Line changes, or substitutions, are made when play is stopped or while play is in progress. There are two intermissions between periods. If the game is tied after 60 minutes, a sudden death five minute overtime takes place. If it is still tied after OT, play continues in the USHL with a shootout. Major penalties are called for fighting and result in five minutes in the penalty box.
Misconducts result from unsportsmanlike behavior or when a player commits a second major in a game.
The penalty is against an individual, who has to sit out for 10 minutes, but he is substituted for. If a team has a player in the penalty box, it is shorthanded. The other team is on the power play. If the team on the power play scores, then the penalized player returns to the game. These are some of the most common reasons for a whistle being blown.