The National League and the Swiss League have decided to adopt the rule changes already for the 2021-22 season. They will come into effect right away and will also be applied in the pre-season games.
The new IIHF Rule Book includes, for example, the restricted area for the goaltender behind the net, which is already known in the NHL and KHL. Behind the goal, the goalie is only allowed to play the puck within this area. Moreover, to avoid an offside call, a player's skate has no longer to touch the blue line when entering the offensive zone, but can also be in the air.
Also, coaches are allowed to make use of the Coach's Challenge in a wider range of situations and some fouls can be penalized with a 5-minute major penalty without an automatic game misconduct.
