not have possession of the puck
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AND
- you are not trying to establish possession of the puck
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THEN
- you cannot prevent another player from gaining possession of the puck
- you cannot hide the puck with your body so an opponent cannot find it
For foul names, what they look like, and what the ref does next, see Fouls.
For equal / advantage / penalty setups, see Restarts and Protocols.