Delay of Game
A rules infringement in which a team or player unfairly slows down or delays the resumption of play.
Definition
Delay of game penalises actions that deliberately or needlessly hold up the game — failing to restart within the allotted time, kicking or throwing the ball away after a stoppage, or a goalkeeper holding the ball too long. It exists to keep matches flowing and to stop teams from wasting time to protect a lead.
The penalty depends on the sport. In ice hockey certain delays, such as shooting the puck out of play from the defensive zone, bring a minor penalty; in American football it costs yardage and re-sets the down; and in football (soccer) time-wasting is cautioned with a yellow card. Related concepts include stalling and the various clocks designed to prevent it.
Meaning by sport
This term is used differently across sports:
- Ice Hockey
- A minor penalty for specific delays, such as shooting the puck out of play from the defensive zone.
- American football
- A yardage penalty for failing to snap the ball before the play clock expires.
- Football
- A cautionable (yellow-card) offence for time-wasting.
Where you’ll hear “delay of game”
Sports that use this term:
Ice Hockey
A fast team sport on ice that combines skating skill with quick passing and goal-scoring.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Basketball
A fast, dynamic team sport of running, jumping and quick decisions on court.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Delay of Game to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Sports science
Rules
- Penalty strokes in golfStrokes added to a player’s score in defined situations, such as hitting out of bounds or losing a ball.
- Penalty kick awardA one-on-one kick against the goalkeeper awarded when a defending player commits a direct-free-kick foul inside their own penalty area.
- Ice hockey penaltiesHow hockey punishes infractions by putting a player in the box — minor, double-minor, major, misconduct and game misconduct — and which ones end early when a goal is scored.
- Volleyball rotationThe rule that players rotate one position clockwise each time their team wins back the serve.
Tactics
- The penalty killHow a team defends a player short — the box and diamond formations, why killers ice the puck legally, and what a short-handed team is actually trying to protect.
- The power playWhat a team does with a one-player advantage — the umbrella and 1-3-1 setups, why the extra player creates a passing triangle a penalty kill cannot cover, and what the clock is worth.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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