Day 5, Rule 5

The game: Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia.

Why I chose it: It is my dream that someday Philly will win a game without starting a fight.

My peeve: Today is definitely not that day.

The rule: Section 2, Teams. Rule 5: The Team.

Number of sections in the rule: 4.

Definition: Math majors, this one's for you. This defines the number of players on a roster (no more than 20, 18 skaters and 2 goalkeepers), classifies ineligible players (the name on the list matters, number doesn't) and substitution rules for goalkeepers (if two regular goalkeepers are incapacitated, the third is permitted to take the ice), all of which must adhere to the 20-man roster limitations.

My favorite highlights: Rule 5.2, Ineligible Player. Only players on the list submitted to the Official Scorer before the game may participate in the game. If a goal is scored when an inelgible player is on the ice (whether he was involved in the scoring or not) the goal will be disallowed. This only applies to the goal scored at the stoppage of play whereby the player was deemed to be ineligible. All other goals scored previously by the ineligible player's team (with him on the ice or not) shall be allowed.

Number of times rule violated: No goals were disallowed, so I'm gonna go with 0.

The final score: Philadelphia 6. Tampa Bay 2.

The morals of the story:

The game: I would not want to be the coach or manager who violates this one. This is like a grown-up version of roll call in elementary school. Except if you do the thing where you don't answer to your name just to mess with the teacher, you don't spend five minutes in the corner for bad behavior. You get reported to the Commissioner.

Life: How great would it be if we had the same kind of lists and rules for mistakes in life? 1)Individuals shall be limited to 20 mistakes in one lifetime and no change shall be permitted in the list once life has started. 2) If a person commits a social faux pas while stumbling through life because they were too young and stupid to know better, the mistake shall be disallowed and an appropriate action will be substituted in its place. 3) All mistakes committed after an individual should have learned the lesson will result in the individual being disqualified from having a life until they learn.

Next up on 11/3: Section 2, Teams. Rule 6, Captains and Alternate Captains.