Cameron Maxwell writes:
>This year the NCAA changed the rule for the first coincidential penalty. If
>there is a coincidential pentaly assesed both teams go 4 on 4, but each
>coincidential after the first one neither team is penalized for it and they
>skate four on four.
 
This is correct, but only if the first set of coincidentals occur
with the situation 5x5 and no other penalties occur at that stoppage
of play, and then another set occur at another stoppage with the
situation 4x4 (or 4x3 or 3x3).  If at one stoppage four players (two
from each team) are assessed what would be coincidental minors, then
all cancel and it is still 5x5.
 
Maybe it will help to look at the Minn-Wisc box that Pam Sweeney
posted (thanks, Pam!) to answer Shari's question about the change in
the coincidental rule.  Shari said,
 
>Something happened in the Minn/Wisc game Saturday night that
>we couldn't follow. Early in the game, the Gophers and Badgers
>were called for coincidental minors. Both players went to the
>box, and the teams skated 4 on 4. The Badgers soon got another
>penalty, and the Gophers scored when it was 4 on 3. However,
>later in the game in another coicidental minor situation, both
>players went off, but the teams skated 5 on 5. Did I miss
>something here?
 
I'll just excerpt the parts of Pam's box score that are relevant.
 
>First period
>     1:14 MINN Wasley (roughing)
>     1:14 WISC Bianchi (high-sticking)
 
Here, the minors to each team were the only penalties assessed, and
there were no other penalties being served.  So these minors go on the
board and the teams skate 4x4.
 
Let's jump ahead...there were three more coincidental situations, all
in the third, but none affected manpower.
 
>Third period
> 0:47 MINN Larson 1 (Bonin, Trebil) pp;  WISC 1, MINN 5
>     1:27 MINN Kraft (holding)
>     2:31 WISC Elick (roughing)
>     2:31 MINN Steege (roughing)
 
Since Kraft was in the box (and his penalty was on the board, affecting
manpower), the minors at 2:31 do not go on the board and it is still
5x4 for Wisconsin.
 
>     7:28 WISC Enrico (interference)
>    10:08 MINN Steege (roughing)
>    10:08 WISC Balkovec (roughing)
>    10:08 WISC Daubenspeck (high-sticking)
 
If Daubenspeck had not received his penalty, the two roughing minors
would have gone on the board and the teams would have skated 4x4.  But
since the roughing minors were not the only penalties at this stoppage
of play, they do cancel out and only Daubenspeck's penalty is put up,
making it 5x4 for Minnesota.  (assuming it was the roughings that were
the coincidentals)
 
>    15:04 WISC Howard (cross-checking)
>    17:11 WISC Enrico (roughing)
>    17:11 MINN Wasley (roughing/cross-checking)
 
Again, because one team received two minors to the other team's one,
the coincidentals cancel and do not go on the board.  Wisconsin is up
5x4.  (Another player must serve Wasley's extra minor for Minnesota.)
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93
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